Sending Email

[kate1]

Hi

I wonder if somebody could advise.

We are about to start a marketing campaign via email.

Please can you tell me if there are any regulations, this is a consumer product going to email addresses in the work place, however the product can also be corporate too.

We are giving options of opting out

Thanks in advance

 

[Tony_Round]

Have the target individuals or companies 'Opted in' to received your e-mail correspondence? As I beleive they have to in some form.

Check out the EC Directive http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032426.htm is covers all types of communications but may give you some further info. If not I'm sure there's some marketing bods on hear who will tell you straight of the bat.

 

[JElder]

Emails sent to consumers (this would likely INCLUDE emails for obvious consumer products sent to work email addresses) have to be Opt-In only. Just offering an opt-out is not sufficient.

The recipients have to opt-in to receive emails either a) from your company/brand or b) on that specific topic.

This means that most consumer 'opt-in' lists are not entirely legal.

Of course, a lot of companies ignore the regulations.

If you do decide to go ahead, be aware you are likely to get your email server added to block lists, and your main URLs added to spam url reject lists. To get round this the viagra type spammers use temporary domain names, and switch email servers and web server every few days. Some go further and use very illegal hacked botnets to send the emails - as the emails come from thousands of different computers, they are harder to block.

Rules for emailing a company offering to companies are different....

 

[kate1]

Hi

Thank you for your replies

So giving the option to opt in - does that mean you would have to send an email before you send what you really want?

 

[Tony_Round]

I'm not too sure. I would presume that, like most of the e-mails I receive in my hotmail account, they come following a prior purchase or visit to a website not from receiving a one of e-mail, this is just classed as spamming.

 

[JElder]

So giving the option to opt in - does that mean you would have to send an email before you send what you really want?

Unfortunately not - you breach the rules by sending an email asking the mto opt in!

There are some options:

• Set up a website and encourage people to sign up for offers, promotions, etc
• Piggy back on another newsletter/website with a similar target profile and place adverts or promotions
• Use traditional advertising to drive visitors/get registrations
• Use social media (facebook, twitter, etc) to get followers/fans and market via there AND encourage them to sign up
• Find someone with a related but non-competing email list, and get them to send an email under their branding but all about your new service, asking them to sign up/visit, etc.
• Make it east for existing recipients for forward the email to new contacts and for them to add themselves to the list.

It's all a bit of a pain, and can take time to build, but as least you will be sending emails to people that DO want them.

 

[kate1]

Thank you for that

 

[smo]

Hi

Thank you for your replies

So giving the option to opt in - does that mean you would have to send an email before you send what you really want?

No, they have to have asked for (or at least opted in) correspondence before you send anything.

So for example they order from you and tick the opt-in to email box (or dont untick it) then you are allowed to mail them as long as its related to the business and not random spam. Without this its unsolicited mail and classed as spam.

 

[Bruceflea]

hi there Katie.

Jonathan is giving you some good advice here. you have another option of purchasing consumer data and this is something that we can supply. all our email addresses are opt-in so you can then send them to the potential customer and have the unsubscribe link also to keep things above board.

let me know if this sis somehting you are interested in?

thanks

 

[smo]

bruceflea - how does it work when you sell someone an "opt-in" list, surely they havent opted in to receive mail from the purchaser of the list, so it must fall foul of the whole point of opting in??

 

[JElder]

ou have another option of purchasing consumer data and this is something that we can supply. all our email addresses are opt-in so you can then send them

Who and what have the opted into?

If they have opted in to getting emails from your company, that's fine - the email will have to come from YOUR company, but promoting your clients services.

I can't remember where I saw the ruling, but the 'Tick to receive emails from carefully selected third parties' option has been held to be useless as a valid opt-in, as the recipients cannot fulfil either of the requirements of opting in to emails from a specific company (they are not named), or on a particular topic.

I have seen opt ins saying 'Tick to receive emails on car insurance from carefully selected third parties', which would be valid, as I have requested information on this topic. You could not sell the list to a company in the home contents insurance industry though!

 

[Tony_Round]

maybe worth searching for articles on how to help build lists for your company, I found this one via google I assume there will be more.

http://www.rankingtoday.com/articles/7/1/Top-10-Strategies-to-Fatten-Your-Opt-in-Mailing-List.html

 

[Bruceflea]

Who and what have the opted into?

If they have opted in to getting emails from your company, that's fine - the email will have to come from YOUR company, but promoting your clients services.

I can't remember where I saw the ruling, but the 'Tick to receive emails from carefully selected third parties' option has been held to be useless as a valid opt-in, as the recipients cannot fulfil either of the requirements of opting in to emails from a specific company (they are not named), or on a particular topic.

I have seen opt ins saying 'Tick to receive emails on car insurance from carefully selected third parties', which would be valid, as I have requested information on this topic. You could not sell the list to a company in the home contents insurance industry though!

you are right jonathan. that's the thing, our consumer data is sourced from various places and is obviously dependant on what exactly the client is looking for e.g. 18-25 year old males in UK with interests in gambling and sports, this is sourced from the likes of websites/ magazine subscriptions etc were the consumer has 'opted in' to receiving marketing/ promotional info from selected third parties regarding their particular interests.

have you any more info regarding that ruling as it would be interesteing to read?

 

[JElder]

Read it some time ago - might have been the Information Commissioner's guidance notes. Unfortunately the legislation is so fuzzy that extensive guidance notes are needed to clarify the grey areas.

 

[Bruceflea]

No problem Jonathan. unfortunately it's one of those things where there will always be a grey area regarding 3rd party use (IMO).

 

[TechFox]

If you want to try email marketing I would recommend HTMail. They allow you to send emails to their opt-in lists so you are never accused of sending spam. PM/email me for more information.