As advancements in technology shape our everyday lives, a common complaint is that our digital world - our computers and gadgets, our dependence on the Internet, our virtual landscape - is decreasing the amount of actual human contact and diminishing the importance of face-to-face relationships.

But what about the parents who can now video-chat with their children who moved across the country to attend school? Or our ability to keep in touch with friends and family who live in different parts of the world? Technology now makes it much easier to find old friends via email and social networks. A good friend of mine who attended grade school in New York just emailed me from Las Vegas by finding my profile on www.cdapress.com.

The effect of advancements in communication methods and devices is merely a matter of perspective. Sure, choosing email or chat over a face-to-face conversation to save the 10 minutes it would take to walk to a different floor of the office may be an example of depersonalization. But using Google hangouts to hold a meeting with people from London, New York, and Los Angeles offices is a form of personalization that was previously impossible.

Technology and communication both play a huge role in marketing, but the truth is, up until a decade ago, most marketing messages consisted of companies speaking at consumers about their products and services. It was disruptive, pushy, and impersonal. So despite arguments to the contrary, tactics like social media and email marketing, coupled with modern notions of engaging with customers, are actually shifting marketing in a much more personal direction.

Most businesses depend on two critical aspects to thrive: lead generation and customer retention. Without new customers, your business can't operate, but it's just as imperative to keep your current ones happy and willing to give you recurring revenue and referrals. Email marketing is a solution for both, which is why it's effective for all industries.

So how and where to start with email marketing? You need to start by building up an email database.

Ways to generate an email database:

Ask and you shall receive! You'd be surprised by how easily people will give their email addresses if you simply ask. Whether in a physical store or on a website, people are accustomed to being asked for their email address, so don't worry about perception.

Remind them to subscribe: Sometimes people need a little encouragement, so add buttons urging for users to subscribe on all your communication methods - your homepage, in your blog posts, on social media feeds, in your email signature, and on your "contact us" page.

Provide incentive: If you're having trouble generating a list, consider adding some incentive for those who give you their email. Offering promotions, discounts, or valuable information via a whitepaper or a webinar will certainly get you more email addresses - and you're engaging them!

Run a contest: Raffle off a product, service, or just a cool gadget like an iPad. Have people submit ballots that include their email address - if your prize is good enough, you're sure to generate a decent list of contacts to outweigh any costs.

Referrals: Once you do start sending out communications, grow your database by getting subscribers to 'Forward to a Friend.' Put a 'Forward to a Friend' link in all of your newsletters and drive subscribers to a page where they can enter their friends' info. You may even want to give them an incentive to do so.

Increasing your email marketing conversions: In the end, email campaigns are judged on the results they achieve - conversions. Stay relevant and interesting; since people get so many emails, only the best get read. Not everybody has to open your emails for them to be successful - but it does mean that you have to be both creative and strategic with your campaigns.

If you're properly maintaining your consumer database, then you'll have information on what your customers are most interested in. Use this information and base your communications around certain products and personalize the experience for the reader so they're more likely to take action.

Include freebies: The loyalty and trust of your online customers is critical for the success of your future campaigns. Reward your faithful subscribers with a free product once in a while, just to let them know you appreciate their business. It'll go a long way.

Email Marketing has been around for a long time. What I've noticed, especially in our local business community, is that it seems to be rarely used. I guess there are endless reasons why people have given up on it, including the never-ending rise in spamming. But the fact remains; using email to reach out to both potential customers and existing ones is still very affordable, quick, and effective. It's definitely worth your time.

Jacob Myong is a WSI Internet Consultant with The Coeur d'Alene Press. He has worked in digital media for over 15 years. Email Jacob@cdapress.com or call 208-416-5173. www.cdainternetmarketing.com