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Also called “e-append,” this is an email marketing practice where the known customer data is matched against a vendor’s database to extract their email addresses. In this case, the customer data includes a postal address, last name, and first name. It is not considered an email best practice because it doesn’t involve express opt-in permission.
Email Append can be defined as “the process of adding a consumer’s email address to that consumer’s record. The email address is obtained by matching those records from the marketer’s database against a third-party database to produce a corresponding email address” – the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice: Digital Marketing.
While this is the widely-circulated definition, there is more to email append than you can deduct from here. While you get more updated and comprehensive information about customers by running your current database against an external database from a vendor, email append also allows you to include fields like marital status, income, age, and more.
So, it is safe to conclude that email append upgrades your database from being a simple list of contacts into a list of real individuals.
It is important not to mix this up with the regular email append. Reverse email append means matching your present customer email address against the database from a data provider (for instance, DeBounce). The purpose of this matching is to get important information about your customers, such as their full names, addresses, and more.
Q1: What is email appending?
A1: Email appending, also known as e-append, is an email marketing practice that involves matching known customer data, such as postal addresses, last names, and first names, against a vendor’s database in order to extract their email addresses.
Q2: Why is email appending used?
A2: Email appending is used to enhance marketing efforts by adding email addresses to the existing customer database. It allows businesses to reach customers through email marketing campaigns and expand their communication channels.
Q3: What kind of data is required for email appending?
A3: To perform email appending, businesses typically require customer data that includes postal addresses, last names, and first names. This data is used to match against the vendor’s database to obtain email addresses.
Q4: Is email appending considered an email best practice?
A4: No, email appending is not considered an email best practice. This is because it doesn’t involve obtaining express opt-in permission from the customers whose email addresses are being added to the database. Best practices for email marketing typically involve obtaining explicit consent from recipients to receive promotional emails.
Q5: What are the concerns with email appending?
A5: The main concern with email appending is the lack of explicit opt-in permission. Adding email addresses to a database without the recipients’ consent can potentially lead to unsolicited email communication, which may result in a negative user experience and damage the sender’s reputation.
Q6: Are there any legal implications associated with email appending?
A6: The legal implications of email appending may vary depending on the jurisdiction and applicable data protection regulations. In many countries, obtaining explicit consent is a requirement for sending marketing emails. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to legal consequences and penalties.
Q7: What are some alternatives to email appending?
A7: Instead of email appending, businesses can focus on building their email lists organically by implementing opt-in strategies on their website, such as newsletter sign-ups and subscription forms. This ensures that recipients willingly provide their email addresses and explicitly consent to receiving promotional emails.
Q8: Are there any ethical concerns related to email appending?
A8: Yes, there are ethical concerns associated with email appending. It raises questions about privacy and consent since email addresses are added to a database without the explicit permission of the individuals involved. Respecting users’ privacy and obtaining their consent are important ethical considerations in email marketing.
Q9: Can email appending be used in compliance with best practices?
A9: To align with email marketing best practices, businesses should focus on obtaining explicit opt-in permission from customers before adding their email addresses to the database. This ensures that recipients have willingly consented to receive promotional emails and helps maintain a positive sender-receiver relationship.
Q10: Are there any risks for businesses using email appending?
A10: Yes, there are risks for businesses using email appending without proper consent. These risks include damaging their brand reputation, facing legal consequences for non-compliance with data protection regulations, and potentially encountering spam complaints and deliverability issues. It is important for businesses to carefully consider the risks and adhere to best practices when utilizing email appending techniques.
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