What is consent fatigue and how does it affect engagement?

Consent fatigue occurs when users encounter so many permission requests-cookie banners, newsletter popups, app notifications, data sharing agreements. That uthey stop reading and start clicking whatever makes the interruption disappear. They either blindly accept everything (compromising their privacy) or reject everything (missing genuinely valuable communications). Neither outcome serves users or marketers.

The effect on email specifically: degraded consent quality. Fatigued users who accept without reading don't remember agreeing to receive your emails. When messages arrive, they feel like spam regardless of technical consent validity. This produces higher complaint rates, lower engagement, and worse deliverability. The ulegal box was checked, but the relationship foundation was never built.

Combat consent fatigue through thoughtful consent experiences: clear value propositions explaining what subscribers get, realistic frequency expectations, and transparent descriptions. Make your opt-in stand out from the blur of generic permission requests. Consider timing-a post-value-delivery request (\"enjoyed this article? subscribe for more\") outperforms aggressive popups on arrival. The goal isn't just consent-it's enthusiastic consent from people who actually want what you're offering. That requires cutting through the fatigue, not adding to it.