When most people think of email marketing, the first thing that comes to mind is junk email–those abhorent, daily intrusions that appear in your inbox, advertising everything from work-at-home schemes to wrinkle cures. So unwelcomed is this type of advertising that according to small business expert Janet Attard, the typical untargeted mass email campaign achieves a response rate of fewer than 1 out of 10,000! If you’re looking for a model of inefficiency you’ve found it.

What are double ‘Opt-In’ lists?
When someone visits a web page and provides an email address to be used for future email marketing, such as special offers, newsletters and so forth, this is known as an ‘opt-in’ email request. Individuals such as this receive a follow-up email requiring them to confirm that they are the person whose email address was submitted in the original request. This is known as a ‘double opt-in’ or ‘confirmed opt-in’ request. This double-opt-in aspect ensures list integrity by protecting against typos that may have occurred in the sign-up process. It also serves as a filter to any malicious sign-ups that may have resulted from automated registration scripts.

How effective are double opt-in email campaigns?
Hard, unbiased data on the response rates to double-opt-in email marketing campaigns is hard to come by. Claims range from .2% (1 out of 500) to as high as 12%. One thing’s for sure: someone who has taken the time to confirm that he or she really intended to sign up for an email list is far more likely to pay attention to emails from that source. Once you have someone’s attention, the onus is on you to close the sale. How well written is your ad? Does it have a good, compelling headline? Is the offer attractive? These considerations extend beyond opt-in email marketing and into the larger world of marketing in general.

When attempting any email marketing campaign be sure to do your research and ask questions. When dealing with a list provider, make a point of asking whether the list is double opt-in (or confirmed). Do the math; make sure the numbers are realistic and don’t preclude the possibility of making a profit. Opt-in email marketing can be effective when everything’s done right. Anything less will only lead to disappointment.