Email marketing is a valuable marketing strategy that is being implemented by a variety of business e-market.  Offering companies the advantage of reaching a wider audience in a matter of minutes due the increasing number of consumers who access e-mail on mobile phones. Roesler (2014) highlight Forrester Research identified “42% of retailers opened emails now happen on smartphones, up from 28% in 2013. While email open rates on tablets grew from 16% to 17%.” see here for the full study.   Custora (2013) conducted report considering e-commerce customer acquisition revealing an increase in email marketing growth having grown from 0.88%  of customers acquired in 2009 to 6.85% in 2013.  Also production and distribution, costs are low which enables for cost efficient means to target consumers. However, although email marketing offers costs advantage and high access to the user, there are a variety of factors that still need to be considered to execute direct and efficient email marketing campaign.  e.g. personalizing email to recipients can be difficult if recipients only provide a minimum amount of personal information.

It is of high significance businesses try to identify how consumers motivations are processed. In order encourage users to engage with an email received and pass it along to others. Once individuals motives are determined, email can be designed with an increased chance of them being shared. Ho & Dempsey (2010) determine the people companies should aim to target are e E-marvens these are people who specifically acquire and become engaged with electronic communication channels e.g. email, social media.

Motivators

Belonging-Schutz (1958) developed a three-dimensional theory of interpersonal communication discovering inclusion and desire to be part of a group, are critical factors to why people forward emails. There is a human desire to “join” groups. This concept is highlighted by Maslow (1999) who identifies belonging is one of the five motivators that are unrelated to financial gains/ rewards as they’re naturally unconscious desires. Phelps et al. (2004) conducted a large degree of primary research with one of the factors identified as to why participants passed on email was to stay relevant and connected to their peer/friendship groups.
Trust– emails forwarded by friends has risen due to the lack of confidence in companies. As a result, individuals have relied on their friends experience and recommendation of specific topics. Friendship maintain personal relationship shared. Therefore, friends will know more about us and have our best interest at heart as opposed to marketers. (see here for previous blog detailing importance of gainers online users trust and permission.)
Entertainment- Rubin, Pearse, Barbato (1988) conducted a phone interview with 28 respondents. The most repetitive answer identified for forwarding email was they’re fun and entertaining e.g. “have a good time ” pep me up”,”help others”.  Further supported by Phelps et al. (2004b) who carried focus groups with 34 participants revealed. Over 50% of email forwarded were relevant to jokes and comedy, interestingly 53.8% email forward were about Games.
These motivators should be considered and discussed by marketers when implementing email marketing. The image below highlight email pass along process. Companies can aim to engage users at the crucial decision point of the process, which may be implemented with motivators identified.

Stage 2- users more likely to open mail if trust respondent who distributed the message.

Stage 4- users are more likely to forward the message if they find it fun and engaging, something friends would enjoy viewing.

It is crucial to remember application of email marketing to motivators highlighted won’t guarantee forwarding of mail .As all individuals are subjective, therefore desire/willingness of individual can’t be quantified to a strict list of determining factors.

References

Custora (2013) E-Commerce Customer Acquisition snapshot. [Online]http://blog.custora.com/2013/06/e-commerce-customer-acquisition-snapshot/  ]Accessed 14th March 2015.]

Ho, J. Y, & Dempsey, M. (2010). Viral marketing: Motivations to forward online content.Journal of Business Research, Vol 63, No 9, 1000-1006.

Maslow, A.H (1998) Maslow on Management. New york: John Wiley.

Phelps, J. E, Lewis, R, Mobilio, L, Perry, D, & Raman, N. (2004a). Viral marketing or electronic word-of-mouth advertising: Examining consumer responses and motivations to pass along email. Journal of advertising research, Vol 44, No 4, p333-348.

Phelps, J. E., Lewis, R. Mobilio, L. Perry, D. & Raman, N. (2004b). Viral marketing or electronic word-of-mouth advertising: Examining consumer responses and motivations to pass along email. Journal of advertising research, Vol 44, No 4, p342..

Roesler, P.  (2014) Top 5 Reasons Why Email Marketing Still Works. [Online] http://www.inc.com/peter-roesler/top-5-reasons-why-email-marketing-is-still-works.html. [Accessed 3rd May  2014].

Rubin,R, Pearse, E, Barbato, C. (1988) Conceptualization and measurement of interpersonal communication motives. Human Communication Research. vol 14. No 4, p602-628.

Stutz, W (1958)  FIRO; a three-dimensional theory of interpersonal behavior.Rinehart.