Opt-in e-mail advertising

Opt-in e-mail advertising, or permission email marketing, is a method of advertising via e-mail whereby the recipient of the advertisement has consented to receive it. This method is one of several developed by marketers to eliminate the disadvantages of e-mail marketing.

Opt-in e-mail marketing may evolve into a technology that uses a handshake protocol between the sender and receiver. This means that they "receiver" has elected to be included in the newsletter database and receive "specific" email topics from the sender. This system is intended to eventually result in a high degree of satisfaction between consumers and marketers.

Anticipated

If opt-in e-mail advertising is used, the material that is e-mailed to consumers will be "anticipated". It is assumed that the consumer wants to receive it, which makes it unlike unsolicited advertisements sent to the consumer.

Million Dollar Fines

In Australia, if someone receives an email they did not opt into, or if the emails received by the receiver are not within the general topic categories they selected, they are classed as SPAM and if the receiver complaints to a registered government anti-spam authority, the sender may end up in court facing severe fines, often worth millions of dollars these days.

Personalised

Ideally, opt-in e-mail advertisements will be more personal and relevant to the consumer than untargeted advertisements.

A common example of permission marketing is a newsletter sent to an advertising firm's customers. Such newsletters inform customers of upcoming events or promotions, or new products. In this type of advertising, a company that wants to send a newsletter to their customers may ask them at the point of purchase if they would like to receive the newsletter.

With a foundation of opted-in contact information stored in their database, marketers can send out promotional materials automatically. They can also segment their promotions to specific market segments.

Safe Optin Lists

Do you need safe double opt-in eMailing lists ?