Email Marketing Data

Using an in-house list will always be the most effective use of data. We suggest you build lists through offers, competitions, white papers, newsletter sign ups, secure content and co-registration. Standard single opt-in is fine, but double-opt-in will deliver even better results. Whenever you collect data, always identify who you are and why you are collecting the data, and give clear indication of how people opt-out of your communications. Also, make sure you have a privacy statement on the site that you collect the data. Start as you mean to go on and segment your data from the beginning.

If you don't have the data, it's not a problem, you can purchase or rent a list of names and opted-in email addresses from a reputable source, preferably DMA approved. This can be for single-use or multiple-use and often has a time and/or other limitations. Provide a detailed profile to your list vendor. If you require a business list, state which geographic region, size of business, industry sectors (maybe SIC code) you would like; or if you require a consumer list stipulate region, age, gender, income levels and other factors. These days there are suppliers that have online filters so that having chosen the source you can compile a list to precisely meet your needs.

Buying lists must be opt-in, permission-based, clean, up-to-date and accurate.

Questions you should ask the list vendor include:

• Are you a member of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA)?
• Do you have a privacy policy?
• Do you have an anti-Spam policy?
• How do you handle complaints?
• What guarantees and assurances are in place for data issues?

Get a sample set of data from the vendor and test it. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Due diligence is the key; avoid list suppliers that aren't registered with the DMA. Remember, list owners will seed lists so only use as agreed with them.

Email marketing is covered by a plethora of rules, regulations, code of conduct and best practice guides.  These include:

• Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)
• Freedom of Information Act (FIA)
• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), based on the EU directive of the same name
• British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing, which is administered by The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
• Email Marketing Council, part of the Direct Marketing Association UK

The main point is that companies across the EU may not email consumers with marketing messages unless they have previously got permission from those recipients to do so - they have 'opted-in'. There is an exception to this, called a 'soft opt-in' where the email address has been collected in the course of a sale or negotiation for a sale, and the sender only promotes similar products or services and allows opt-out with every message. This could be a florist promoting flowers or a supermarket promoting its broader range of products.

Old customer lists can be used even if not opt-in provided they were told they would be marketed to, you have contacted them recently, they have not opted out and you continue to give them the chance to opt-out.

The regulations also state the sender must not conceal their identity and provide a valid address for opt-out requests and respond accordingly when asked to be removed from the list.

The ASA's code of conduct stipulates that emails must be 'legal, decent, honest and truthful' and sanctions can be taken against marketers responsible for communications that break these rules. It should be noted that emails sent from outside the UK are outside their remit.

The best practice guides tend to go beyond regulations. One example is that PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) allows marketers to send emails to company addresses (ie. info@bodgetandbodget.co.uk) but best practice states they should treat personal company email addresses exactly like consumers - ie they have to have opted-in.

Having built up such an asset as a highly targeted permission based email list, it would be crazy to neglect it. There are a variety of ways of cleaning lists but simply deleting persistent bounces is an easy way to start.

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