Opting Out Of Double Opt-In: Most Sectors Don't Use It, Study Shows

Double opt-in has long been considered the optimal standard for email marketers. But some industries are more attentive than others, judging by the 2022 Email Marketing Benchmark by GetResponse. Reports.

The publishing industry is most likely to employ double opt-in. But no sector has 20% adherence, and many are in the low single-digits.

Brands that use double opt-in send a confirmation email to the party, and ask them to click to confirm the subscription. This removes any trace of ambiguity and is a good defense in the unlikely event that someone complains they’re being spammed. Also, it improves deliverability and security.

But there are several reasons for the apparent avoidance.

The main one is that marketers are “mostly focused on attracting the largest possible audience at the lowest possible cost,” writes Ada Durzynska, content marketing specialist at GetResponse.

Durzynska adds: “When reporting to our managers, we want to show a low Cost Per Lead (CPL), and losing 20-50% (or however many) of your potential subscribers that won’t click the confirmation button is often too much.”

Here are the figures for double opt-in usage by industry:

  • Agencies — 17.04%
  • Arts & Entertainment — 11.67%
  • Automotive — 5.67%
  • Communications — 4.69%
  • Education — 15.36%
  • Financial Services — 10.59%
  • Health & Beauty — 5.16%
  • Health Care — 6.47%
  • Internet Marketing — 9.50%
  • Legal Services — 3.92%
  • Non-profits — 9.90%
  • Publishing — 19.08%
  • Real Estate — 2.31%
  • Restaurants & Food — 8.11%
  • Retail — 4.80%
  • Sports & Activities — 13.09%
  • Technology & High Tech — 4.35%
  • Travel — 6.89%

The remainder in each case follows the legal requirement of single opt-in. 

The study’s advice?

“Our suggestion here is to try and start implementing double opt-in wherever you can afford it,” Durzynska writes.

Durzynska adds, “If you do it for organic leads that come through your blog but don’t do it for contacts that come from Facebook Lead Ads that’s fine. At least you’ve made a positive change and your deliverability will reward you for this.”

GetResponse analyzed almost 7 billion messages out of over 35 billion emails its customers sent throughout 2021, looking only at active senders with at least 1,000 contacts.

 

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