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Better targeting techniques by businesses have raised consumer interest in email marketing, research by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has highlighted.

A DMA poll of 1,800 consumers found that 30% were interested in at least half of the promotions that landed in their inbox, representing a big rise from 9% last year.

The results also suggested that email newsletters are reaching a relevant audience, with half of those polled reporting that they received 20 or more emails each week from trusted brands. Just 25% of people said that more than 90% of the marketing emails they received were irrelevant, down from 64% in 2010.

DMA executive director Chris Combemale opined that the results were “a boon to businesses” and showed growing sophistication and relevance.

“The massive rise over the past year in the number of emails that consumers report as being of relevance to them is a direct consequence of improved targeting and segmentation techniques, as well as a greater understanding of the kinds of content that are appealing,” he said.

One common mistake made by businesses in their email marketing was “to make it all about selling”, according to e-marketing expert and author Lucy Whittington.

“Create relevant content that your customers can read, such as a newsletter with useful articles, opinions or tips on your industry sector, with the odd deal thrown in. Make sure that anything you send out is targeted properly to your different customer groups and that your database is up to date.”

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