What's Up, Doc?

I not only work to help enable email marketers, but I happen to make great use of their products, too. I love a good deal, so when I encounter a brand that even remotely matches my interests, I subscribe. Now, everyone may not be like me. Some people guard their inbox like the crowned jewels. But I’m guessing I’m not the only one who likes to engage and be engaged.  

You probably know plenty of email marketing DON'Ts, so I won't add to that list. Instead, let me tell you what I, as a savvy 20-something email subscriber, want from you. 

I present to you my email marketing DOs:

• DO welcome me. If I subscribe, I want at least a confirmation that I was successful, but a welcome discount code from your company is better. Welcome emails are a must. ExactTarget makes it easy with our welcome email feature that you can assign to any list or group. Automating this process creates one less task for you as the marketer while still meeting the needs of your subscriber: me. 
   
• DO target me. I don't mean to sound creepy, but if I subscribe to your emails, I want content that's relevant and personalized. I really only want contacted about products or services that I'm interested in. For that, you can use personalization and dynamic content. But how do you know what I like? Well...
   
• DO ask me about myself. Again, everyone may not fit this mold, but I love talking about myself, and I'm more than willing to tell you specifics if it'll improve our communication. I'd love to tell you my birthday if it means getting a discount that month. Let me tell you what products interest me so you can send me specifics about those items. And I'll tell you where I'm from if you'll tell me about local sales. You can use surveys to collect this information, or if you want to get a little more sophisticated, try Web Collect.
   
• DO interact with me outside of my inbox. Like most of my 20-something friends, I'm on the most popular social networks, and I'd love to hear from you. The last time I flew Delta, my flight was delayed and I tweeted @DeltaAssist only to have them reschedule me entirely over Twitter. ExactTarget's CoTweet makes it easy to manage social media engagement across a brand. 
   
• Do respect my wishes. This one's a little cliché, but still important. I make requests, and you should honor them. That includes email preferences and especially unsubscribes. I've resubscribed to many brands because I've missed their communications, but only if they've respected my wishes. Absence can make the heart grow fonder.

There you have it: my wish list for the perfect email marketer. Good luck implementing these practices, and while you do, don't forget to check out our Documentation Wiki for more marketing insights and feature documentation.