The ethics of email marketing: How to build trust and respect with your subscribers

“Ethics or simple honesty, is the building block upon which our whole society is based, and business is a part of our society, and it's integral to the practice of being able to conduct business that you have a set of honest standards.” Kerry Stokes

Email marketing has the potential to be a powerful tool for businesses to reach and engage with their target audience. However, as with any marketing strategy, there is a fine line between effective communication and spamming. The key to success lies in understanding and practicing ethical email marketing practices that build trust and respect with your subscribers.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of ethics in email marketing and share some statistics to help you make the case for ethical email marketing practices.

What is ethical marketing?

Ethical marketing is basically when businesses promote their products or services in a way that's fair to everyone - customers, society and the environment. They make sure that what they say in their marketing is true and they don't take advantage of anyone or encourage bad behaviour.

To be ethical, businesses also need to think about how their marketing affects society and the environment and not just focus on making money. This means being honest about where their products come from, protecting people's privacy, not lying in their ads and following the rules.

The whole point of ethical marketing is to build trust with customers and show that the company cares about people and the planet, not just profits.

Let's take a look at some stats:

• In a survey by HubSpot, 96% of consumers unsubscribed from emails because a brand was sending too many emails.
• Studies show that 43% of consumers mark emails as spam because they don't recognize the sender.
• In a survey by DMA, 62% of consumers said they would be less likely to buy from a company again if they received too many emails.

These stats highlight the negative impact that unethical email marketing practices can have on your subscribers and your business. A study shows that 62% of consumers say their purchasing decisions are driven by a company’s ethical values and authenticity. So, how can you ensure that your email marketing is ethical and respectful?

1. Build trust through transparency

One of the most important aspects of ethical email marketing is transparency. Be clear about what you’re asking subscribers to do and why. This means being honest about what subscribers can expect from your emails, how often they will receive them, and what type of content they will contain. According to a study by Litmus, 43% of subscribers marked emails as spam because they received too many emails from a particular sender. By being transparent about the frequency of emails, you can avoid overloading your subscribers’ inboxes and reduce the likelihood of spam complaints.

2. Respect subscriber preferences

Another critical component of ethical email marketing is respecting subscriber preferences. This means giving subscribers the option to opt-in or opt-out of your emails and respecting their choices.

According to a survey by MarketingSherpa, 91% of subscribers reported unsubscribing from a list because they were receiving too many emails. By respecting subscriber preferences and sending only relevant content, you can build trust and increase engagement with your subscribers.

3. Provide value to subscribers

In addition to being transparent and respecting subscriber preferences, ethical email marketing also means providing value to your subscribers. This means creating content that is relevant and useful to them. According to a survey by Hubspot, 78% of consumers reported unsubscribing from a list because the content was no longer relevant to them. By providing value to your subscribers, you can build trust and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

4. Personalise your emails

Personalisation can help build a stronger connection with subscribers. Use their name in the email and tailor the content to their interests and preferences.

5. Build long-term relationships

Finally, ethical email marketing is about building long-term relationships with your subscribers. This means focusing on engagement and providing value over time. According to a survey by Campaign Monitor, companies that send personalised emails to their subscribers see an average 29% increase in open rates and a 41% increase in click-through rates. By personalising your emails and providing value over time, you can build trust and establish a long-term relationship with your subscribers.

Unethical actions to avoid

By avoiding unethical practices and implementing ethical strategies, you can ensure that your email marketing efforts align with your subscribers' interests and build a strong foundation of trust. Let's look at unethical practices that can turn your subscribers off.

• Avoid purchasing or using email lists without proper consent from the recipients.
• Do not mislead or deceive subscribers with false or exaggerated claims in your email content.
• Avoid using deceptive subject lines or clickbait tactics to lure recipients into opening your emails.
• Do not bombard subscribers with excessive email frequency, as it can lead to fatigue and annoyance.
• Avoid hiding or making it difficult for recipients to unsubscribe from your email list.
• Do not share or sell subscriber information without their explicit consent.
• Avoid using unethical practices such as email spoofing or phishing attempts to deceive recipients.
• Do not send emails to individuals who have unsubscribed or requested to be removed from your list.
• Avoid using irrelevant or non-segmented content that does not align with the interests or preferences of your subscribers.
• Do not neglect to provide a clear and transparent privacy policy, outlining how subscriber data is collected, used and protected.

Wrap up

The ethics of email marketing should be at the forefront of every marketer's mind. By focusing on building trust and respect with your subscribers, you can create a long-lasting relationship that benefits both you and your audience.

By avoiding unethical email marketing practices, respecting your subscribers' privacy and providing valuable content, you can create an email marketing strategy that not only drives results but also enhances your brand's reputation.

By taking a thoughtful and ethical approach to email marketing, you can set yourself apart from the competition and build a loyal following that will stick with you for years to come.