In the Beginning

I think it fitting to begin a blog on this topic by talking about how the process of getting the message to your subscribers starts, permission. There are various forms of permission:

Opt-out - A recipient is subscribed until they take an action to no longer receive emails
Passive opt-in - A pre-checked box is supplied on a form and must be deselected not to receive emails
Active opt-in - A recipient must check a box on a form to begin receiving emails
Confirmed opt-in (aka double opt-in) - A recipient opts in for emails and then is sent an email to the subscribing address which requires an action on behalf of the recipient (generally clicking a link) for that subscriber to begin receiving emails

There are advantages and disadvantages to all of these practices. Opt-out is certainly a good way to grow a list and what publisher of online content wouldn't be attracted to this benefit, however it is quite treacherous in terms of deliverability. Opt-out lists are prone to high rates of spam complaints, have higher bounce rates, and increase the likelihood of blacklisting and hitting blocks on ISPs. Worse than the fact that they have these symptoms, once you are blacklisted and/or blocked, it is far more difficult to have these lifted. Additionally, many new international spam laws might not allow this form of permission such as laws recently enacted in Hong Kong and New Zealand. If you send emails internationally, you should not consider opt-out as sufficient permission to send emails.

Opt-in whether active or passive is certainly a better option in terms of deliverability. It implies that you warned subscribers up front that they would be receiving emails from you and were given the opportunity to opt-out. Because the emails were requested, complaint rates are lower and are more likely accurate addresses. This means that blocks and blacklistings are less likely to be imposed. Further, when your mails are blocked being able to verify that the addresses opted in makes it more likely that those blocks will be lifted.

Confirmed opt-in requires the most investment of time and interest in subscribing which causes lower complaint rates, significantly lower bounce rates, and ensures an active and receptive audience is receiving your emails. Because it requires the most action for subscription, it also has the lowest growth rate, however the emails you send are not likely to be blocked or blacklisted and when blocks are imposed it is significantly easier to have them lifted. The anti-spam community certainly encourages this practice and such corporate email providers as Outblaze require it for whitelisting and may require it to have blocks lifted. This is the best way to ensure that your message gets through to those that want to receive it and doesn't to those that don't. Everyone should at least test this method as it is impossible to know the impact it will have until you do. It increases the likelihood of establishing whitelists, ensures that blocks can be lifted, and puts your message into the hands of subscribers most likely to open your emails and are responsive to your advertisers.

Gone are the days when a quick phone call or even a contact with whom you have established a relationship can ensure that your emails get delivered. Deliverability is handled on the front lines by algorithms that don't care as much about what you are sending as how you are sending it and how it is being received by subscribers. Complaint rates, unknown user rates, authentication, and reputation are all factors that the ISPs and corporate domains can see for themselves. Spam, in the eyes of the gatekeepers to receiving servers, is basically any unwanted mail, and behaviors that are consistent with spammers such as high complaint rates and unknown user rates immediately alert them that your emails are unwanted. It doesn't matter if you are B2B or B2C, the same hurdles are in place for both. Escalation and contacts at the ISPs can certainly help when you encounter problems, but only if you are following their recommended practices, since their first responsibility is to protect their users from the frustration of unwanted email. The first step to better deliverability is, in short, obtaining and keeping the recipient's permission through best practices, and that is why we begin here.