Written By: Lori Ely
Recently, I received word from my Deliverability Team: we got a complaint from a person saying they have been receiving unwanted emails from “us.” Following our normal complaint procedures, we searched the person’s email address. It turned out that more than one of our clients had emailed this person on the same day, at nearly the same time!
I thought that sounded nearly impossible. However, when I reviewed the clients who did this, I saw that they were all higher education institutions, which gave me exactly the information I needed to know: this person’s email address was distributed on a purchased College Board list.
Admissions offices often purchase mailing lists from the College Board, which is the organization that sponsors the PSAT and SAT tests. Normally, Informz does not allow clients to use purchased email lists. However this specific instance is allowed because, technically, these people have opted in. High school students give permission for colleges and universities to contact them by checking a box while taking their PSATs, SATs or ACTs. By checking that box, the students are agreeing to participate in a "student search" program.
This happens every year: Admissions offices across the country receive the lists at the same time and, eager to be the first institution to reach out to the prospective students, send out a mass email. This means that although the prospective students opted in, they are overwhelmed by the amount of these messages. Even worse, many do not realize that by checking that box on their PSAT/SAT/ACT exams, they were opting in for an email list.
Imagine the student coming home from school one day, and suddenly they have 100 new messages – all enrollment pieces from colleges and universities. As an email service provider, every year I see the effects of students getting frustrated by these emails. Instead of looking for your Unsubscribe link, they start hitting the dreaded “Report as SPAM” button, or contacting us directly to complain about the emails. This often results in blacklisting and deliverability issues for the institution.
While nothing can solve this problem completely, there are steps you can take to avoid the worst of the problems. In your first email to them, clearly state in the very beginning why they are receiving this email. Include several very obvious Unsubscribe links. This will help you avoid having people go first for the “Report as SPAM” button, while also helping you to identify those prospective students with a real interest in your institution—enabling you to send more targeted, relevant emails later.
Also, be creative in your approach to these messages. Strongly consider waiting to send the emails until a few days after your receive those lists. It may work to your benefit to display in their inbox a few days after the others, and lessen your risk of getting lost in the crowd.
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