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Email Newsletters - do your subscribers opt-in OR do they have to opt-out?
By Karen Skidmore | May 12, 2008
Just had an interesting debate with someone who disagreed with a top tip that I offered during introductions at a networking event today. He questioned my advice on business card dumping.
Now, my take on email newsletters is that they are a permission-based marketing tool where the person gives their permission (whether in the explicit action of self subscribing or verbal agreement to be added manually) to be part of your newsletter distribution list.
There are certain people at networking events who collect business cards and attendance sheets with the sole purpose of adding these people to their email marketing lists. They don’t ask these people to be part of their mailing lists - they just “dump” their contact details in to their database.
Now, technically this is perfectly legal and above board. By offering an opt-out or unsubscribe option with all future emails, they are operating according to CANSPAM regulations.
However, what would you prefer? Would you prefer to opt-in and make a conscious decision to be part of someone’s mailing list? Or have to opt-out of an email newsletter after being added without giving your permission?
Yes, by adding people without their permission to your list, sales will be made and there will always be a small percentage of conversions. And yes, if someone doesn’t want to be part of your mailing list that you have added them to, they can always unsubscribe.
But remember the people who just click the delete key or hit their spam key, often in fury, and don’t unsubscribe. You will soon have an artificially high number of subscribers who don’t actually read nor act on your emails.
So, let me open up the debate: should your mailing list be built on the principles of opt-in only OR do you develop your mailing list be adding and then offer an opt-out?
What’s good for your business?
What do you think?
Topics: Growing your subscriber list, Promoting an email newsletter |
May 13th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Hi Karen,
I TOTALLY agree with you. I’ve met people at networking meetings or on Ecademy who have then subscribed me to their ezine without my permission. This always grates on me - especially as someone who helps clients with permission marketing!
Not only is it annoying, but embarrassing too. I don’t want to offend the people I’m getting to know, so it’s awkward if I want to unsubscribe. I know they’ll probably get a message from their list server telling them that I’ve unsubscribed!
Not only that, but as you mention, they’ve filled their lists up with unqualified subscribers. We have demonstrated no interest in their products or services, and probably don’t read their emails. This will obviously skew any stats, and worse than that, if they’re using an ESP that charges depending on the number of emails sent out, they’re also paying for all the irrelevant emails that don’t get read.
On a slight technical note, I wasn’t aware that the UK and Europe were governed by Canspam - I thought that was a US Federal law. However, we are governed by some EU directive or another which amounts to roughly the same thing, the main difference being (I believe) that we’re not obliged to put a physical address on email communications. However, it may be the case that email sent to American recipients is governed by Canspam - do you happen to know?
Jane
May 19th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Hi Jane - I have posted the UK Rules of Opt-in email newsletters just today. Karen
July 1st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Hi Karen
I’ve been running my business for a couple of years now and have only just decided to send out my first email newsletter. I would really like to include my existing customers in the first one, however after reading through the opt-in rules, I am a bit concerned. I didn’t really want to approach each one to ask them to opt in by going to my website and would like to know if you have any advice on how to tackle this. My original thought was to send them the newsletter with a welcoming bit in the introduction and explaining that they could unsubscribe if they wished too. But I’m wondering now if this would fall foul of the legislation. I wonder if you can advice if this is the case or if you have an alternative way to go about this?
Thanks
Ghislaine
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
[...] Comments Ghislaine on Email Newsletters - do your subscribers opt-in OR do they have to opt-out?» Keeping Email Newsletters Relevant Email Marketing Journal - Opt In Email Marketing [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Hi Ghislaine - great question to ask and I thought it was better off answering in a separate blog posting:
http://www.howtodoemailnewsletters.com/2008/sell-the-benefits-of-your-email-newsletter-and-customers-will-beat-down-your-door-to-subscribe/
Hope my answer is helpful,
Karen