With this kind of email volume, privacy and data protection have become huge issues for consumers, and they\u2019ve both come a long way over the years. The United States’ groundbreaking Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law in the European Union, and the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) all work to protect users from spam emails.<\/p>\n
But a Harris Poll report<\/a> found gaps between what brands deliver and what consumers expect, with privacy being a top concern for the latter. The poll of 150 marketers and 1,500 consumers found that consumers feel brands are falling short on privacy. <\/p>\n Read on to learn how permission-based email marketing is the key to unlocking data-compliant communications with your customers that deliver what they\u2019re looking for while still driving the bottom line for your business. <\/p>\n Permission-based email marketing, or opt-in email marketing, is the practice of sending commercial emails only to consumers who have given explicit permission or consent. In other words, no unsolicited emails! <\/p>\n \u201cExplicit\u201d is the key word here, as there is also implicit permission, and it\u2019s important for your business to understand the difference between the two:<\/p>\n In a McKinsey survey<\/a> of 1,000 North American consumers, roughly two-thirds of respondents said it was \u201cvery important\u201d for their email contents to only be accessible to those they authorize, while the names and identities of their email correspondents should remain private.<\/p>\n Customers are paying attention to how you use their data in email marketing, and consent needs to be top of mind in every interaction<\/a>.<\/p>\n You have one shot to make a good first impression, and sending your potential customers an unsolicited email without their consent is sure to leave them with a negative feeling about your brand. Even with regulations in place and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) closely monitoring inboxes, around 50% of emails sent every day \u2014 more than 100 billion \u2014 are considered spam<\/a>. Here\u2019s why getting consent is crucial for your permission-based marketing: <\/p>\n Conversion rates increase when marketers send permission-based emails. Just take a look at the whole email marketing journey<\/a>: You first have to figure out your target audience for your email, then you have to send it and it has to be delivered to the recipient\u2019s inbox. From there, your email marketing messages need to be interesting enough for them to open, then click on a relevant link (and hopefully not unsubscribe while they\u2019re in there). <\/p>\n The email marketing journey is a longer road to get your target audience to click and take action than some marketers realize. These relationships need to be nurtured over time with highly relevant, dynamic content, not kicked off with the brute force of a cold email. Ensuring you start with a recipient list of real people who consented to your email marketing will improve your deliverability and increase the chances of your emails being opened and clicked. It also reduces the risk of people unsubscribing or flagging your emails as spam.<\/p>\n Using permission-based email marketing just makes financial sense. According to digital agency LYFE Marketing, permission-based emails boast an average return on investment (ROI) of $38-$44 for every $1 spent<\/a>. Plus, when you get permission to send them emails, your recipients are much more likely to open and click. <\/p>\n Essentially, you\u2019re losing potential revenue each time somebody unsubscribes, so permission-based emails need to be part of your email marketing strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n It also pays to comply with anti-spam laws. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $46,517<\/a>. While CAN-SPAM Act and the EU\u2019s GDPR law don\u2019t prohibit sending unsolicited commercial emails, the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) requires businesses to obtain permission before sending emails. Don\u2019t attempt to decipher these nuanced spam laws on your own \u2014 you should seek legal counsel about your new and ongoing email marketing campaigns to make sure you\u2019re complying with all spam legislation.<\/p>\n Customers and prospects who opt in to your emails are far more likely to stick around, as well. It all starts with a spark of interest: They may be browsing your site and sign up for emails in exchange for a promo code; they could be making a purchase and, while checking out, click a box to join your mailing list; they might receive one of your emails forwarded from a friend, enjoy what they read, and sign up themselves. <\/p>\n What happens next is critical to retaining them \u2014 you\u2019ll want to serve them relevant, personalized emails<\/a> with snappy subject lines to get them to open the email and relevant content to keep them subscribed.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to give them options to tweak which messages they opt in for so that they don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re receiving too many messages. Letting customers only receive the email marketing communications they want is key to driving lasting customer loyalty.<\/p>\n None of this is as easy or simple as it sounds, but we have some best practices that will foster positive relationships with your email recipients.<\/p>\n Getting your foot in the door of a customer\u2019s inbox is only the beginning of a successful email strategy<\/a>. Be sure to follow these best practices to make sure your permission-based email marketing strategy drives the best results: <\/p>\n When someone signs up for your emails (e.g., via an opt-in form), don\u2019t directly add them to your marketing lists; instead, you should give them an opportunity to opt in again. This is called a double opt-in<\/a>, which involves sending an email with a confirmation link to the customers\u2019 inbox to double-check that they are the owners of the email address they submitted. <\/p>\n Double opt-in leads to healthier email lists that contain a larger percentage of active users. It also increases email deliverability<\/a> and improves your sender reputation.<\/p>\n After you start sending emails, list hygiene becomes critical to driving engagement metrics. If someone clicks unsubscribe or becomes inactive, it\u2019s crucial that you take action, both as a marketing best practice<\/a> and to comply with anti-spam regulations. Comb your lists for spam or undeliverable email addresses on a regular basis and get rid of them swiftly. <\/p>\n Before purging those emails, though, you\u2019ll also want to identify why they bounced back. First check if it\u2019s a hard and soft bounced email: <\/p>\n The journey from email sign-up to purchase can be lengthy and complex. That\u2019s why not every email should be a hard sell \u2014 timing is everything. Establish the connection between your brand and new email subscribers through an automated welcome series<\/a>. More than 80% of users will open a welcome email<\/a>, which is four times more opens and 10 times more clicks than a standard email, so there\u2019s a good chance that you\u2019ll get their attention. To maximize results, be sure to send the first welcome email within the first 24 hours of a user subscribing.<\/p>\n Welcome emails should be visually appealing to stand out<\/a> and feature content that\u2019s helpful and informative vs. a sales pitch. The first welcome email often thanks new customers for subscribing and gives them a taste of what to expect from your brand. The second email can delve more into your value proposition and should entice them to click on your product recommendations or get a demo of your services. The third email should have a call to action, which can be split into two categories: <\/p>\n Part of proper list hygiene also means dealing with recipients who don\u2019t engage with your emails. These folks are hurting your engagement metrics and they may not want your emails anymore, even if they haven\u2019t clicked \u201cunsubscribe.\u201d You should attempt to reengage these users using an omnichannel win-back campaign<\/a>, which leverages data to create thoughtful, personalized communications on the right channel at the right time. Even if a customer is ignoring your emails, they may be responsive over SMS\/text, your mobile app<\/a>, or the chat feature on your website.<\/p>\n If your audience does want to unsubscribe from your emails, it should be easy and painless. There should be a clear unsubscribe action in every email you send, which allows users to opt out in one or two clicks. No matter how much you\u2019d like to keep them on your lists, never hide an unsubscribe link or implement arduous steps for a user to opt out of your emails. It\u2019s also a key component of anti-spam law compliance. Per the FTC outlining CAN-SPAM rules<\/a>: \u201cYour message must include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future\u2026that\u2019s easy for an ordinary person to recognize, read, and understand.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the best ways to avoid unsubscribes and retain active users is to craft relevant, personalized emails<\/a> using compliantly collected data. Your customers may not know all the work that goes into the marketing messages they receive, but they can immediately spot when it\u2019s lazy, or worse, irrelevant \u2014 for example, when an email tries to sell them something they just bought. 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions, according to a McKinsey report<\/a>, and 76% claim to feel frustrated when they don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n Here’s a quick overview of the different types of data you can use for your email marketing: <\/p>\n Gathering quality data directly from your customers will lead to a better experience for them and increase conversions for you. You\u2019ll want to focus in particular on gathering zero-party data<\/a>, which comes straight from the customer and comes with their express permission to use that data in an email campaign.<\/p>\n Zero-party data is defined as information that a customer proactively shares with your company, and includes profile, preference center, purchase intentions, and other account data. When collecting zero-party data, make it clear that there\u2019s a value exchange here \u2014 what benefit are you providing your customers in exchange for their data? How are you improving and personalizing their shopping experience? <\/p>\n First-party data<\/a>, meanwhile, comes directly from your company\u2019s channels, including email, SMS, social media, mobile apps, and websites. This is also crucial for running your email marketing campaigns, though should ideally be used with zero-party data for better personalization. <\/p>\n In contrast, third-party data is collected from multiple sources, aggregated, and packaged and sold to anyone \u2014 including your competitors. <\/p>\n While third-party data can be valuable and include a customer’s activity and interactions on websites and apps outside of your own, you don\u2019t know how accurate it truly is and if it was collected with consent. For better permission-based email marketing, you\u2019ll want to prioritize growing your company\u2019s zero-party and first-party data through personalized quizzes, polls, product recommendations, search, and more. Empowered by these insights on both your new and existing customers, you can tailor each email to them, from a personalized subject line to sending when they\u2019re most likely to open it. The more information you have, the more personalized your approach can be. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re just starting to explore what personalization can do for your email campaigns, begin by looking at commerce data<\/a>. Commerce data is the combination of collected customer data (e.g., purchase history, personal demographics, etc.) and product data (e.g., the brand, color, or style of an item), and it gives you key insights into what your user is interested in to better inform your marketing emails. <\/p>\n Create personalized, meaningful moments to connect with your prospects and customers over email. Birthdays<\/a>, purchase anniversaries<\/a>, and commemorating how long they\u2019ve been a loyal customer are all reasons to celebrate. Sweeten the deal with a coupon code and use commerce data to serve them products and services they can\u2019t resist. <\/p>\n Holidays are another perfect excuse to reach out and incorporate personalization, serving recommendations based on where they live and their purchase history. Just be aware that you won\u2019t be the only company sending out holiday messages \u2014 plan ahead and dedicate more time to finding ways to stand out from the crowd with your email marketing. Holidays such as Valentine\u2019s Day, Mother\u2019s Day, and Father\u2019s Day can be a sensitive time; give your subscribers an option to opt out of specific emails that they don\u2019t want to receive.<\/p>\n If your customers have given you their permission to email them, don\u2019t squander this opportunity with cookie-cutter emails. Nurture and grow the relationship with each email you send \u2014 using personalization and A\/B testing<\/a>, your emails should become more effective and compelling as you learn more about your customers. <\/p>\n Your ultimate goal is for your customers to receive marketing messages they actually want to open and read. Of course, people are fickle and you\u2019ll need to regularly test different strategies and iterate to reach the right audience on the right channel with the right content and at the right time. <\/p>\n Artificial intellgience \u2014 specifically generative AI<\/a> \u2014 is revolutionizing ecommerce across the board, and that includes email marketing.<\/p>\n Using AI to save time and money in email marketing<\/a> is becoming an increasingly popular strategy amongst ecommerce retailers. AI enables advanced personalization in email marketing by analyzing vast amounts of data and creating customer profiles to tailor email content, subject lines, and timing to each recipient’s specific needs and interests. This can lead to higher conversion rates and improved email marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n AI helps in managing an email marketing program by learning how users interact with emails and categorizing them as such. By understanding recipient behavior, AI algorithms can prioritize important and urgent emails, allowing users to focus on the most essential messages and improving overall inbox management.<\/p>\n While we don’t expect AI to replace email marketers, it can assist them by automating repetitive tasks and boosting efficiency. AI algorithms can detect patterns and ease the workload of email marketers, allowing them to focus on more strategic aspects of their campaigns.<\/p>\n As generative AI models<\/a> grow and evolve, their impact on permission-based email marketing will be further shaped. <\/p>\n In order to effectively implement permission-based email marketing to its fullest, you\u2019ll need a platform like Bloomreach Engagement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unlike other email marketing tools and platforms, Bloomreach Engagement is powered by a customer data engine<\/a>, which brings all your customer data into a single marketing view of your customers, so that you can send personalized emails to them in real time across 13 channels \u2014 all while managing consent and remaining compliant. <\/p>\nWhat Is Permission-Based Email Marketing? <\/h2>\n
![\"Opt-in](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
![\"Learn](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/conquer-the-customer-journey-in-article.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nKey Opt-in Email Marketing Benefits<\/h2>\n
Opt-in Email Boosts Conversions<\/h3>\n
![\"Use](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPermission-Based Campaigns Help the Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
Opt-in Helps You Stay Compliant<\/h3>\n
How Email Consent Drives Customer Loyalty<\/h3>\n
![\"Benefits](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPermission-Based Email Marketing Best Practices <\/h2>\n
Use a Double Opt-in <\/h3>\n
Check Your List Hygiene<\/h3>\n
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Welcome New Subscribers<\/h3>\n
![\"Permission-based](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Reengage Your Audience<\/h3>\n
Make Unsubscribing Easy<\/h3>\n
Personalize Your Emails<\/h3>\n
Zero-Party Data<\/h4>\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_5.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFirst-Party Data<\/h4>\n
Third-Party Data<\/h4>\n
Commerce Data<\/h4>\n
Message Around Important Milestones<\/h3>\n
![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/permission-based-email_6.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDon\u2019t Forget To Test<\/h3>\n
The Impact of AI on Permission-Based Email Marketing<\/h2>\n
Help Your Emails Reach Their Full Potential <\/h2>\n
![\"Opt-in](\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/customer-data-engine.jpg\")
<\/p>\n