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by Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact's Email Marketing Diva(TM)

Permission - How to "do the right thing

Note: Before I get started on permission, I'd like to announce that, beginning today, Email Marketing Hints & Tips will be published every three weeks instead of every two weeks. We have determined that this is a better frequency for readers whose inboxes, like our own, are becoming more and more cluttered. Your next issue will arrive on March 29th.

 

In April of last year I wrote a Hints & Tips on permission - the right way to get it and the right way to use it. All of the points in that article still hold true. Congruently, permission is still a subject of heated debate among email marketers and email recipients alike.

 

  • The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) provides guidelines on permission,*

     
  • ISPs establish their own rules on permission and spam,

     
  • Filtering software uses sophisticated algorithms to identify permission-based email vs. spam (with questionable results, by the way).
  • But, the ultimate and the only irrefutable judge is the recipient. If the recipient thinks your email is spam, guess what? It's spam. Or it may as well be because the reaction and the negative impact on your reputation is the same.

    Last week we were pleased to have newsletter expert, Michael Katz, in our offices. He was hosting a newsletter user group and we were invited to sit in for part of it. During the roundtable discussion, several attendees raised their hands with questions about permission.

    Here are a few of those questions, and my answers. Hopefully, this will shed some light on how to "do the right thing."

    Q: "When I collect business cards at a business or networking event, can I add those email addresses to my email list for newsletters and other types of communications?"

    A: My suggestion is to use a personal email to communicate with each individual the first time and request permission to add the recipient to your list. There is a distinct difference between a personal email and an email campaign, and each one has its place. While some individuals who gave you their business cards may welcome your next newsletter in their inbox, some may be utterly offended. Needless to say, this is no way to begin a good business relationship. So, ask for permission first.

    Q: "What if an individual's email address appears on the web. Isn't this implied consent to be emailed?

    A: In my opinion, no. Once again, use a personal email to get the recipient's permission to add them to your list. You will differentiate yourself by doing so, and reap the ongoing benefits.

    Q: "I just acquired a company. An asset of that company is its email marketing database or customer list. Can I now mail to this list?"

    A: Before you send anything, be careful of the quality of the list. How old is the list? How were the names collected? Is the list permission-based? How long has it been since an email was sent to the list? How targeted is the list? Has the list been maintained properly and cleansed of unsubscribes?

    If you are selling similar, or the exact same products and services - thus making the target audience the same and your email of equal relevance to any previous emails - it is acceptable to send an announcement to the effect that you are the new owners of the company, but place opt-out language more prominently this time. (I am recommending an opt-out approach in this case based on the circumstances outlined above.)

     

    "You are receiving this email because you are a customer of Company Name or have opted-in to receive email communications from Company Name. Please visit the Subscription Center to edit your interests or unsubscribe. View our privacy policy."

     

    Will you lose a percentage of your list? Sure you will. But you will be separating the wheat from the chaff. And never underestimate the amount of goodwill and trust you will engender among your subscribers.

    As a marketer, you will find yourself navigating the murky waters of permission on a daily basis. So, conclusively speaking, how does a marketer "do the right thing?" Only by knowing the rules and understanding the benefits of permission, being aware of the consequences of ignoring the rules and doing your best to abide by them using your own good judgment.

    For your reference, the following is an excerpt of the Direct Marketing Association's recently released guidelines on Commercial Solicitations Online.

     

    >>>  DMA Guidelines for Commercial Solicitations Online
      The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) - is the largest trade association for businesses interested in direct, database, and interactive global marketing and provides industry guidelines on marketing best practices. View their recently released guidelines on Commercial Solicitations Online

    Marketers may send commercial solicitations online under the following circumstances:
    • The solicitations are sent to the marketers' own customers, or
       
    • Individuals have given their "affirmative consent" to the marketer to receive solicitations online, or
       
    • Individuals did not opt out after the marketer has given notice of the opportunity to opt out from solicitations online, or
       
    • The marketer has received assurance from the third party list provider that the individuals whose e-mail addresses appear on that list
       
      1. have already provided affirmative consent to receive solicitations online, or
         
      2. have already received notice of the opportunity to have their e-mail addresses removed and have not opted out.


    In each solicitation sent online, marketers should furnish individuals with a link or notice they can use to:

    • request that the marketer not send them future solicitations online, and
    • request that the marketer not rent, sell, or exchange their e-mail addresses for online solicitation purposes.
       

    The above requests should be honored in a timely manner.

     

    Email Marketing Video Tutorials Show you how to plan, create, and send successful newsletters.

    Read Email Marketing Tips and Lessons written by Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact's Email Marketing Diva.

    Learn E-Marketing Lingo from the glossary of Email Marketing terms.

    by Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact's Email Marketing Diva(TM)
     

    Email Marketing Tips, Tricks, & Articles