Email has always been the most effective marketing tool for any marketer, and it keeps growing in this changing environment. With a median return on investment of $42 per dollar, it’s not surprising that companies are keen on developing email lists. But not all email marketing tactics are the same. One practice that has always been a source of controversy (and rightfully so) is not using prior consent or “opt-in” to send emails to recipients. This might be the most appealing for gaining immediate followers, but will also be very damaging to your brand in the long run.
Understanding the Importance of Opt-In
Let’s talk about opt-in before we discuss the effects of avoiding opt-in methods. Opt-in is the practice whereby an individual expressly consents to receive marketing messages from a company. This creates a one-to-one relationship between the company and the customer that builds trust and respect.
By utilizing opt-in email marketing, companies can build a captive and responsive audience. It is a sign that the recipients are interested in your services or products, and so conversion is more likely. In addition, compliance helps establish your organisation’s legitimacy in front of a conscientious and relationship-based audience.
The Dangers of Email Advertising Without Opt-In?
1. Damage to Your Brand’s Reputation
Injecting spam-like emails can wreck your brand in a blink of an eye. Users who didn’t opt in will not view your messages positively and may flag your emails as spam. Many spam reports can trigger the blacklisting of email service providers, so that your messages may get dropped into the dreaded spam folder (even if it is only for your actual contacts).
2. Legal Consequences
From the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the US CAN-SPAM Act, it is your obligation to do so. Failure to comply could incur costly penalties and legal troubles that will damage your business, financially and reputationally. Companies who skirt opt-in terms are at risk of breaking the law, increasing regulatory scrutiny, and losing consumer confidence.
3. Poor Engagement Rates
Without opt-in, you’re bound to receive bored, or even hostile, email subscribers. The emails you send to these people are less likely to get opened or clicked on, which can lower the effectiveness of your campaigns. In addition, high unsubscribe rates occur if users believe their inbox is being overfilled with spam. Not only do low engagement rates impact your campaigns now, but they also damage your deliverability in the long term.
4. Decreased Return on Investment (ROI)
Email marketing can deliver an incredible ROI – but only when your audience is genuine and eager to engage. Unsolicited emails are not likely to be a source of revenue, so you’re wasting time. All the time, energy and money spent designing and sending these emails has absolutely no impact to your marketing budget.
5. Neglecting Valuable Relationships
Email marketing creates partnerships based on consent, trust and value. If you dilute this base by requesting contact, you do so at the expense of the basic tenet of customer engagement. Consumer relationships are nurtured and being in contact with customers without permission may cause them to turn away from the brand, leading potential customers to go somewhere else.
Creating an Effective Email Marketing Strategy
How can brands harness email marketing without falling prey to the trap of unsolicited emails?
Implement Clear Opt-In Processes
The backbone of email marketing is user consent. It is extremely important to establish strict opt-in procedures to ensure that your subscribers genuinely want to receive messages from you. Use sign-up forms throughout your website, social platforms, and at checkout. Tell subscribers exactly what they can expect from you, including newsletters, discounts or special content. When you make users sign up voluntarily, you’re not only creating a high-quality email list but also establishing trust and transparency.
Offer Incentives
Rewarding interested subscribers is one of the best ways to improve opt-in rates. People will give away their email addresses if they feel like there’s value in it. Make sure to offer special discounts, promotions, or free resources like eBooks or industry information to get users on your mailing list. Rewards are all about reciprocity, your audience gets something in return, and you have a subscriber who’s more likely to read your brand.
Segment Your Audience
Standard-issue messaging does not lend itself to email marketing. By targeting your audience according to their preferences, actions, demographics or a previous purchase history, you can make the message more relevant. By segmenting your email list, you can create campaigns that are relevant to specific groups of people, which leads to increased response rates. You could, for instance, send deals on winter gear to customers who’ve bought outdoor gear in the past, or destination guides to destination content seekers. Email personalization builds a more personal relationship between the brand and the consumer, and leads to higher conversions.
Respect Privacy
Keeping your subscribers safe in an age of data privacy is the only way to keep them trusting you. Be upfront about how you intend to use subscribers and comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA. Define your privacy policies explicitly during the signup process and assure them their data will not be shared and not abused. Respecting user privacy does not just make you meet the legal guidelines, it helps to establish trust so that users will stay on your mailing list.
Deliver Quality Content
The last pillar of an effective email marketing plan is content. It’s important that what you are writing delivers tangible benefit to your readers. Be more concerned with creating valuable, valuable content that answers your subscriber’s question and interest. This could be informative posts, industry news, tutorials, or beautiful images. You create more engagement, keep subscribers interested, and provide more useful content. Keep in mind the point is to build an interaction, not sell.
Conclusion:
Email marketing without opt-in consent is an unprofessional effort that can tarnish your brand, get you into trouble and impact your ROI. Rather, aim to create a high-quality, engaged list by engaging ethically with your customers. Ultimately, the more trust and credibility you create, the higher your returns, so your email marketing efforts will help build a long-term, successful brand.
