Email Opt-in Permission, Tradition, and Fiddler on the Roof

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Jodi Kaplan

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Yesterday, I got a new newsletter in my email. It was from the publishers of another newsletter I subscribe to. I hadn’t subscribed to the second newsletter. The email just showed up in my inbox, without my permission.

They didn’t offer the second publication as an optional opt-in permission email.

They didn’t ask me if I was interested.

They just opted me in to their new email newsletter, without my consent.

Permission!

I sat there thinking “Permission! Permission!” Then I got a mental image of Seth Godin warbling the song from Fiddler on the Roof, dressed in battered clothes, and holding a metal milk can.

Once I got that image out of my head (it’s a persistent one), I tried to unsubscribe. The link worked, but the page was broken (it wouldn’t accept my request). So, not only was I stuck with a newsletter I didn’t want, the company was also breaking the US CAN-SPAM rules (which require that opt-out is offered, requires only a single link, and is free).

Ask first

If you’re going to start something new, ask first. Tell people about it in your existing newsletter. Or mention it on your blog. Add it to the sign-up for your free ebook/ecourse, if you have one. There are many different ways to announce and promote it. Just don’t spam people. Spamming may be “tradition” in some parts, but it’s not a good tradition.

Obey the law

And, as I update this in 2015, it’s now illegal in certain places (sadly not the US) to send an email without express consent.

Think outside your company

Adding subscribers to a new newsletter may seem like a great idea in company meetings (hey, we thousands of subscribers, surely the people who enjoy receiving one newsletter from us will welcome a second one!), but it won’t survive contact outside the conference room.

The right way to get permission

It is a good idea to offer your existing subscribers new content (after all, they do already like you). Just ask them first.

In fact, ask your current subscribers before you tell the public. Make it an early exclusive just for them. Start out by putting the offer in a few issues of the existing newsletter. Tell subscribers how useful the new one will be and give them some examples of what they will get from it. “Sell” them on the idea.

If it’s relevant and useful, they’ll sign up. Once it’s up and running, repeat the offer semi-regularly, just in case the first newsletter’s subscribers missed the pitch the first time. That will win you fans (and subscribers too).

Is this a great new marketing tool?

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

A friend in Colorado (where apparently, this is common) stopped at the grocery store the other day to buy gas. There’s a speaker next to the pump.

As she started to pump the gas, a voice from the speaker immediately started urging her to buy some fuel additive! An additive she didn’t want or need.

All she wanted was to get some gas and then go home.

Grocery spam

She hit the button to make it stop. It kept going… and going. She stood there muttering at the thing, ‘Didn’t I just tell you to shut up? Stop it! Be quiet!”

Congratulations, gas company. You’ve just invented “grocery spam.”

Just because you can use technology to talk directly to people doesn’t mean you should – or that they want to hear what you’re saying.

That’s not permission marketing. That’s old-fashioned spam. It’s spam regardless of whether it’s at a gas pump, the grocery store, or an email inbox.

Ask permission first

Before you send your newsletter to someone, ask if they’re interested. If they already get your newsletter A, ask before you start sending newsletter B.

Cell phone text marketing can be effective for sales and coupons (particularly if it’s combined with location tracking). Don’t send them to people who didn’t specifically request them. It’s not only annoying, it’s illegal in the US.

Captive audience isn’t your audience

My personal least favorite: captive marketing: ads in elevators, ads in restroom stalls, ads on line at the grocers. Don’t invent new and different kinds of spam.

Did You Ask Permission?

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Jodi Kaplan

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what is (and isn’t) OK with permission marketing campaigns, especially email.

We all understand it’s important to get permission for your email marketing (so you don’t look like a spammer), but sometimes the details can be a bit fuzzy.

For example, my online grocer sent me an email today. I’m signed up to receive their weekly newsletter (with deals and weekly specials), but this wasn’t it. I was confused (and annoyed). It seems they’ve started a second newsletter. They never asked me if I wanted it or told me it was coming.

Yes, it’s “kosher” under CAN-SPAM, but it’s not a good idea. This company is irritating me, rather than delighting me. And, they’re forcing me to say no to something, rather than yes.

So, if you want to start a newsletter, create a course, or add a new side business, make sure you get permission before you start sending it.

Dos and don’ts for getting permission

These apply to both new and existing newsletters.

Include a double opt-in on your email list. This is a two-step process requiring new visitors to first click on your link, fill in any requested information, and then confirm their registration through a separate email It sounds complicated, but your email service provider will handle it automatically.
Talk to people who want to hear from you. Offer to help people at networking events or on forums. If someone needs a great caterer, and you know one, connect them.
Send email and newsletters that are personal, relevant, and anticipated. If someone you talk to at an event expresses an interest in first editions of Nancy Drew mysteries, and you come across one, let them know.
Answer questions on your blog. (If you have one, send it to me here).
Respond to blog comments (start a conversation).

DON’T

Scrape names from Web sites, or pull names from directories.
Add names from ccd emails from other people.
Use a list that someone gave you. That’s not permission, it’s spamming.
Email people who attended an event you sponsored. It’s a bit better if that was clearly stated in advance as part of the registration process; but even then it’s annoying.
Assume that signing up for an event at your bar or restaurant equals permission to promote other, unrelated events or lunch specials.

Get permission for a second newsletter

If you already have a newsletter and want to start a new one, first, tell your readers about the new offering in your existing newsletter. Announce it over a period of several issues (days, weeks, months, however often you send it). Subscribers may miss one. You might also follow up with people who didn’t open the initial email. Send them a separate announcement.

Second, when you make the announcement, ask readers to click on the link to sign up. Make this double opt-in (sign up email and confirmation email), just like your initial newsletter. You don’t want people signing up by mistake. And, Canada now requires proof of permission as part of their “CAN-SPAM” law.

Third, add the sign-up for the new newsletter to your home page, social media campaigns, and other relevant places. Make the link easy to find.

As you build the list offer the subscribers to either newsletter the option of getting the other one.

Add the sign up for the new publication on your home page. Also include it in your social media campaigns and other relevant places (Facebook wall, Google+ profile, etc.)

If you do send a sample to your existing subscribers, make it clear that it’s a one-time thing, and you won’t send another one unless they sign up for it.

Tag Archives: permission marketing