Best practice: Double opt-in

One email marketing best practice that receives frequent mention is the use of double opt-in for new subscribers – and for good reason. More and more, marketers are realising the quality of their email list is more important that its size. The global financial crisis has certainly forced marketers to look more closely at where their dollars are being spent and where they will get the most return.

Whatever the cause for this renewed focus, it’s a best practice that all marketers should consider implementing.

What is double opt-in and how does it work?

Double opt-in is a process that confirms that the email address used to subscribe to your newsletter is legitimate and correct. This process eliminates incorrect or phony email addresses from being added to your database, as well as preventing people from subscribing others to your list without their knowledge.

With double opt-in, a user completes your subscription form and is immediately sent a confirmation email. Before they are added to your database, they must click the confirmation link in this email. Once clicked, they are added to your database.

If they mistype their email address, they will not receive the confirmation email. Likewise, if someone subscribes them without their knowledge, they will receive the confirmation email but can simply ignore or delete it. Either way, they will not be added to your database and you will not get an unwanted email address on your list.

Benefits

There is a common misconception that double opt-in makes it too hard for people to subscribe and will negatively impact your list growth. The fact is however, that a properly executed double opt-in results in a much healthier and active list.

By letting users know they will be receiving a confirmation email – and reminding them to check their junk folder in case they don’t receive it – they become engaged with you right away. If they’ve taken the time to sign up on your website, they will want to ensure they get on your list. The confirmation email is further opportunity to reinforce your brand with the recipient and to get them to add you to their safe senders list/address book right away.

With Campaign Master, you can set this process up once and forget about it. It takes care of itself automatically.

Contact us today to activate double opt-in on your account.