B2B Forum Presentation: Inbox Optimization

Consumers opt-out and report emails as spam for a wide range of reasons, only one of which is a lack of permission. That’s because while permission is needed to be welcome in the inbox, sending functional emails with relevant content is needed to stay welcome. In our session at MarketingProfs’ B2B Forum…

The Verdict on Single Opt-In vs. Double Opt-In

We’ve heard the case for single opt-in (SOI) and the case for double opt-in (DOI). And we have also heard public opinion on the matter, which is nearly evenly split. After weighing all the evidence, we’ve come to the following three opinions: Single opt-in just isn’t an option for everyone. Boiling permission…

Single Opt-in vs. Double Opt-in: The Court of Public Opinion

The case has been made for single opt-in and the case has been made for double opt-in. This contest is clearly one of great public interest, judging by the number of people who have testified by commenting and by the reactions of people on Twitter and elsewhere. These comments deserve consideration and…

Single Opt-In vs. Double Opt-In: The Case for SOI

We gather here to settle once and for all the debate as to whether single opt-in or double opt-in is the better signup process. Before we begin, let’s be clear on what these two terms mean: Single opt-in (SOI) is a subscription process where a new email address is added to your…

Email Marketing, Data Breaches & Tightening Regulations?

The email marketing, privacy, and security landscapes have changed significantly since 2003, when the CAN-SPAM Act was passed. Email marketing has heated up, while privacy and security have melted down. While at The Email Design Conference, I had the opportunity to sit down and interview James Koons, dotmailer’s chief privacy officer. We…

The Hierarchy of Subscriber Needs: Are You Satisfying All 4?

Everyone wants to send more “relevant” emails, right? That’s been the buzzword of the email industry for a few years now. However, typically relevance is discussed in narrow terms, generally in regards to content. But relevance is much more than that. Just think about all the reasons that people mark your emails…

Trends for 2015: Views from 10 Email Marketing Experts

To understand the latest best practices and the newest email marketing opportunities, Smart Insights asked me and 9 other email marketing specialists from around the world to share our recommendations. Published in Smart Insights – Email Trends 2015, the trends include: Responsive Email Design Animated Gifs Video in Email Dynamic Customization Predictive…

COI or COIL: Every Opt-In Should Be Confirmed

No, this is not a rant in favor of universal usage of double or confirmed opt-in (COI), although it certainly has its place. I’ve been a long-time supporter of single opt-in as “good enough” for most permissioning scenarios—especially when there’s active consent—and nothing has changed my view on that. However, risks around…

The 3 Pitfalls of Offline Opt-ins

Offline email signups offer many opportunities to lose a perfectly good subscriber through poor process. Shoppers at your stores, patrons at your restaurants, and visitors at your conference booths make great subscribers. The challenge is accurately collecting email addresses in these environments. Avoid these three offline opt-in pitfalls: Transcription, especially without verification….

The Questions My #EEC14 Panel Didn’t Get to

I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel last week at the Email Evolution Conference with fellow email marketing book author Simms Jenkins. We crowdsourced questions online for our session, in addition to taking questions from attendees—but, of course, we didn’t get through them all. So I wanted to go ahead…