The term “Opt-in,” a shortened version of “Option-in,” refers, in the context of email marketing, to the practice whereby the user expresses his or her consent to be placed on an email list for the purpose of receiving messages to his or her inbox of an informational or promotional nature.
The use of this practice is therefore of fundamental importance in email marketing and permission marketing strategies, especially in light of the most recent regulations in the area of privacy protection (GDPR). Thus, we can say that by Optn-in we consider all those marketing activities for which the sending of communications of a promotional nature via online channels can take place only towards users who have explicitly consented to receive them by signing it.
In addition to preserving and protecting user privacy, in fact, it is strategically relevant for companies as it enables them to qualify their databases with real contacts, which also has undoubted positive effects on the very effectiveness of campaigns.
Opt-in types:
There are different types of Option-in:
- single Opt-in: is the user’s explicit permission to subscribe to a list to receive content via email; this procedure does not involve verification of the email address;
- notified Opt-in: with this opt-in mode, the recipient within the same subscription confirmation email also receives, at the same time, the ability to unsubscribe from the list;
- double Opt-in: is without, shadow of a doubt, the most widely used mode for effective database management. It allows, in fact, user enrollment by form and then provides for the request for confirmation of enrollment by sending a notification email;
- the soft Opt-in: this mode can be considered a temporary permission that gives the user to receive communications without, however, saving the contact within particular lists.
