Opt-In
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What is Opt-In - Definition
Opt-In - is a term used in email marketing to denote a user's voluntary consent to receive marketing communications such as emails, newsletters or SMS notifications from a company. The user gives their consent through an active action, for example by ticking a box on a website or filling in a registration form.
How does the Opt- In form look like?
The subscription confirmation process is as follows:
- Data entry: the user enters his/her email address in the subscription form on the website.
- Sending a verification email: an automatic email containing a confirmation link is sent to the email address provided.
- Clicking on the verification link: the user must click on the link in the verification email to confirm their wish to receive the newsletter or other marketing material.
- Confirmation of subscription: once the link is clicked, the subscription is activated and the user is added to the mailing list.
Benefits of marketing emails
- Increased engagement: messages sent to people who have consciously chosen to subscribe tend to have higher open and click-through rates.
- Building trust: the opt-in practice builds trust between the company and the customer. Customers feel more control over what information they receive, which can lead to long-term brand loyalty and trust.
- Regulatory compliance: using opt-in helps companies comply with international data protection and privacy laws.
- Better segmentation and personalisation: opt-in enables the collection of detailed information about subscribers' preferences and interests.
- Improved database quality: databases built using opt-in tend to be more up-to-date and contain information about people who are genuinely interested in the brand.
Double Opt-in or Single Opt-in?
Single Opt-In and Double Opt-In are two approaches used to collect consent from users to receive marketing communications such as emails. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them depends on the specific needs of the business and legal requirements.
Single Opt-In
Single Opt-in is a subscription process that requires the user to take only one step to subscribe to a mailing list or receive other forms of marketing communications. The email marketing campaign is simpler and faster, as it does not require additional confirmation by the user. Here is what a typical Single Opt-in process looks like:
- Data entry: the user enters their email address into a subscription form on a website or other digital form.
- Automatic subscription: once the email address is entered and validated, the user is immediately added to the mailing list without requiring the user to click on a confirmation link or perform any other additional steps.
- Subscription confirmation: the user usually receives an automatic welcome email confirming the subscription and providing more information about the type of future communication.
Double Opt-In
Double Opt-In is a subscription process that requires the user to complete two steps to confirm their desire to receive email communications or other forms of direct marketing. It is a more rigorous form of subscription than Single Opt-In, providing a higher quality and more engaged subscriber experience. Here is how the Double Opt-In process works:
- Data entry: the user enters their email address in the subscription form on the website. This first action is similar to that in Single Opt-In.
- Sending a verification email: once the email address has been registered, the system automatically sends the user an email asking them to confirm their subscription.
- Activation of the subscription: the subscription is only activated when the user clicks the verification link. Only after this step is the email address added to the mailing list and the user starts to receive marketing messages.
- Confirmation of subscription: usually after confirming the subscription, the user receives another email, this time confirming their subscription to the list and providing additional information, for example on how to manage their subscription preferences.
Summary
Opt-in email list is a user's voluntary consent to receive marketing emails or newsletters. It is crucial for ethical marketing and compliance with data protection laws, and helps build an engaged subscriber base.
