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The effectiveness of your targeting and personalization efforts are only as good as the data used to power them. So in this article, we will focus on helping you collect the data you need to deploy lifecycle campaigns that evolve as customers’ or subscribers’ preferences and behaviors change over time. We’ll begin with “stated preference” data.
You’re probably already asking subscribers to tell you about themselves and their interests. That’s the information we call stated preference data. Here at BlueHornet, we’ve noticed that email marketers tend to fall into one of two categories: There are those who don’t collect adequate preference data to help them create relevant campaigns and those who don’t effectively use the preference data they’ve got. So let’s look at both of these issues, in addition to some other related points, as part of an overall stated preference data collection strategy that can facilitate better lifecycle messaging.
When it comes to collecting the right data, we can only provide the most basic guidelines, like first name, last name, email address, and postal code. That’s because for effective lifecycle messaging, you’ll need to ask yourself and your team questions to inspire a preference data collection strategy that is unique to your business and/or subscribers’ needs. Here are some conversation starters:
- What are your overall email marketing objectives? If you want to generate more online sales but aren’t using site or purchase behavior data in your email initiatives yet, you could simply ask new subscribers how many times they purchase from your website each year, then use this data to drive and measure increases in purchase frequency. If you want to increase newsletter open rates, consider asking new subscribers about other email newsletters they enjoy.
- How do subscribers engage with your products or services? Depending on your answer, you can provide interest options for them to choose from, then you can send content targeted to those interests.
Action Item: In addition to specialized preference data targeted to your business needs, you may also consider subscription management. If you send multiple emails, for instance a quarterly newsletter, monthly special offer emails, and weekly tips, give subscribers the option to manage each of these subscriptions individually, adding and removing at will, rather than opting out of your entire program.
When Is the Right Time to Ask for More?
Allowing subscribers to select their preferences is a straightforward and effective way of figuring out the kind of information that each unique subscriber wants to receive from you. Segmenting by interest allows you to send manual or triggered campaigns based on the feedback you’ve received directly from your subscribers. But be careful! Although the sign up page may be your best opportunity to get subscribers to tell you why they are interested in your company, it might not be the first place to start.
Long and complicated signup pages usually mean fewer people will complete them. We’ve found that email marketers can achieve better list growth by collecting only the basics up front—first name, last name, email address and opt-in permission. Often, the time to collect additional preference data comes after the opt-in process is complete.
Action Item: Start by collecting very simple information on multiple pages of your website – perhaps just first name and email address. Then, take subscribers to your preference page afterward.
Effectively Using the Stated Preference Data You’ve Got
Remember, if you are going to ask your subscribers for information, make sure to use it. Making preference selection optional and setting expectations by letting subscribers know what they can expect are best practices BlueHornet supports. A subscriber may__ birthday! Additionally, a good preferences page will allow subscribers to uncheck interests and change their preferences easily, without opting out of the program entirely. Action Item: Monitor and test the effectiveness of your data collection strategy. Don’t be afraid to make changes.
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