Eira Wexford
Okay so you have a list of business emails. Maybe you bought it, maybe you scraped it from LinkedIn, we’re not judging. The big question is can you just start blasting out marketing emails to all these companies? It’s a question that feels like it should have a simple yes or no answer but it really doesn’t. You hear one thing from a sales guru and another thing from some tech blog and suddenly you’re frozen, worried you’re gonna get a massive fine. It is a confusing situation that a lot of people find themselves in. This whole thing is basically about navigating a bunch of rules that seem to contradict each other sometimes.
So, What’s the Real Deal with B2B Emails?
Normally, emailing businesses is seen a bit differently than emailing regular people about a pizza deal. The thinking goes that a business email address, like `sarah@coolcompany.com`, isn’t as private as a personal one. The communication is about work stuff.
This is where you hear the term “legitimate interest” thrown around. It’s a concept mostly from GDPR in Europe. It sort of means you have a good reason to contact them that they might actually expect. Like if you sell accounting software, emailing the head of finance at a company could be considered a legitimate interest. It makes sense right?
But it’s not a free pass. It is a reason that you have to be able to defend if someone complains. You can’t just say “I have an interest in making money” that doesn’t fly. The interest has to be balanced against the person’s right to privacy.
The Big Laws You Gotta Know About in 2025
You can’t just guess. Different places have different rules. And these rules can be a real headache if you don’t pay attention to them. They were created for a reason. Here are the main ones you’ll bump into.
The CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S.
This one is the oldest and, frankly, the most relaxed of the bunch. It applies to any commercial email sent in the United States. For business-to-business stuff, it’s not too hard to follow.
CAN-SPAM is what’s called an “opt-out” law. This generally means you don’t need permission before you email someone for the first time. But you absolutely must give them a way to get out of future emails.
Here’s what it demands:
An easy unsubscribe link: And you have to honor it fast, like within 10 business days.
Your real physical address: Yep, you need to include your company’s street address in the email.
Honest subject lines: Don’t trick people into opening the email with a misleading subject.
Be clear it’s an ad: You have to identify the message as an advertisement in some way.
So for the US, cold emailing businesses is typically okay as long as you follow these basic rules.
GDPR for European Businesses
Now we get to the scary one. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) changed everything in Europe. And if you email anybody who is in an EU country, even if your business is in Ohio, you have to follow it.
GDPR is much more about “opt-in”. This means you normally need a person’s clear consent before you send them marketing stuff. There are very few exceptions to this rule.
So what about that “legitimate interest” thing? Well, you can try to use it for B2B cold emails, but it’s a high bar. You need to do an assessment and prove that your need to contact them outweighs their privacy rights. And they can still object and tell you to stop. It’s a gray area that many companies just avoid, choosing to only email people who have agreed to it.
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)
Canada is also super strict, some say even more than GDPR. CASL, their law, is also an “opt-in” system. You pretty much always need consent to send a marketing email.
There are two kinds of consent under CASL:
Express consent: Someone directly says “Yes, email me.” They check a box, sign up, etc. This is the best kind.
Implied consent: This is more complicated. You might have implied consent if you have an existing business relationship with the person, or if they have publicly published their email address (like on a company website) without a note saying “don’t send me marketing emails”.
That last part about the published email is the opening many B2B marketers use. But you have to be sure the email is relevant to the person’s job. You can’t email a company’s IT guy about your catering services. It just doesn’t connect.
How to Send Cold Emails Without Getting in Trouble
Okay, so the rules are a maze. But people are still sending cold emails to businesses every single day. So how are they doing it without getting sued into oblivion? It comes down to being smart and respectful.
First off, where you get your emails from is a big deal. Buying a list of a million emails is almost always a bad idea. Those lists are full of old addresses, spam traps, and people who will definitely mark you as spam. It’s better to build your own list, even if it’s slow.
Here’s a better way to go about it:
Target specific people: Don’t just email `info@company.com`. Find the actual person in the right role. The Head of Marketing, the VP of Sales, whoever.
Make it personal: Don’t just paste their name in. Mention their company, their role, maybe a project they worked on that you saw on LinkedIn. Show you did one minute of homework.
Be super clear about what you want: Are you trying to book a 15-minute call? Do you want them to check out a demo? Just say it. Don’t be mysterious.
Give them an easy out: Your unsubscribe link should be obvious. Not hidden in tiny gray font at the very bottom. Make it easy for people who aren’t interested to leave.
Basically, you need to act like a human talking to another human. Not a robot blasting out a generic message to thousands of random people.
Is It Even Worth It? The Great Debate
With all these rules and risks, you might wonder if sending emails to businesses you don’t know is even a good idea anymore. It’s a fair question. The inbox is a crowded place.
On one hand, it’s a direct connection. You can get your message right in front of the exact person who makes the decisions. No gatekeepers, no waiting for them to find your website. When it works, it works really well.
But, on the other hand, the response rates are typically low. Very low. You can send a hundred emails and get maybe one or two replies. Many people just see an unexpected email from a sender they don’t know and immediately hit delete or spam. This can hurt your domain’s reputation, making it harder for even your normal emails to get delivered. It is a risk you have to weigh.
So it’s not dead, but it’s not a magic bullet either. It is something that has to be done carefully and with a clear strategy. Just blasting out emails and hoping for the best is a recipe for failure in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. So can I send marketing emails to businesses in the US?
Generally, yes, as long as you follow the CAN-SPAM Act. The biggest things are to not be deceptive and to provide a clear and working way for them to unsubscribe from your emails.
2. Is it illegal to send cold emails to businesses in Europe?
It’s not automatically illegal, but it’s very risky because of GDPR. You would need to have a very strong, documented “legitimate interest” to contact them without their prior consent. Most people say it’s better to avoid it unless you have that permission.
3. Do I need permission to email a business?
It really depends on where the business is. In Canada and Europe, you normally need some form of permission (consent) first. In the US, you don’t need permission for the first email, but you must stop if they ask you to.
4. What happens if I don’t follow these email marketing rules?
The penalties can be really big. Fines for breaking GDPR can be millions of euros. For CAN-SPAM, fines can be thousands of dollars per email. Plus, your email provider could shut you down and your domain could get blacklisted, meaning none of your emails will go through.
5. Is buying an email list a good idea for reaching businesses?
Almost never. Purchased lists are often low-quality, outdated, and full of people who never agreed to be contacted. Using them is a fast way to get your emails marked as spam and damage your company’s reputation. It’s better to build your own list of contacts.
Key Takeaways
Sending marketing emails to businesses is way more complicated than it looks. The rules are different depending on where the person you’re emailing lives.
The U.S. (CAN-SPAM) is the most lenient, focusing on the right to “opt-out.” You just have to be honest and let people unsubscribe.
Europe (GDPR) and Canada (CASL) are much stricter. You usually need some kind of permission before you email someone.
Forget buying huge email lists. It’s a bad move. Focus on building a targeted list of people who might actually be interested in what you have to say.
The best approach is to be personal and respectful. Do a little research, write a thoughtful message, and make it super easy for them to say “no thanks.” Don’t be that annoying spammer.
