You Don’t Click What You Don’t Trust

Trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship and email is no exception. When a subscriber decides to opt-in to an email program, they are initiating a relationship with that brand. Though the subscriber makes the first move, it’s the brand’s responsibility to lay the foundation for a long and meaningful email relationship. By keeping subscriber trust in mind, marketers are more likely to drive increased engagement and contribute to greater lifetime value from subscribers. There are two intertwined concepts that relate to subscriber trust: security and confidence. Many subscribers have learned to be cautious when it comes to the emails that they interact with. There have been many widely-reported cases of phishing, fraud and hacks. If elements of a message arouse suspicion, subscribers are less likely to interact. As brands lose impulse opens and clicks due to moments of subscriber hesitation, ROI can be diluted. Marketers need to look at ways to ensure that messages are secure and come across as such to subscribers. Beyond actual security threats, marketers also need to consider more subtle messaging elements that contribute to subscriber trust and confidence in the brand. If the brand sends misleading content or doesn’t fulfill the promises outlined in the subscription process, the subscriber's perception and relationship with the brand can sour. The following recommendations can help marketers create more trusting, secure and confident subscribers: During the opt-in process, let subscribers know what to expect and be sure your program fulfills those promises. The initial stage of a the subscriber lifecycle is critical for setting expectations and establishing a perception of both your brand and your email program. If you mislead subscribers from the start, you’ve already damaged their trust and may hurt their perception of your brand. Ensure all messages have consistent branding and a recognizable look and feel. It’s never a good sign if subscribers have to take a moment to determine whether you are who you say you are. By creating well-branded and similarly styled creatives, your subscribers will be more at ease and likely to interact with them. Don’t be misleading. While the occasional “interest-piquing” subject line can keep things interesting and boost engagement, don’t resort to constant click-bait subject lines. If a subscriber feels manipulated by your subject lines or messaging, there’s a greater likelihood that they’ll be put off your email program — and even your brand. Don’t create roadblocks in an effort to keep subscribers in your program. If a subscriber wants to unsubscribe or reduce frequency, make the process as easy and as user-friendly as possible. Not only will this help maintain a positive perception of the overall brand, it can also help improve deliverability by reducing spam complaints. Consider encrypting your messages, especially if a substantial portion of your list uses Gmail. Early last year, Gmail started included user-facing visual indicators of whether messages were encrypted or unencrypted. Unencrypted messages show a broken padlock. While this doesn’t mean that these messages are a threat, the visual may create some hesitation on the part of the subscriber. You can read more about encryption (as well as authentication) and the impact at Gmail in this blog post. Authenticate all messages. Authentication helps ensure that legitimate messages are received in the inbox while a high percentage of illegitimate or suspicious messages are routed to the spam folder. At a minimum, ensure that SPF and DKIM are in place. If you are an overachiever and would like to be ahead of the curve, consider DMARC. Work to ensure that the majority of your messages land in the inbox. Subscribers are far less likely to interact with messages in their spam folder. In addition to reduced visibility, messages that land in spam are more likely to be viewed questionable or risky. Avoid the stigma by understanding the percentage of your messages that are going to spam folder. If this is a regular or pervasive issue, it’s time to focus on deliverability and your inbox placement rate.

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You Don’t Click What You Don’t Trust

Casey Swanton

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Casey Swanton