Emailing works.
Yes – many of us have moved to social networks to make contact, (excellent if you don’t have email addresses). Most of us are protective of our email addresses – particularly when faced with growing inboxes. Despite these trends, emailing works.
It’s ten times cheaper to gain work from an existing contact compared with generating, nurturing and converting a new one. The secret to success? Relevant, interesting content and the right frequency. These only work, of course, if they’re going out to the right people.
So – if emailing an offer, newsletter or update is right for your business, (and it probably is), there are some key, legal considerations to bear in mind before you press ‘send’:
1. Everyone must have the option to unsubscribe. Angst may soon turn to negative word of mouth if someone wants to stop receiving your emails only to find themselves trapped without an escape route.
2. It is illegal to ‘cold email’ someone’s personal email address, even with an ‘opt out’ clause. Plus - business email addresses should only be targeted when the email content is relevant to the business rather than for personal use.
3. Business email address can be contacted ‘out of the blue’, however explaining why you have written to them will help with how your message is received.
4. It is extremely bad practice and against data protection laws if recipients can see the addresses of others who have received the email. Yes, we know that. Yes, it still happens – often.
5. Identify yourself! Who you are and why you’re writing should be made clear. Transparency will keep you legal and open the way to credibility.
Ignore these pointers at your peril! Worst case scenario? Blacklisting and/or a fine.
Popular online emailing software is good at giving tips and keeping your emails legal. They’ll also spot unusually high ‘opt out’ requests or spam notifications. For anyone with under 2,000 people to send to monthly, we recommend Mailchimp for its templates, support service…. and its nil cost!
If you would like to discuss emailing campaigns or other online marketing, please do contact us for an initial chat, without any obligation at all. Emailing is great; sometimes, it’s good to talk!
For more information about the legal requirements, look at the Privacy and Electronic Communications Act, or contact us.
Yes – many of us have moved to social networks to make contact, (excellent if you don’t have email addresses). Most of us are protective of our email addresses – particularly when faced with growing inboxes. Despite these trends, emailing works.
It’s ten times cheaper to gain work from an existing contact compared with generating, nurturing and converting a new one. The secret to success? Relevant, interesting content and the right frequency. These only work, of course, if they’re going out to the right people.
So – if emailing an offer, newsletter or update is right for your business, (and it probably is), there are some key, legal considerations to bear in mind before you press ‘send’:
1. Everyone must have the option to unsubscribe. Angst may soon turn to negative word of mouth if someone wants to stop receiving your emails only to find themselves trapped without an escape route.
2. It is illegal to ‘cold email’ someone’s personal email address, even with an ‘opt out’ clause. Plus - business email addresses should only be targeted when the email content is relevant to the business rather than for personal use.
3. Business email address can be contacted ‘out of the blue’, however explaining why you have written to them will help with how your message is received.
4. It is extremely bad practice and against data protection laws if recipients can see the addresses of others who have received the email. Yes, we know that. Yes, it still happens – often.
5. Identify yourself! Who you are and why you’re writing should be made clear. Transparency will keep you legal and open the way to credibility.
Ignore these pointers at your peril! Worst case scenario? Blacklisting and/or a fine.
Popular online emailing software is good at giving tips and keeping your emails legal. They’ll also spot unusually high ‘opt out’ requests or spam notifications. For anyone with under 2,000 people to send to monthly, we recommend Mailchimp for its templates, support service…. and its nil cost!
If you would like to discuss emailing campaigns or other online marketing, please do contact us for an initial chat, without any obligation at all. Emailing is great; sometimes, it’s good to talk!
For more information about the legal requirements, look at the Privacy and Electronic Communications Act, or contact us.