Why double opt-ins are the surest way to successful email campaigns

We have already learnt that obtaining consent through opt-in data is the best way to ensure qualified subscribers and a successful email campaign. The next question is, should you stop at single opt-ins or go a step further to ensure consent with double opt-ins?

Most email marketers would want an email list that is full of active, engaged subscribers. This article tells you what is the best way to achieve it.

A single opt-in is a straightforward subscription or data collection method where a user provides their contact information (like an email address) and is immediately added to a marketing list. Whereas, double opt-in requires the user to confirm their subscription through a secondary action, such as clicking a confirmation link.

Double opt-in makes absolutely sure that they want your emails. You will get fewer people, but the ones you get will be more valuable.

An example case study of single opt in data used in marketing campaigns.

An online clothing retailer, Stylish Threads, wants to expand its email list for a monthly newsletter that shares fashion tips, product launches, and exclusive discounts.

Single Opt-In Collection Process:

• On the Website: Stylish Threads has a pop-up form on its homepage inviting visitors to subscribe to their monthly newsletter for a 10% discount on their first purchase.
• Sign-Up Form: The form asks for an email address and has a single checkbox that reads, “Yes, I want to receive updates and discounts from Stylish Threads.”
• Submission: When the visitor submits the form, they’re immediately added to the retailer’s email list without needing to confirm their subscription through a follow-up email.

Campaign Execution Using Single Opt-In Data:

• Newsletter Campaign: Each month, Stylish Threads sends out a newsletter featuring new fashion arrivals, style guides, and special offers.
• Promotions and Discounts: They run a campaign around the holidays offering an additional 20% off to subscribers, delivered through a newsletter.
• Exclusive Content: Subscribers receive early access to sales and sneak peeks of upcoming collections, adding value to the newsletter subscription.

Benefits of the single opt in method:

Benefit: With single opt-in, the retailer quickly grows its subscriber base because there’s no second step to confirm. It’s efficient and helps them engage with more potential customers right away.

Challenges:

Single opt-in can sometimes lead to lower-quality data since people may subscribe with incorrect or temporary emails, and there’s a higher risk of spam complaints or deliverability issues compared to double opt-in.

Marketing Optimization with Single Opt-In Data:

Stylish Threads could segment their list based on engagement, ensuring that highly engaged users receive more frequent content, while inactive users might receive occasional re-engagement emails to minimize unsubscribe rates and complaints.

Using single opt-in data in this way enables brands to grow their lists faster, but it requires good data hygiene practices, such as regular list cleaning and monitoring engagement metrics, to maintain deliverability and audience quality.

An example Case Study of how a Company Uses Double Opt-In to drive success with email marketing

An online retail company, Healthy Glow Skincare, specializing in organic skincare products, wants to build a quality email list to promote new product launches, share skincare tips, and offer exclusive discounts.

Challenge:

The brand initially used single opt-in and noticed low engagement rates, along with a high number of invalid emails and spam complaints. They needed a method to improve list quality and reduce churn.

Strategy: Implementing Double Opt-In

1. Switch to Double Opt-In Process:
   • Healthy Glow Skincare redesigned their subscription form to encourage genuine interest by promising a free guide, “10 Secrets to Naturally Glowing Skin.”
   • After users submitted their email, they received a confirmation email with a link to verify their subscription and access the guide.
2. Engagement-Driven Content Strategy:
   • Welcome Series: Once confirmed, subscribers received a personalized welcome series introducing the brand and its products, with special discount codes.
   • Monthly Content: Healthy Glow Skincare sent monthly emails with skincare tips, seasonal product recommendations, and exclusive deals.
   • Feedback and Surveys: To maintain engagement, they sent occasional surveys asking subscribers about their skincare needs, allowing the company to tailor content and offers.
3. Results of the Double Opt-In Strategy:
   • Improved List Quality: The double opt-in process helped Healthy Glow Skincare reduce invalid or fake email addresses, lowering their bounce rate by 30%.
   • Higher Engagement: Since subscribers were more genuinely interested, the open rates increased by 25%, and click-through rates improved by 20%.
   • Reduced Spam Complaints: Confirming each subscription reduced complaints and improved deliverability, helping emails land in inboxes rather than spam folders.
   • Customer Insights: By maintaining a list of engaged, interested customers, Healthy Glow could better understand customer preferences, making their product launches more successful.

Conclusion: For Healthy Glow Skincare, switching to double opt-in improved list quality and increased engagement, directly impacting sales during promotions. With a more targeted and engaged audience, they could better predict campaign success and continually optimize their email marketing strategy, leading to long-term growth and loyalty.

Benefits of Double Opt-In for Companies

Double opt-in may seem to create an extra step, but it ensures that subscribers are genuinely interested and actively willing to engage with a brand. This approach can benefit companies by:

• Reducing Churn: High-quality subscribers are less likely to unsubscribe or mark emails as spam.
• Improving Deliverability: Confirmed emails improve deliverability and reduce bounce rates, protecting sender reputation.
• Building Trust: Transparency and verification build trust, as subscribers feel assured that their data won’t be misused.

In summary, double opt-in enables companies to build a focused, reliable subscriber list, ensuring a strong foundation for more effective email marketing campaigns.

Evaluating single-opt in versus double opt-in in marketing effectiveness.

When deciding between single opt in and double opt in methods, marketers must weigh the trade-offs in terms of list growth, engagement, and data quality. Here’s a breakdown of each approach and its impact on marketing effectiveness.

1. Speed and Volume of List Growth

• Single Opt-In: This approach is faster and often leads to higher initial sign-up rates. By requiring only one action (submitting an email address), it simplifies the subscription process, attracting more users and allowing for rapid list growth. This can be beneficial for companies focused on expanding their audience quickly.
• Double Opt-In: Requiring users to confirm their subscription through a second action can reduce the number of subscribers. Many users may forget or ignore the confirmation email, leading to drop-offs. However, while growth may be slower, double opt-in often results in a list of more genuinely interested and engaged subscribers.

Conclusion:
If a business prioritises rapid list-building and can manage the risks associated with lower-quality leads, single opt-in may be effective. However, if a high-quality, engaged list is the goal, double opt-in can provide a better long-term foundation.

2. Subscriber Engagement and Quality

• Single Opt-In: Lists built through single opt-in often contain a larger percentage of unengaged or low-quality subscribers, including fake or invalid emails. Engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates might be lower as a result, which can affect overall marketing performance.
• Double Opt-In: The two-step verification process filters out casual or uninterested sign-ups, leading to a higher percentage of engaged subscribers. Double opt-in lists typically enjoy better engagement metrics (e.g., open rates and clicks), as those who confirm their subscription are more likely to be genuinely interested.

Conclusion:
Double opt-in generally leads to a more engaged audience, which can improve campaign effectiveness, reduce churn, and lead to higher conversions. For engagement-focused campaigns, double opt-in is usually more effective.

3. Data Quality and List Hygiene

• Single Opt-In: Since there’s no verification step, single opt-in lists are more likely to contain typos, spam traps, or temporary email addresses. This can result in high bounce rates, which negatively impacts sender reputation and may lead to deliverability issues.
• Double Opt-In: The confirmation email ensures that only valid, active email addresses remain on the list. This process improves list hygiene, reduces bounce rates, and protects sender reputation, which can ultimately enhance email deliverability and inbox placement.

Conclusion:
Double opt-in is more effective for maintaining high-quality data, which is crucial for long-term email deliverability. If data accuracy and list quality are top priorities, double opt-in should be the preferred method.

4. Compliance with Privacy Laws and Data Regulations

• Single Opt-In: Single opt-in meets legal requirements for some regions, but it may not offer as robust documentation of consent. In regions with strict data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR), single opt-in might expose businesses to legal risks if subscribers dispute their consent.
• Double Opt-In: By documenting each confirmation, double opt-in provides clearer proof of consent, which helps businesses remain compliant with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. This is especially important for businesses operating in regions with stringent privacy laws.

Conclusion:
Double opt-in is more reliable for compliance, as it offers consent. For businesses aiming to minimise legal risks and meet the highest privacy standards, double opt-in is more effective.

5. Impact on Brand Perception and Trust

• Single Opt-In: Although single opt-in is faster, it can sometimes lead to unwanted emails for subscribers who may not recall signing up, potentially harming brand perception if users feel they were added without clear consent.
• Double Opt-In: By requiring subscribers to verify their intent, double opt-in reinforces transparency and builds trust. Subscribers who go through a double opt-in process may feel more assured that the brand respects their privacy and has ethical data practices.

Conclusion:
Double opt-in can positively impact brand perception by emphasising trust and transparency. For companies building a reputation around privacy and data ethics, double opt-in aligns well with those values.

Choosing between Single and Double Opt-In Methods

• Single Opt-In: Best suited for companies focused on rapid list growth and less concerned with list quality. This approach can work for businesses with strong lead-nurturing strategies to engage new subscribers and filter out inactive ones over time.
• Double Opt-In: Ideal for brands focused on high engagement, list quality, and regulatory compliance. Double opt-in may be slower for growth but results in a more responsive and reliable audience. For companies prioritising trust, compliance, and data accuracy, double opt-in is more effective.

Overall Verdict:

While single opt-in may offer a short-term advantage in terms of volume, double opt-in typically yields a higher-quality list that can lead to stronger long-term marketing performance and brand loyalty.

Companies in the US and UK that provide email opt in lists like single and double opt-ins

The Best Place to Buy Double Opt-In Data

Evaluating Top B2B Data Companies:

Companies like Zoominfo, Cognism, Lusha, Hoovers, Leadiro provide large b2b contact databases for direct download. These companies store millions of contacts in order to give you data for instant download. But they are not platforms that directly implement double opt-in themselves. Rather they strongly advocate for and guide their users towards using double opt-in practices for email marketing, especially in the context of GDPR and CCPA compliance.

Even a company like ZoomInfo does not primarily rely on a double opt-in system for its data collection. They gather data through a variety of methods, including web crawling and publicly available information, rather than requiring explicit, confirmed consent from individuals.
However, ZoomInfo can be used in ways that align with permission-based lead generation, particularly through its focus on inbound marketing and account-based marketing (ABM). While ZoomInfo itself doesn’t directly provide leads with explicit opt-in permission, its tools and features can be leveraged to identify and engage with prospects who have shown interest or demonstrated intent through various online interactions.

ZoomInfo also offers mechanisms for individuals to opt-out of having their data included in the platform. You can opt out of ZoomInfo’s processing of your data, and this opt-out is shared with their customers to ensure they also honor your request.

In essence, while not a double opt-in system, ZoomInfo does provide a way for individuals to remove themselves from their database and ensure their data is not used by ZoomInfo or its customers.

Data Providers that offer Double Opt In

Lead Genius:

LeadGenius emphasizes and offers permission-based leads, particularly focusing on “Permission Pass” data acquisition and engagement strategies. They highlight the importance of compliance with data privacy regulations and offer solutions to ensure that marketing efforts adhere to these standards.

Essentially, LeadGenius helps businesses acquire and engage with leads who have explicitly granted permission to be contacted, ensuring ethical and compliant marketing practices.

Ascentrik Research:

On the other hand, Ascentrik Research is one of the very few companies that provide single and double opt in data. Since our company is very particular about data privacy and accuracy, we know that double opt-in is the surest way to obtain consent. You direct your email outreach and cold calling to the most relevant target audience, since they have opted in.

With our single and double opt in data, you will have the most highly engaged prospects. The email open rate and click-through rate on your marketing campaign will be definitely higher than using any other downloaded contact list. The unsubscribe rate will be very low, as all the contacts on your list have provided explicit consent to be contacted.