Your Email List – What Do They Want?


Table of marketing channelsLast week I looked at some of the metrics you can use to monitor your email campaigns. This week the results of a couple of surveys related to email marketing caught my attention.

According to Direct Marketing Association UK email is the preferred method of communication for UK internet users. However, this doesn’t mean they are prepared to accept anything into their inboxes.

Of the online shoppers surveyed it was found they were not in favour of too many branded messages. In fact 39% said they would unsubscribe if branded messages became too frequent. However emails that were judged as helpful were approved of, as long as they provided information that was relevant to the reader.

The key seems to be personalisation and relevancy. 64% of respondents prefered it when a brand recommended a product they had already shown some interest in (for example items on a wish list), 60% of respondents prefered emails that were personalised (for example referring to a past purchase), and 56% of respondents said the emails would be more appealing if they focused on offers based on the reader’s interests.

So how can this be addressed? As I see it, it depends on gathering data and using it to segment lists. This means asking your subscribers questions, either within an email or by directing them to an online survey. Carefully selected questions and analysis of the answers should help you discover what your subscribers respond to and help build a picture of their interests.


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