Email Marketing Messages

[iamcarley]

Hi,

I want to capture email addresses of visitors to my website so I can send them a monthly newsletter. How can I make sure I do this legally? Do I need to include a tick box saying, for example, "Tick this box to subscribe to our monthly newsletter" or something? And do I have to include an "Unsubscribe" link on each email I send?

Thanks.

[AB Editor]

"Do I need to include a tick box saying, for example, "Tick this box to subscribe to our monthly newsletter""

That's what we do. Other options include having a separate form which they fill in with email and name.

"And do I have to include an "Unsubscribe" link on each email I send?"

Yes.

What service are you using for your newletters?

[cassa333]

Yes. good practice to do both.

[iamcarley]

Thanks for your responses :)

So the "Unsubscribe" is a legal thing. But the tick box for future contact, is this just good practice, or is it actually the legal way of doing things? I have set my website up so that to access certain content, users have to give their email address then they are sent a link to that content. I couldn't just then use that email address to send a monthly newsletter, without asking the user at the time of them giving their email address?

I'm using Zoho CRM.

[joko]

i would not be happy if i gave an email address and found the owner using it to send me unsolicited mail ...

you must ask people - not everyone wants your newsletter

[AB Editor]

"I couldn't just then use that email address to send a monthly newsletter, without asking the user at the time of them giving their email address?"

I wouldn't. But then, we try and only email what we need to from AB.

Ultimately, if something is unsolicited in the way you describe, but IS useful, you will be forgiven.

An opt-in is best practice and you can very quickly be blacklisted by Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo by being spammy.

[iamcarley]

Thanks all :)

[joko]

you could put a very visible notice stating that all who register on your site will be automatically entered into the regular mailout.
that way you can do it without asking individually.

but you cannot just harvest email addresses from site visitors who are just browsing your page, but are not members and have input no personal details

also you much include an unsubscribe button, or you will get some very irritated mail from people, or just have your mailout land straight in their spam box - thats what i do with anything i didnt authorise

if you do some research you will find that this sort of thing majorly irritates people, and many will avoid your company on principle as they will see what you have done as underhand