Definition
Different countries have different requirements for commercial email. CAN-SPAM (US) requires a valid unsubscribe mechanism and accurate subject lines but does not require prior consent. CASL (Canada) requires express consent before sending and implied consent expires after 2 years. The GDPR (EU/UK) requires a lawful basis for processing (consent or legitimate interest), a privacy notice in every email, and the right to erasure. Penalties vary significantly: CAN-SPAM penalties reach $46,517 per violation, while GDPR fines can reach 4% of annual global turnover or 20 million euros. Understanding which regulations apply to your subscribers is essential for compliance.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is an automated message sent to customers who added items to their online shopping cart but left without completing the purchase. It is one of the highest-converting email types in ecommerce.
AIDA Model for Email
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic copywriting framework used to structure email campaigns that guide subscribers from awareness to conversion.
AMP for Email
AMP for Email is a Google-developed framework that allows email messages to include interactive elements like forms, carousels, accordions, and live content. It turns static emails into dynamic, interactive experiences directly inside the inbox.
Anchoring Effect in Email Marketing
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) influences subsequent decisions, used in email to frame pricing and value perception.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.