What is Permission Marketing?

Permission marketing (abbreviation: PM) covers all forms of marketing where companies (the sender) communicate with potential customers and existing customers (the recipient) when the recipient has actively given consent to be contacted.

TIP!
Permission Marketing is also commonly referred to as: PM (abbreviation), email marketing, marketing automation, lead nurturing, etc.

The typical forms of permission marketing are therefore:

Email marketing
SMS marketing
Direct sales/contact

That is, cases where the recipient has given permission for the sender to contact them. For example, by signing up for a newsletter, submitting contact details in a form with the intention of being contacted, filling out a lead ad form on social media to receive materials, or similar.

Permission marketing is therefore a form of pull marketing and inbound marketing, which is the direct opposite of push and interruption marketing, where the company attracts potential customers rather than attempting to push its message out to an audience that has not asked for it.

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Read more about the difference between push and pull marketing here.

Permission Marketing: Benefits and drawbacks

Permission marketing has its advantages and can be the cornerstone of many marketing setups and strategies — especially in B2B marketing setups, as permission marketing is closely tied to lead generation, nurturing, and lead scoring, which are essential within a serious B2B marketing setup.

Permission marketing can also serve as an effective supplement and tool for e-commerce businesses with the aim of increasing CLV.