Summary
Resending confirmation emails appears to be a generally accepted practice with several benefits, provided it's done thoughtfully. Experts and marketers suggest that it can help improve list quality by removing uninterested or invalid addresses, boost engagement by re-engaging potentially interested subscribers, and enhance deliverability by maintaining a clean list. It's also seen as a way to ensure GDPR compliance through verifiable consent. However, caution is advised to avoid annoying users with excessive reminders. Personalization, clear calls to action, incentives, and automation can improve effectiveness. Testing, optimization, and careful monitoring of engagement metrics are crucial to finding the right balance and ensuring the approach is beneficial. Timing is also a key factor; some suggest a 24-48 hour delay before sending a second confirmation email.
Key findings
- Improved List Quality: Resending can remove uninterested or invalid email addresses, leading to a higher-quality subscriber list.
- Increased Engagement: Well-crafted reminders can re-engage potential subscribers and encourage confirmation.
- Better Deliverability: Maintaining a clean list improves sender reputation, reduces bounce rates and spam complaints, and enhances deliverability.
- GDPR Compliance: Resending can help ensure verifiable consent, aligning with GDPR requirements.
- Positive CTR: Anecdotally, there's reports of around a 6-8% CTR on a second confirmation email.
Key considerations
- User Experience: Avoid excessive or frequent reminders that could be perceived as spam or annoying.
- Personalization: Personalized reminders with clear value propositions and compelling calls to action are more effective.
- Incentives: Offering incentives (e.g., discounts, exclusive content) can encourage users to confirm.
- Monitoring Metrics: Track engagement metrics (CTR, conversion rates) to assess effectiveness.
- Timing: Consider the timing of the initial email; a 24-48 hour delay before resending is suggested by some.
- Testing: Test your resend strategy on a small subset to see the impact.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
The general consensus is that resending confirmation emails can be a worthwhile strategy under certain circumstances, but careful consideration of user experience and potential risks is crucial. Resending can improve list quality, engagement, and deliverability by re-engaging interested subscribers and removing invalid addresses. However, it's important to avoid annoying potential subscribers with excessive reminders and monitor engagement metrics to ensure the approach is effective. Personalization, clear calls to action, and incentives can enhance the success of reminder emails. Testing and automation are also recommended to optimize the process.
Key opinions
- Improved List Quality: Resending confirmation emails helps to weed out uninterested or invalid email addresses, leading to a higher quality subscriber list.
- Increased Engagement: A well-crafted reminder email can re-engage potential subscribers and encourage them to complete the confirmation process.
- Better Deliverability: By removing unconfirmed addresses, the user can potentially improve sender reputation and reduce bounce rates and spam complaints, leading to better email deliverability.
- Automation Efficiency: Automation tools are useful for creating and sending targeted re-engagement emails based on user behavior.
- Optimal Timing: Some suggest a 24-48 hour delay is optimal before sending a secondary confirmation email.
Key considerations
- User Experience: Avoid excessive reminders that could be perceived as spam or annoying.
- Personalization: Personalized reminders with clear value propositions and calls to action are more effective.
- Incentives: Offering incentives like discounts or exclusive content can encourage users to confirm their subscriptions.
- Monitoring Metrics: Track engagement metrics such as CTR and conversion rates to determine the effectiveness of resending confirmation emails.
- A/B Testing: Consider performing A/B testing on resend strategy with a small subset of users to see results before wide rollout.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that if the confirmation email didn't bounce and wasn't clicked, it likely went somewhere the recipient could have retrieved it if they cared. In a "join our list" situation, assuming bot protection, they suggest offering an incentive to click the confirmation message, such as a PDF report or discount code. They also state that people are not naive, and assume that they'll be put on a provisional list and that a second reminder is absolutely fine.
31 Mar 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit mentions that when employing a secondary confirmation email that the users figures a 24-48 hour delay is optimal before sending it. He also mentions to tread carefully as some users may find it annoying.
3 Dec 2022 - Reddit
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
The experts agree that resending a confirmation email can be acceptable, but it depends on several factors. The timing of the initial email is important - if it was sent near real-time, a second email may not be necessary. However, if the emails are sent in batches, a reminder could be reasonable. Importantly, constant resending is discouraged to avoid frustrating users and increasing spam complaints.
Key opinions
- Resending Can Be Valid: A second confirmation email may be acceptable in certain circumstances.
- Timing is Key: Consider the timing of the initial confirmation email when deciding whether to resend.
Key considerations
- Frequency: Avoid continually resending emails, as it can lead to user frustration and spam complaints.
- Email Batching: If confirmations are sent in batches, a second message might be more reasonable.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that resending a confirmation email a second time is valid thing to test and that it depends on the timing of the confirmation sends. If sent near real time then maybe not, but if sent in batches then a second message might be reasonable.
25 Jun 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource discusses that one should examine how frequently you send any one email. A second confirmation may be acceptable, but you should not continually resend emails until you have a response. This would just lead to user frustration and likely spam complaints.
6 May 2024 - Spamresource.com
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
The documentation agrees that resending confirmation emails can be beneficial for re-engaging subscribers, maintaining a cleaner list, and improving deliverability. It's seen as a way to ensure verifiable consent, as required by GDPR. However, close monitoring is advised to avoid annoying users or increasing spam complaints. Testing and optimization are crucial to strike the right balance.
Key findings
- Re-engagement: Reminder emails can re-engage potentially interested subscribers.
- List Maintenance: Resending confirmation emails helps maintain a cleaner and more engaged subscriber list.
- Deliverability: Maintaining a clean list through resending and removing unconfirmed subscribers can improve sender reputation and deliverability.
- GDPR Compliance: Resending can help ensure verifiable consent, aligning with GDPR requirements.
Key considerations
- Monitoring: Closely monitor results to avoid annoying users or increasing spam complaints.
- Testing and Optimization: Testing and optimization are crucial to find the right balance when resending confirmation emails.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailjet Documentation explains that sending reminder emails to those who have not confirmed their subscription can be beneficial. They note that it's a chance to re-engage potentially interested subscribers, but advise monitoring the results closely to avoid annoying users and increasing spam complaints.
7 Aug 2023 - Mailjet Documentation
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list to ensure good deliverability. By resending confirmation emails and removing unconfirmed subscribers, the platform can improve sender reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.
2 Nov 2023 - SparkPost Resources
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