If this image resonates with you, you may well be one of those people who cannot wait for GDPR to take hold, hoping that their inbox will considerably shrink as a result. Well, I am sure it will, particularly from a private e-mail perspective but not so much when it comes to your business e-mails.
Why is that I hear you cry? In my latest Blog I talked about the future of B2B e-mail marketing and you can read all about the differentiation made by the regulations between corporate and private data. If you are past that stage and have decided to carry on using e-mail marketing with corporate date on a legitimate interest basis, you will need to consider a number of things.
Using legitimate interest as your legal basis to send marketing e-mails is not a licence to carry on spamming. On the contrary, it puts you on the spot and gives you an extra responsibility to make sure you are compliant and respectful of people’s data and inboxes. What does this mean? you might ask, well here are some examples:
- Carry out an analysis for each campaign you are planning, to determine the following:
- Is the campaign absolutely necessary?
- Is there a less intrusive way in which you could do this?
- Will this seriously undermine your recipients privacy?
- This questionnaire might help you out with your assessment
- Update your privacy policy notice on your website and add a link to it at the bottom of your e-mail
- Tell people why you are writing to them and ensure there is a clear and easy link to unsubscribe
- Include your company name and contact details so your readers know who it came from you
- Use a proper e-mail marketing software (like Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor). These ensure that unsubscribing is done properly, and you cannot write to these again.
All of the above is important and relatively easy to achieve but the key factor to consider is the content. The main point that GDPR is making is that people do not want to get unsolicited sales e-mails that are all about you and what you can do for them. They are a lot more likely to interact with you if you think about them and what they are likely to be interested in. So, here are a few things to consider when it comes to making your content more compelling:
- Consider your target markets and ensure your lists are segmented to allow you to send tailored e-mails
- Create a campaign and content plan, ensuring you are sending out focused communications based on target market interests
- Make your e-mail template pleasant to look at and connected to your brand and website
- Blend your e-mail marketing campaigns with Blog pots, articles, guides and other useful materials
- Keep the e-mail message simple and include relevant links for people to find out more
- Don’t bombard people with communications; we are all busy and even useful e-mails can become a nuisance if overdone
- Don’t forget to analyse the data and follow up
I hope you found this useful. I read the other day that only 40% of UK business are ready for GDPR and truly hope that you are. If you are doing your own e-mail marketing and looking for some support, have a look on our website or get in touch.