Email Applied: How to Implement an Email Preference Center
A great example of this comes from Scotts Miracle-Gro, the lawn care company. Scotts allows its email recipients to update and edit their registration information, grass type, subscriptions, registered products, interests and experience, supply list, and soil test results. It makes its preference center easily accessible in multiple ways. Users can edit displayed information or use tabbed navigation to make changes to their personal information. Scotts "delivers on the promise." Its emails are highly customized.
What's Next?
Send an email to your audience that encourages them to update their preferences. Here are two sample subject lines: "We want to get to know you …" and "It's here! Customize your [company name] newsletter." The messaging might contain the following:
- a simple call to action asking recipients to update their preferences;
- a contest where those who update their profile are entered to win a prize; or
- highlight the fact that if recipients update their information — including providing their birthday — they'll receive a special gift.
Preference centers allow you to create a closer dialog with email recipients by empowering them with self-service tools. Subscribers who receive emails based on their preferences are much more likely to stay with you for the long term — and to buy your products.
