Email marketing is one of the most widely used forms of digital marketing today. If used properly, it can be an effective way to reach your target demographic and get your company’s message out to the right people and at the right time. However, it can also be disastrous for you and your potential customers if not used correctly. This is where opt-in email marketing comes into play.

With opt-in email marketing, you can rest assured that your emails are going to people who care about what you have to offer, which helps you maintain your email reputation, saves you time and money, and can boost your sales.

What exactly does “opt-in” mean?
To put it simply, any time you’ve gained permission to send someone an email, it’s considered opt-in. There are several ways in which you can get permission, but it’s important to remember that your target audience needs to have specifically given your company permission, rather than just showing they’re interested in a product you sell. For example, if you’re in the shoe-selling business and you purchase a list of people who have gone to certain websites that sell shoes, you do not actually have their permission to email them. Just because they’re interested in shoes doesn’t mean they are necessarily interested in your company, as harsh as that sounds.

See also: Why Buying An Email Marketing List Isn’t Always A Good Idea

How does opt-in email marketing maintain my reputation?
In a world inundated with information overload, spam email runs rampant. Consumers will easily get annoyed with email after email from you, especially when they never gave you permission to email them in the first place. They’ll mark you as spam, which could eventually get you blocked by their email service provider.

In addition, sending bulk email without permission will hurt your reputation with potential and current customers. One of the best ways to gain and keep customers is by building trust-based relationships, which you can’t do if you’re spamming everyone. By using opt-in email marketing, you’re showing your customers you truly care about their privacy and feelings.

How can the opt-in method save me time and money?
When sending to an opt-in email list, you save time by not having to build email campaigns that only a small percentage of people will open. Instead, the rate of people who open your emails will be the majority and the time you spent designing the campaign will pay off.

Utilizing the opt-in method can also save you money. Think about it: whatever money you’re spending on email marketing can be drastically reduced by streamlining your contact list. Most services will charge you per email sent or per subscriber, so the fewer of both that you have, the less your investment will be every time you send a new campaign. More importantly, a smaller and more targeted opt-in email list will yield better results.

How can opt-in emailing boost sales?
This, too, is a simple concept. If you’re only emailing people who are genuinely interested in your company, then your success rate will be higher, meaning your campaigns will be more successful. Effective email campaigns can result in more people completing the conversion process on your website, which equals more sales. According to Benchmark, “Opt-in email continues to be the industry standard for good email marketing. With just a Signup Form and some creativity on your end, you’ll find yourself building a targeted, valuable list of people who delight in what products and services you have to offer.”

Looking for more assistance? Swing by our Email Marketing services page or send us a note, our team can help you build a successful email marketing strategy.