We receive tons of emails every day—from colleagues, retail companies, newsletters, and more. So we know that as our clients start using automated email campaigns in their marketing efforts, they need to fight for attention. Email preference centers help businesses provide a better experience to their subscribers, increase engagement, and improve their email marketing efforts.

What is an email preference center?

An email preference center is a tool that allows email subscribers to control the type and frequency of emails they receive from a business. It’s an online form that provides subscribers with the option to opt-in or opt-out of specific email types, such as promotional, educational, or transactional emails. Additionally, subscribers can choose the frequency of the emails they receive, whether they prefer daily, weekly, or monthly updates. Your subscribers can access their email preference center through a link in the footer of an email—it’ll usually say something like “Manage Email Preferences” or “Update Subscriptions.”

It’s a step-up over the old “Unsubscribe” link because it lets your subscribers tweak their preferences without completely removing themselves from your list.

Why use an email preference center?

1. Increased Engagement: When subscribers have control over the type and frequency of emails they receive, they’re more likely to engage with the emails they receive. An email preference center like in Pardot allows businesses to tailor their email communication to each subscriber’s preferences, increasing the chances of engagement and reducing the likelihood of subscribers marking emails as spam or unsubscribing.
2. Improved Segmentation and Personalization: An email preference center allows businesses to collect valuable data on subscribers’ preferences, such as the type of content they are interested in, the frequency of emails they prefer, and their preferred communication channels. This data can be used to segment subscribers and personalize future email communication, resulting in more relevant and engaging content.
3. Better Deliverability: Email preference centers improve the deliverability of emails by reducing the number of spam complaints and unsubscribes. If a business receives too many spam complaints or unsubscribes, it’s more likely to be flagged as spam or otherwise restricted. When subscribers have control over the type and frequency of emails they receive, they’re less likely to make complaints, improving the sender’s reputation and email deliverability.
4. Compliance with Regulations: Email preference centers help businesses comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the CAN-SPAM Act by allowing subscribers to opt-in or opt-out of specific email types. This ensures that businesses are only sending emails to subscribers who have explicitly given their consent—and that they stay on the right side of the law.

For all these reasons, we encourage our clients to use email preference centers. Using an email preference center benefits them in several ways: by increasing engagement, improving segmentation and personalization, enhancing email deliverability, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Businesses that implement an email preference center are more likely to provide a better experience to their subscribers, resulting in increased brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and revenue.