When talking about email marketing, it doesn’t take long for words like “opt-in” to appear. Yet I still receive numerous emails every month asking, “What is opt-in email marketing?”

It’s easiest to think in terms of mailing lists when dealing with email marketing. Email marketing is nothing but a good mailing list in the end. The list of an opt-in marketing campaign obviously starts empty. The only way to grow this list of email addresses is to get viewers of your site to “opt-in”. All you can do as a webmaster is assist an individual in the subscription request submission process.

This request must always be for a specific list, there can be no grey areas when dealing with opt-ins. For example, if a customer submits a form that says “Yes, please send me a copy of your monthly newsletter” you have permission to add them to the list of customers who will receive a copy of the monthly newsletter, use the list for the newsletter and nothing else. To continue sending them your monthly newsletter, you need their permission to do so (along the lines of “Yes, keep me up to date by adding me to your list of monthly newsletter recipients”).

“Permission-based” basically means the same thing. Marketing material is sent only with permission, and is often customized to the subscribers personal interests and preferences.