Is it worth sending emails to people who viewed a product but didn't opt-in?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that the original question wasn't intended as a deliverability question but more about whether it's worth flooding people with emails who are looking at products. He adds that if these people didn’t opt in then that provides a stronger argument that it is not worth it, as that approach is likely to lead to deliverabilty problems.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that emailing people who visited your website without opting in is a terrible idea. He explains that it will get your domain blacklisted very fast. You need to get people to subscribe to your list first, and use lead magnets to attract subscribers
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that sending emails to people who haven't opted-in is generally considered a bad practice. They highlight that it can lead to high unsubscribe rates, spam complaints, and damage to your sender reputation, ultimately affecting your email deliverability. Building a consent-based list is crucial for long-term success.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum answers that sending unsolicited email to people who have only viewed your website is not ethical and it will likely harm your email marketing campaigns in the long run due to deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that sending emails to purchased or scraped lists is a waste of resources and can negatively impact your email marketing ROI. They recommend building an engaged subscriber list through opt-in methods, such as signup forms and lead magnets. This leads to higher engagement rates and better overall results.
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that permission-based email marketing is crucial for building trust and improving deliverability. They state that sending emails to people who haven't explicitly opted-in is considered spam and can damage your sender reputation. Focus on providing valuable content and incentives to encourage people to subscribe.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the company culture values relationship building rather than flooding people with discounts and guesses the brand doesn't emphasize low prices. He suggests the concern is loyal customers will think the brand has gone down market, degrading the brand image and that enough people taking advantage of the discounts cuts into the margin.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that one common email marketing mistake to avoid is emailing people who did not subscribe to your email list. He suggests that you should always get the permission of the users before sending them emails.
Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that sending emails to people who haven't opted in can damage your sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues and potential blacklisting. They recommend focusing on building an engaged subscriber list through opt-in methods.
Marketer from Email Geeks asks if the recipients actually opted-in to the emails or did they just view the products without opting in to receive marketing emails.
Email marketer from SmartrMail explains one of the tips that they have is to only email subscribers. He emphasizes that it is important to get permission before sending emails.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sending emails without permission is not advisable. She uses the analogy: "It's like walking up to someone on the street and trying to sell them something they didn't ask for."
Expert from Email Geeks explains from a deliverability standpoint, assuming emails are going primarily to consumer domains, the risk is people will report it as spam. She asks how the email addresses were obtained and if people opted in at some point or if a service was used to discover email addresses of website visitors.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sending emails to individuals who haven't opted in increases the likelihood of spam complaints. He emphasizes the importance of obtaining explicit consent before sending any marketing emails.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Spamhaus shares that Sending emails to addresses obtained without consent or through scraping methods is a major factor in triggering spam traps and being blacklisted. Spamhaus is a spam blacklist provider, so they advise against sending to non-opted in users.
Documentation from GDPR explains that under GDPR, sending marketing emails without explicit consent is illegal. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
Documentation from AuthSMTP answers that sending unsolicited emails without consent can lead to deliverability issues such as spam complaints, blacklisting and low engagement, also AuthSMTP recommends focusing on permission-based email marketing.
Documentation from SendGrid explains that sending emails to unvalidated lists negatively impacts deliverability. They recommend implementing a double opt-in process and regularly cleaning your email list to remove inactive or unengaged subscribers. This improves sender reputation and ensures better engagement.
Documentation from CAN-SPAM Act details the legal requirements for commercial emails in the United States. It explains that while it doesn't prohibit sending unsolicited emails, it sets rules and penalties for doing so, including the need for an opt-out mechanism and accurate sender information. Violations can result in significant fines.