It is not news that contacts are obtained not only on the web using the subscribe form, but often also physically. Whether it is business cards at a conference, from seminar participants, or from a form that does not have a verification mechanism. Often, these contacts are passed on to the appropriate marketing department in order to carry out a specific marketing campaign. However, the path to their use must begin with the correct confirmation of consent, which will be provable - ie. by using confirmation campaigns.
Before we explain how to prepare such a campaign, however, we must make it clear that this is not a way to obtain contacts. In no case can such a campaign be applied to purchased lists, mailing lists obtained from "public sources" and so on. These are all practices beyond the law and are by no means a legitimate use of a confirmation campaign.
A confirmation campaign can only be used where the participant has already expressed an interest and due to the method of getting the contact (business card, training form, etc.) it is necessary to ensure a valid documentable consent. Such a campaign should take place as soon as possible after the contact has been established, so that the recipient can keep in mind that the contact was provided and in what context. If you've been collecting business cards for years and now want approval, then this is definitely not the right way. Recipients will no longer associate you with providing a business card and for what purpose. This will not only lead to low success, but also to a high number of spam complaints, which will have a major impact on the deliverability of your future campaigns.
How to create a confirmation campaign
Confirmation campaigns are campaigns like any other. So create a new email campaign. Be aware of who will be the sender of the campaign when creating – so that the recipients can easily identify you. Pay extra attention to the subject of the campaign - it must be sufficiently informative for the client, so be sure to avoid any emoticons or misleading subjects.
The content of the confirmation campaign is essential. It determines not only how the recipients will react, but also whether the consent will be valid and to what extent. It is worth mentioning on what occasion you got the contact and that this is a confirmation of your consent. It is very important to mention in the campaign for what purpose the subject will give you his / her confirmation and how the data will be used. It is advisable to consult with your legal department to ensure that the content is clear and not misleading and that consent is considered transparent.
Once you have prepared and approved the content, it is time to place a confirmation link. This link must then take the following form in the URL:
[CONFIRM_URL=xxx]
xxx = the address of the page to which the recipient should be redirected after accepting the consent. Remember that this address must contain the entire URL, including the protocol, ie. https://www.yourpage.com/thankyou not just www.yourpage.com/thankyou.
We recommend you to test your confirmation campaign carefully before sending.
