At least, not quite too late. If you haven’t obtained new permissions in order to conform to the GPDR then there’s no time to waste. Don’t panic, but do start now.

You need to contact all those on your email marketing lists. You could segment them, using the best method of contact as the criterion. 

‘Best’ needs some explanation. As time is of the essence, the major consideration is how quickly you can contact them. Include a request on all invoices and when they pay online, make sure there’s a box on the landing page.

Have you got an email marketing campaign about to go live? If so, then this is a great vehicle. Include a request for the recipients to update their permissions. This should be ancillary to the offer and not dominate it. However, that does not necessarily mean leaving it below the fold.

Be positive. Use words like ‘continue’ and ‘confirm’ rather than ‘sign up’ as most people are reluctant to change. Mention that they have enjoyed the benefits of your email marketing offers for years, or whatever, and they would not want to miss them.

Many of you will be familiar with such requests from companies that have been a bit quicker off the block.

Don’t blame anyone. Suggesting that ‘all this is the fault of the government’ is hardly likely to encourage them to sign up. Emphasise the positive, with phrases such as ‘increased security’ and ‘more rights’ there to show that the GDPR is good for everyone.

Don’t break the current legislation. In other words, sending an unsolicited email to all those on your lists with a request to confirm can get you into trouble with the ICO.

Don’t cheat either. Producing a campaign where the offer is abysmal just to give an excuse to send an email is likely to put them off. How much better if they find something that is a bargain and then discovers that, unless they tick the box, all this might be gone.

You’ve left it late if you are only now chasing subscribers. There is no time to waste.