What does GDPR mean for businesses that do email marketing?

What does the GDPR mean for businesses engaged in email marketing?

Should a company comply with GDPR regulations?

These are questions that business leaders continue to ask after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect.

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a regulation that aims to help citizens of European Union countries gain complete control over how their personal data is used by organizations.

As an email marketer, you must be careful about what data you collect about your subscribers, how you collect it, how you store it, and how you use it.

Let's look at a few scenarios to understand when a business should comply with the GDPR. These scenarios apply to both B2B and B2C models.

Company A: Your business is located in an EU country—a localized business that only deals with local residents.

Company B: Your business is not based in the EU, but you have customers in regions of the EU.

Company C: Your business is based in an EU country, but your customer list is made up of people from different regions.

Company D: Your business is not based in the EU, and all your customers are from the US.

If you fall into the first three categories, then yes, GDPR compliance is important and mandatory. Even if you fall into category 4, it's recommended to follow this law because it helps you keep your customer data up-to-date, build their trust, and establish a name for your brand.

1. Use double opt-in forms to obtain double opt-in. Double opt-in ensures that subscribers send you a confirmation email after signing up for your service. They will only be added to your email list after confirmation. This is very helpful in building a list of active subscribers.

2. Mention how you know your subscribers. People often forget how they know you and why they receive emails from you, which can lead to direct unsubscribes. So, remind them who you are and why they are receiving this email. You can do this by adding a note in the footer stating which email list they belong to.

3. Add email preferences to your welcome emails. When you send welcome emails to your new subscribers, always offer them the option to choose what content they want to receive from you and how often they want your emails delivered to their inboxes.

4. Include an unsubscribe link in every message. People may change their minds after subscribing to a service, or they may have mistakenly submitted a form—having an unsubscribe link will help them opt out of your emails at any time. This way, you give them the ability to choose you and, in turn, reduce spam complaints.

5. Give subscribers the ability to update their profiles. If a subscriber wants to add more information to their profiles, edit what they already have, or even delete something they deem unnecessary—let them own their data. Provide the ability to update your subscriber profiles in emails so they can change their information as needed. This will help you collect valid and relevant information about your subscribers.

6. Obtain subscriber consent before running promotions. Permission-based email marketing is the best form of marketing; it confirms your brand's commitment to ethics. Your mailing lists may include people you know directly, those you meet at events, webinar attendees, or those who come by word of mouth. It's crucial to obtain their consent before sending promotional emails. You should also clearly state why you're seeking their consent. Obtaining consent and recording it may seem daunting, but it's worth it. In the process, you also purge your mailing lists of inactive subscribers.