Implied permission collection methods that result in quality email addresses

Pointers for how to collect engaged contacts with implied permission to improve engagement and avoid spam complaints

There are many ways of obtaining permission to email someone under Constant Contact’s email permission policy.  While express, or explicit, permission will always be considered the gold standard for email collection, contacts collected with implied permission can be very effective when used correctly.  Below are some common forms of implied collections, along with advice on using them effectively.

Email addresses collected through verbal consent:

Verbal consent is quickly forgotten, so mailing early to these contacts is important. As long as it’s done quickly enough, a Reconfirm Opt-In Email is a good tool for both reminding a contact of the interaction and confirming that they would like to be on your contact list.

Contacts that come from an address book:

This depends on whether you are using a personal or business address book. Personal contacts may not necessarily want marketing emails about your organization. Exporting an address book will often give you any email address that you have sent to and/or received mail from (this usually includes role/transactional/group addresses). If there are addresses that you have sent just a one-time email to, it’s best to exclude them from your Constant Contact mailing list.

Email addresses collected from purchases through my website:

It’s always suggested that a contact be given the chance to opt themselves in while making a purchase, such as through an unchecked sign-up box. If you do decide to automatically opt in those who purchase from your site, it’s recommended to send your first email to them early while the purchase is still fresh in their minds. A Welcome Email is an easy way to automatically engage with these new contacts.

Email addresses collected from ecommerce site purchases, like Amazon:

These get tricky, because while the buyer did make a purchase from you, by nature, these sites focus more on the product rather than the seller. For this reason, these types of contacts often result in high spam complaints when they're manually added to your account. Some of these sites even forbid the use of contact information collected through purchases for marketing purposes. Unless the buyer takes a separate action to opt in, it’s best to avoid these addresses. Using our contact sync tools for eBay, Etsy, Magento, and Shopify ensures that your ecommerce contacts have opted into your mailing list

Email address collected through social media:

Just because a person engages with you on social media, doesn't mean they want to be a part of your mailing list. For this reason, these types of contacts often result in high spam complaints. Unless the friend or follower takes a separate action to opt in, it’s best to avoid these addresses. Consider adding a sign-up form to your social media pages to collect only the contacts that want to hear from your via email.

Business cards gathered at a networking event:

Giving a business card to someone at an event can be quickly forgotten, especially at larger events where someone may have a similar interaction with dozens of people. As with verbal consent, it’s recommended that you send an email quickly, reminding them that you met at the event, and asking if they would like to continue receiving information from you. Be sure to create a Welcome Email to automatically engage with these new contacts, and use our mobile app to quickly scan the name and email address from the card in the moment.

A new employee has brought a list of past clients:

The only time this is allowed is if those clients had been given the chance to opt in to the new organization before being mailed to through Constant Contact. Otherwise this is against our permission policy.

Submissions to a contact us, request, or quote form:

Simply asking a question or requesting information doesn’t necessarily mean that someone would like to receive ongoing newsletters. While technically considered implied permission, Constant Contact recommends that you avoid mailing to contacts collected through these web forms, unless an unchecked opt-in box is provided.

Email address collected as sign-ups for a contest, give-away, or sweepstakes:

Even with an opt-in, these types of lists usually perform poorly because sign-ups quickly lose interest after the contest ends and the allure of winning fades. The best thing you can do is to include an opt-in box on your contest submission form that participants need to actively check to subscribe for your newsletter. If your newsletter is not mandatory, the sign-ups you do get perform better.

Suggestion: If spam complaints are a concern, check out our tips for reducing spam complaints and keeping clean contact lists.

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