When you’re launching an email communication strategy, having clear, documented policies and procedures is a must. It ensures the emails your firm sends are professional and legally compliant. Not only that, defining procedures upfront enhances the overall effectiveness of your emails.
Here are some things to consider as you create internal policies for your emails.
Legal Requirements
As you document how and when you’ll send emails, consider relevant laws including the FDCPA and Reg F, TCPA, CAN-SPAM Act, and any other local, state, or federal laws. Include guidelines for obtaining consent where required and for respecting opt-out requests.
Data Protection and Privacy
Outline steps for protecting the privacy and security of consumer information in emails, including data encryption and secure email protocols. Include procedures for handling sensitive information to prevent accidentally disclosing consumer information to unauthorized parties.
Audience Segmentation and Personalization
Include guidelines for segmenting the email list based on consumer information, such as debt amount, communication preferences, and response history, to tailor communication strategies effectively. Consider developing policies for personalizing emails to enhance engagement and response rates, including the use of dynamic content and personalized repayment options.
Email Content Guidelines
Create standards for the tone, language, and content of email messages, ensuring they are professional, respectful, and clear. You can reuse or build on standards your firm previously used for letter campaigns sent through traditional mail. Be sure to outline instructions for including necessary legal disclaimers and disclosures.
Opt-Out Management
Develop procedures for including a clear and straightforward opt-out mechanism in every email. Detail steps to efficiently process opt-out requests to ensure compliance. There are some limited situations where you can email a consumer after opt-out. For instance, you can email an opted-out consumer to inform them that your firm won’t email them anymore or in response to an email you receive from the consumer.
Frequency and Timing
Document your firm’s policies around the frequency of emails to avoid over-communication and potential harassment. Be sure to consider Reg F’s communication timing guidelines as you develop your own cadence for emailing consumers. Include considerations for the timing of emails, taking into account different time zones and potentially sensitive days and times, like weekends and holidays.
Email Design and Accessibility
Create standards for email design, ensuring messages are accessible, mobile-friendly, and consistent with the agency’s branding. It may be helpful to create guidelines for testing email templates across different email clients and devices to ensure compatibility and readability.
Monitoring and Reporting
Outline procedures for tracking and analyzing performance metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to assess the effectiveness of email campaigns. You can use this data to review email campaign performance and identify areas for improvement.
Once you’ve completed your policies and procedures, train staff on these protocols. Be sure to review your policies and procedures regularly to ensure they’re up to date with changes to regulations and best practices.
