Opt-In Lists

If you've read our Anti-Spam page, you already know you need to use Opt-In Lists, which means you need permission from your recipients to send them an email marketing message.

To help determine whether or not you are complying with our Opt-In List policy, please download and read our permission handout (PDF file).

ThinkSend also recommends that Opt-In Lists be taken a step further, and that "Double Opt-In" subscriber lists be used.

To support this recommendation, ThinkSend offers a "Double Opt-In" process to ensure that you have permission from each new subscriber from your Web site. When someone subscribes to a list you have set up, they will receive an email with a confirmation link. The subscriber will only be added to your list when they confirm their subscription.

You can customize this entire process - including the contents of the confirmation email and all landing pages - so it's as painless as possible for each subscriber and consistent with the look and feel of your Web site.

How to obtain opt-in permission, offline:

Many company executives collect business cards at trade shows, conferences and other events. However, it's best not to assume that when someone hands you a business card, he or she is also giving you permission to add their name to your email marketing list.

To avoid any hard feelings or CAN-SPAM Act violations, we recommend that you specifically ask each business card contact whether they want to receive your emails - and note their response on the back of their card.

If you have a booth at a trade show, you can ask your clients and prospects to fill out a preprinted postcard which includes a line for an email address and a "check here to add me to your email list" box. This makes it easy to process your new contacts after the event, and determine who has or hasn't opted in to your marketing list.

Don't forget to check with your trade show organizer, too - many provide an "opt-in" option as part of the registration process for contact by exhibitors.