How to Ensure Your Emails Are GDPR Compliant

Over the last year, marketers across the world have been busy updating their data policies and subscriber lists to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

It’s been a cause for concern for many, as subscriber lists dramatically shrink and many U.S. news sites choose to avoid rather than adapt.  

However, it’s not just about ensuring email consent and protecting data privacy, the GDPR also impacts the very emails that you send to your customers.

So what’s the GDPR again and why should you sit up and pay attention?

Your GDPR 101

Just to give you a little refresher, the GDPR is a European Union (EU) law that protects user data, requiring companies to collect affirmative, active consent from EU subscribers; track and keep a record of all consents obtained from EU subscribers; and carefully manage EU user data (allowing consumers to control, monitor, check, move, and delete any data related to them).

Check out our blog, Everything Email Marketers Need to Know About the GDPR, to learn more about the ins and outs of the GDPR regulations, particularly the strict email consent requirements.

So when it comes to the emails you’re sending today, how can you ensure they’re GDPR compliant? ‍

Email compliance under GDPR ‍

Luckily, there’s not too many differences between the requirements included under CAN-SPAM and CASL and the requirements for the GDPR.

First and foremost, you need to include an option to opt out of your emails. EU users need to have the ability to unsubscribe from their current email subscription, unsubscribe from all your emails, and update their current email preferences. Under the GDPR, there’s a specific emphasis on clarity, so all language and design should ensure it’s clear to the user how to unsubscribe.

Related to this, you should include messaging that informs the user how they ended up on your email list. It lets them know why they’re receiving the email and reminds them why they signed up in the first place, so they don’t mistake you for spam!

As with any email, you should always include your company name, office location, and contact details in the footer. This is particularly important under the GDPR as it allows users to easily contact you if they want to manage or remove their personal data.

Finally, include a link to your privacy policy, which should have been updated significantly since the introduction of the GDPR.

While you may already be complying with these email elements in your templates, it’s always a good idea to double check, and ensure you set strict email building guardrails.

With distributed marketing teams, it’s sometimes hard to ensure that each email complies with all legal and brand compliance (though not if you use stensul, *shameless plug alert*).

If you’d like to explore the benefits of company-wide email guardrails and the certainty of email compliance, schedule your personalized demo now.