A great post today from Chris Brogan – Stop adding me to your email newsletter.
He has a very valid point – just because I’ve swapped emails with you DOESN’T mean you’ve been given my permission to add me to your newsletter list.
By all means, send me an email asking me if I WANT to be added, even send me a sample, but don’t just add me without my permission – it’s unprofessional, it’s underhand and it’s downright spammy.
The reason that most professional email systems (Aweber, Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Infusionsoft etc) insist on double opt in is to stop things like this happening – while I accept that not everyone uses a system such as this to send their email newsletters, I would expect everyone to abide by the double opt in principle these days.
Anyway, following Chris’s suggestion, here’s an email you can feel free to send to people who send you their email newsletter when you haven’t asked to receive it. As he says
Share that all you want. Copy it, paste it, reblog it. Whatever. Just let’s get people to stop doing this. Okay?
Hello!
You evidently mistook access for acceptance. I seem to be subscribed to your email newsletter, and I’m not interested. Now, I realize there’s a click-to-unsubscribe option, but I wanted a moment of your time, seeing as you ate up some of mine by making me go through the process of unsubscribing myself from your mailing list.
I can tell you’re eager to grow your business. It’s clear that you want incredibly smart and engaging people like me to participate in your world. Here’s a hint: blindly adding me to your email list won’t really win you many fans in that regard.
In fact, you know who you get when you use that method? Lazy people who haven’t bothered hitting unsubscribe yet. And if they’re too lazy to opt out (or even report you as spam), how motivated will they be to buy your product or service? Seems like a waste of your database space to me.
So, I’m going to unsubscribe now, and I’m going to wish you the best with your business. You clearly need it, if you think blindly adding me to your lists will ensure your future success.
Thanks and with appreciation,
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Tags: chris brogan, email, marketing, no, opt in
“It’s unprofessional, it’s underhand and it’s downright spammy.”
Beautifully put. This has happened to me many times with people I’ve ‘met’ through online networking. It’s a total waste of time.
Give it up, guys. Do some real business.
Coincidentally I’ve just sent a similar email to someone who took my card at a networking event. Unfortunately there was no ‘unsubscribe’ link in her mailing email and the email address that it came from did not accept email replies.
I spent a couple of minutes tracking down her real email address and pointed her in the direction of the Information Commissioner’s Website, politely pointing out that she could be considered to be breaking the law. However, I wish I’d read this post sooner as I would have certainly used this take on it!