E-mail Appending: Pros, Cons and Action Tips

3. Question appending vendors. Because appending can be a touchy practice, thoroughly question your practitioner. For example, each append provider has a different definition for terms such as “opt-in,” “opt-out” and “permission-based.”

Anne Holland of MarketingSherpa.com, a publisher of marketing advice for industry professionals, urges merchants to ask append providers about the source of the e-mail addresses and the metrics they use to determine an opt-in. Just because a person doesn’t choose to unsubscribe, does not mean he or she has actually opted in, Holland notes.