How to Keep Email Marketing GDPR Compliant

As a marketer or business owner, you know how powerful email marketing can be for connecting with your audience.

But if you’re targeting subscribers in the European Union, there’s one important rule you can’t ignore: GDPR.

GDPR sets strict guidelines for how personal data should be collected, stored, and used.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through practical steps to keep your email marketing GDPR compliant, from getting proper consent to securing data and making unsubscribing easy.

What GDPR compliance means for email marketing

GDPR compliance for email marketing is the practice of following the European Union’s data protection rules when collecting, storing, and using personal data for email campaigns. It ensures that businesses only email people who have given clear consent, handle their data transparently, and respect their privacy rights.

How to ensure your email marketing is GDPR compliant

Here are some ways you can ensure your email campaigns are GDPR compliant:

1. Get consent

GDPR requires that everyone on your email list has agreed to receive messages from you. Consent is based on two key principles:

• Freely given: Subscribers shouldn’t feel pressured or forced to sign up to access unrelated content.

• Specific and informed: Clearly explain what type of emails they will receive and why. Ambiguous phrases like “Subscribe for updates” are not enough; be explicit about the content and frequency.

To work alongside these principles, here are some things you can do:

• Use unchecked opt-in boxes so subscribers actively click to join

• Clearly label what users are subscribing to, for example: “Monthly product updates and promotions”

• Send a double opt-in confirmation email to ensure the user confirms their consent

Some email service providers, like Mailmodo, make it easy to collect consent automatically. You can use Mailmodo’s landing page and popup forms, embed them on your site, and have subscribers’ emails automatically added to your contact list once they opt in.

2. Be transparent about data use

Transparency is essential for GDPR compliance and helps build trust with your subscribers. Make sure they clearly understand how their personal data will be collected, stored, and used.

Communicate key details such as:

• Who you are and your company details

• What specific data you are collecting

• Why are you collecting this data, and how will it be used

• How long will their data be stored

• Who to contact with privacy questions or concerns

You can include this information on signup forms, in your privacy policy, and in email footers linking back to your policy.

For example, your signup form could include a note like: “We collect your email to send monthly updates and promotional offers. You can unsubscribe anytime. Learn more in our Privacy Policy.”

3. Minimize and secure data collection

Another good practice for staying GDPR compliant is to only collect the data you actually need. Here are some ways to keep data collection minimal and secure:

• Clearly label optional fields so subscribers know they don’t have to fill them out

• Avoid “just in case” data collection, such as asking for unnecessary personal information that isn’t relevant to your emails

• Use secure storage and reliable email service providers to protect subscriber information

4. Make unsubscribing easy

A key part of GDPR compliance is making it effortless for subscribers to leave your list. If it’s hard to unsubscribe, you risk frustrating users and violating the rules.

Here are some good practices:

• Include one-click unsubscribe links in every email, don’t make people log in or jump through hoops

• Avoid guilt-inducing language like “Are you sure you want to leave?”

• Process unsubscribe requests immediately to respect the subscriber’s choice

Some email service providers, like Mailmodo, even automatically suppress contacts who unsubscribe, ensuring they don’t receive any new emails from you.

5. Respect user rights

GDPR gives subscribers several rights regarding their personal data, and your email process should make it easy for them to exercise these rights.

Here are the key rights to keep in mind:

• Access the data you hold about them

• Correct or update any inaccurate data

• Request deletion of their data, also known as the “right to be forgotten”

• Restrict or object to certain types of processing

Typically, requests should be addressed within 30 days. Having clear procedures for handling these requests not only keeps you compliant but also builds trust with your subscribers.

6. Audit and update regularly

Staying GDPR compliant requires regular review of your email marketing processes. Periodic audits help ensure that your signup forms, data storage, and communication practices continue to meet compliance standards.

During audits, check:

• Your signup forms clearly explaining consent and data usage

• Cleaning any inactive subscribers

• Re-permission for old lists if consent is outdated

• Updated privacy policies and procedures whenever practices or laws change.

Common GDPR mistakes to avoid

Even experienced marketers can make mistakes that put them at risk under GDPR. Here are some common pitfall:

• Buying email lists: Purchasing email lists may seem like a shortcut to grow your audience, but it violates GDPR rules. Using such lists can lead to fines, spam complaints, and damage to your brand reputation.

• Pre-checked consent boxes: Pre-ticked boxes on signup forms do not count as valid consent under GDPR.

• Hiding unsubscribe links: Subscribers must be able to unsubscribe easily from your emails. Hiding or making the unsubscribe link difficult to find violates GDPR rules and frustrates recipients.

• Keeping data indefinitely: GDPR requires that you only keep personal data for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected. Storing data indefinitely without a valid reason increases risk and can be considered non-compliant.

Final thoughts

Achieving and maintaining GDPR compliance can feel daunting, but the right tools can make the process simpler, less resource-intensive, and more efficient.

One way to stay compliant is by using a platform that helps you collect and manage user consent seamlessly. Mailmodo, for example, lets you build landing pages and popup forms that gather consent in a structured and GDPR-compliant way.

With Mailmodo, subscriber information is automatically added to your contact list once consent is given, making it easy to manage your audience while promoting transparency.