May 20, 2022

HFNP S1E1 follow-up: consent in marketing

Listen to the episode!

So what the heck does consent have to do with marketing? Briefly: Reciprocity is baked into our human nature (we sometimes say things like "much obliged" and "I owe you one!" instead of "thank you," even!). We appeal to our prospective customers' sense of reciprocity in our marketing all the time: Free samples Lead generator PDFs that dump you into a sales or nurturing email funnel Discount codes if you sign up to receive emails We offer these things in hope of getting people to buy. And there's nothing wrong with that! This can go sideways when that sense of reciprocity actually manipulates people into buying — and that can have harmful effects particularly on people who have experienced abuse or life experiences where they've been stripped of their agency. That's why consent is important. I'm not recommending we banish tactics that use reciprocity altogether. I'm recommending we come at them with intention and empathy.

If you're TL;DR-ing, here are six ways to go all in on consent in your marketing: Name the thing: Be crystal clear in your communication (and not in near-invisible microtext, thank you very much) that an action will land them in your funnel. Create value: With every piece of content you set free into the world, ask yourself, "Is the person who sees this going to appreciate it? What will it add to their life?" Leave the box unchecked: Let people opt in instead of forcing them to opt out after the fact. Don't buy or sell contact lists: This is a shady, icky practice that actually violates CAN-SPAM and will get you in a lot trouble. Seriously, don't do it. Use a double opt-in: Send a separate email confirming that people are willing to receive marketing emails Be smart about segmentation: Use your data wisely! Allow people to opt out of specific campaigns without completely leaving your ecosystem (here's a look at how some brands did this for Mother’s Day).

Yep, 98.8% of people have working index fingers and can easily click the unsubscribe button. But why breed resentment when you could build relationships and create brand champions instead? Why wouldn't you want an email list or social media following full of humans who are pumped to be in your orbit? Listen to the episode right meow, %FIRSTNAME%!

Yes means yes, Paige P.S. Our next episode will be at noon CST on Tuesday, May 31. Join us live, or catch the recording after the fact. P.P.S. If you loved this email, imagine how much you'll love being on the Hello [FIRST NAME] mailing list. Subscribe with a single click.