Building a high-quality email list is essential for any business looking to establish strong relationships with its customers. One of the most effective strategies to achieve this is through giveaways. Moreover, using a double opt-in in your giveaway can help you improve email list quality and increase engagement.
You might be wondering, “What does double opt-in mean?” 🤔In this article, you will learn how a double opt-in works and its benefits. Keep on reading!
What Is Double Opt-In?
A double opt-in is a two-step process to make sure someone wants to join your email list. In the context of giveaways, this involves two steps:
1. Initial Sign-Up
When a participant enters the giveaway, they provide their email address and any other required information, typically through a sign-up form on your website or giveaway landing page.
2. Confirmation Email
After the initial sign-up, an automated email is sent to the participant’s provided email address. This email contains a message asking them to confirm their entry and includes a verification link or button.
The participant must click the link or button in the confirmation email to verify their email address and confirm their interest in joining the giveaway. Once the participant clicks the confirmation link, their entry is confirmed, and they are officially added to the giveaway pool.
A double opt-in email is the confirmation email sent to a giveaway participant or new email subscriber as part of the double opt-in process.
To help you understand the concept better, here are some double opt-in email examples:
Example 1:
Subject: Almost There! Confirm Your Subscription to [Your Brand Name]
Hi [Subscriber’s Name],
We're excited to have you join the [Your Brand Name] community! To ensure we have the correct email address, please confirm your subscription by clicking the link below:
[Yes, Subscribe Me to This List]
By confirming, you'll receive:
- Exclusive offers and promotions
- The latest news and updates
- Early access to new products and events
If you didn’t sign up for our newsletter, no worries! Simply ignore this email, and you won’t be subscribed.
Looking forward to keeping you informed and engaged!
Warm regards,
[Your Brand Name] Team
Example 2:
Subject: Confirm Your Entry to Win a [Prize Name]!
Hi [Participant’s Name],
Thank you for entering our exciting [Giveaway Name]!
To complete your entry and confirm your participation, please click the button below:
[Confirm My Entry]
We want to ensure that only genuinely interested participants have a chance to win. By confirming, you'll also subscribe to our newsletter where you'll get exclusive updates, special offers, and the latest news from [Your Brand Name].
If you did not enter this giveaway or do not wish to participate, you can safely ignore this email.
Good luck!
Best regards,
The [Your Brand Name] Team
With a single opt-in, a participant is immediately entered into the giveaway and added to your email list after they enter their email address on your giveaway sign-up form. This is quick and easy for participants, and you get a higher number of entries because there is no extra step.
However, it is also possible to get fake or mistyped email addresses with a single opt-in. Some people might also forget that they signed up.
This leads us to consider using a double opt-in.
The Advantages of a Double Opt-In During Giveaways
In a giveaway, it's common practice to require participants to provide their email addresses as part of the entry process.
You can use a double opt-in process during a giveaway to ensure that the email addresses you collect are valid and that subscribers are genuinely interested in your communications.
Here are the advantages of a double opt-in during giveaways:
Filters out fake or temporary email addresses
Fake or temporary email addresses are less likely to be able to receive the confirmation email or click the confirmation link, as they may not exist or may be deactivated quickly.
By filtering out fake or temporary email addresses, the double opt-in process ensures that your email list consists of genuine, engaged subscribers who are more likely to interact with your emails and become valuable leads or customers.
Tip: Clearly explain the double opt-in process to participants during the initial sign-up, so they know to expect a confirmation email and understand its importance for completing their entry.
Participants should be encouraged to confirm their subscription promptly to complete their entry into the giveaway. You can send reminder emails to those who haven't confirmed after a certain period.
Confirms a participant's interest in joining the giveaway
Imagine a situation where a participant comes across a giveaway on social media. They quickly provide their email address, not because they are interested in the brand or its products, but solely because they want a chance to win the prize.
Even if they receive a confirmation email as part of a double opt-in process, they might ignore it because their primary goal was just to enter the giveaway, not to subscribe to the email list. This situation highlights why a double opt-in process is beneficial.
When a participant completes the double opt-in process by confirming their email address, they are actively demonstrating their interest and intent to participate in the giveaway.
Gives you quality leads
Participants who go through the double opt-in process are more likely to be genuinely interested in your brand or offerings, as they have taken an extra step to confirm their subscription.
These leads are more likely to engage with your future communications and convert into customers or loyal followers. This provides you with higher-quality leads.
Quality leads are more receptive to your marketing efforts. As a result, they have higher conversion rates compared to low-quality leads, leading to more sales and revenue for your business.
Lowers spam complaints
With a double opt-in process, subscribers must take an additional step to confirm their subscription after initially signing up. This means they are actively consenting to receive emails from you, rather than being added to your list without their explicit permission.
A double opt-in process prevents you from sending emails to individuals who may have been added to your list accidentally or without their consent. This reduces the likelihood of recipients marking your emails as spam due to receiving unwanted communications.
Builds trust and credibility
In a giveaway, once participants click the verification link in a double opt-in email, their entry is confirmed, and they are officially entered into the giveaway pool.
By implementing a double opt-in process in the giveaway entry process, you ensure that participants who enter the giveaway are genuinely interested in receiving communications from you and are actively engaged with your brand.
With a double opt-in, you communicate the 2nd confirmation step, providing them with full visibility and control over their email preferences.
This transparency fosters trust by showing that you value their consent and privacy.
Is Double Opt-in Mandatory for All Giveaways?
Double opt-in is not mandatory for all giveaways, but it can be a beneficial practice to implement, especially if you want to ensure that participants are genuinely interested in receiving communications from you and maintain a high-quality email list.
Consider your specific goals and objectives for the giveaway.
If your primary goal is to maximize the number of entries or quickly build your email list, you may opt for a single opt-in process.
However, if you value quality leads and long-term engagement, double opt-in may be a more suitable choice. This is because double opt-in helps ensure that you attract quality leads who are genuinely interested in your brand or offerings.
Subscribers who have confirmed their subscription through double opt-in are more likely to engage with your emails and less likely to mark them as spam. This can lead to higher engagement rates and better email deliverability over time.
UpViral is a software platform that specializes in viral marketing and referral campaigns, including giveaways. The platform enables businesses to set up referral programs where participants can earn rewards or incentives for referring friends, family, or contacts to the campaign.
Inside the UpViral platform, you’ll have all the tools for creating and customizing viral marketing campaigns tailored to your specific goals, such as list building, product launches, or social media engagement.
What’s more—you can enable “Double Opt-In Email” on the UpViral platform. When this feature is turned on, all participants who signed up for your campaign will receive a verification email requiring them to verify their email address.
See the screenshot below:
Final Thoughts
A double opt-in process is a way to make sure someone wants to join your email list. If they don't click the verification link or button, they won't be added to your list. This extra step makes sure they want to hear from you and helps keep your list full of genuinely interested people.
This helps you filter fake emails, improve the quality of your leads, lower spam complaints, and improve people’s trust in your brand.
If you’re interested in running a giveaway, you can use UpViral! Plenty of businesses have found success in their campaigns by using the platform. Click here to learn how they did it.
