Lay My Hat

This is what applies in the UK currently

Soft opt-in
Soft opt-in can apply in certain circumstances as an exception to the consent rule for direct marketing. This applies where:

you have obtained an individual's email address and details during a sale or during negotiations for a sale of a product or service to them.

your messages are only marketing your similar products or services.

you have given the individual opportunities to refuse marketing messages when their details are collected and with every future message, and they do not opt out.

I therefore interpret that to mean you can contact people who have enquired, as at that point you entered negotiations for a sale. The fact that you were unable to complete the sale doesn't seem to matter? Anyway, I will now add a line to my email replies to all enquiries, informing them that their email address will be added to my database.

I have just spent all afternoon with mail chimp formulating the email and sending it. I hope I get some positive feedback and not just lots of opt outs!

Nemo wrote:This is what applies in the UK currently

Soft opt-in
Soft opt-in can apply in certain circumstances as an exception to the consent rule for direct marketing. This applies where:

.........

you have given the individual opportunities to refuse marketing messages when their details are collected and with every future message, and they do not opt out.....................

I will now add a line to my email replies to all enquiries, informing them that their email address will be added to my database.

Nemo - I may well be wrong, but I suspect that just informing enquirers that you´re adding their email address to your database doesn´t actually amount to giving them the opportunity to refuse marketing messages. I suspect you may need to be a bit more explicit than this.

I´d be happy to be proved wrong though....

No you're right - I should have expanded what I meant to say! I have actually just written this for my template - does it come across ok?

"I occasionally send newsletters containing news and special offers by email. If you wish to opt out of such mailings then please click here Unsubscribe and request to be removed. You can be assured that your details are never given to a third party."

I have had two opt outs already, but 13% have opened the email and 8 people have clicked on my website. It's very impressive what mail chimp can do.

We email an annual newsletter (and other occasional short updates) to our mailing list, using Dada Mail software (double opt in/opt out) installed on our web host. We have a "subscribe" form prominent on our website, plus I will periodically comb through our inbox (and other records) for addresses that are not subscribed to our list and then use Dada Mail to send them an invitation to subscribe. Dada won't send an invitation to an address that is already subscribed, and I try to keep track of who I have already sent an invitation to, so as not to repeatedly inviting them.

Nemo wrote:No you're right - I should have expanded what I meant to say! I have actually just written this for my template - does it come across ok?

"I occasionally send newsletters containing news and special offers by email. If you wish to opt out of such mailings then please click here Unsubscribe and request to be removed. You can be assured that your details are never given to a third party."

I have had two opt outs already, but 13% have opened the email and 8 people have clicked on my website. It's very impressive what mail chimp can do.

Sounds perfect Nemo

When do people think is the best time to send them out? We usually send them in the new year, once they´ve had a chance to get over Christmas.

I did mine now, just in case I could tempt anyone to have a cheap December break or fill my Christmas slots. But I suspect just after Christmas is when thoughts turn to holidays and therefore you may get the most response.