Reaching out to companies by email: the rules to know

The essentials

Rules on email outreach vary by country. In the European Union, business-to-business (B2B) outreach is generally more flexible than towards private individuals, provided you follow a few simple principles. This guide sums up good practice; it is not legal advice.

• Write to professional addresses, preferably generic ones (contact@, hello@, info@).
• Your message must be relevant to the company’s business: a motion designer offering videos to a brand, yes; an unrelated offer, no.
• Say clearly who you are (name, business, how to reach you).
• Always make it easy to decline further contact, and respect that choice.

What you should never do

• Send the same message in bulk to hundreds of addresses.
• Contact someone again after they asked you to stop.
• Write to the personal addresses of private individuals.
• Sell or share the contacts you found.

Stricter countries

Some countries, such as Germany or Switzerland, regulate email outreach more strictly, including between businesses. In the United Kingdom and the United States, specific rules also apply (for example a clear way to opt out). Before reaching out in another country, check its rules.

How Prospera helps you stay within the rules

Prospera never sends emails for you: you write to one company at a time, from your own mailbox. The emails it writes mention a real detail of the company’s activity and offer not to be contacted again. It is the opposite of a mass mailing.

To go further, check the guidance of the data protection authority in your country (for example the ICO in the UK or the CNIL in France).