Legacy: Use preferences
If your account already works with interests instead of with interest labels and preferences, you can find more information here.
You can use preferences to learn more about the type of message your audience is interested to receive. Click on the link to learn more about preferences.
Use preferences in an opt-in form
When you have already created your preference, you will be able to add any number of preferences in the form. If you check the mark in front of Subscription, your contact will be asked for their preferences on the subscription form on your website. Make sure you manage the Selected checkpoints as well - if you add a check, the preference will be pre-selected to be added to the contact information.
Update page
If you send your contacts a message with the #update# link, they will be forwarded to the update form. If you added the preference to the opt-in form and checked the Update checkpoint, the contacts will be asked to update their preferences, in addition to updating their contacts.
Assign preferences at import
If you want to add preferences to your contacts using an import, you have to make sure to correctly set up your CSV file. You can add preferences to existing contacts or import new contacts with certain preferences.
- In your file, create a column, where the header of your column has the name Preference(s).
- In the field, sum up the preference(s) you want your contact to have, separated by a comma.
- Import your contacts as usual and link the column with the header Preference(s) to the database field Preferences.
Preferences are case sensitive. Upper and lowercase must be exactly the same in order to import the data correctly.
Edit the preferences of an existing contact
When you enter the contact's information, you can scroll down to the Preferences and click on Edit to add or remove preferences. You can add preferences by selecting a new preference from the drop-down list or just type in the desired preference.
You can also remove a preference, just by clicking on the cross next to the name of that preference. When you are satisfied with your changes, click on Save.
Create a segment based on preferences
Click here to see a detailed tutorial how to create a segment.
Your rule should be set up like this:
- For the Trigger, make sure Preferences is selected
- For the Field, make sure your preference is selected - in our case Interested in events is selected
- For the Function, choose the option Has the preference or Doesn’t have the preference depending on which contacts you would like to add.
You can also choose other triggers, but add a preference automatically, as soon as a contact belongs to this segment. Click on Advanced settings and choose the preference you would like to be added to the contacts, when they are added.
Send a campaign based on preferences
Click here to see a detailed tutorial how to launch an email campaign.
After setting up the first step of the campaign, you are able to choose which segments, interest labels and/or preference lists will receive your campaign. If you choose a preference, the campaign will be sent to all the contacts in your database, who have this specific preference.
Alternatively, you also have the option to exclude certain segments, interest labels and preferences by clicking on the Exclude button. Your campaign will not be sent to the contacts you have chosen to exclude.
Create a workflow based on preferences
Preferences can be very useful in workflows as well. You can start a workflow with contacts who have a specific preference, or add a preference when a contact fills in a form in your message. There are a lot of reasons on why you want to use preferences in workflows. Here you can find out, how you can use them.
Click here to see the general tutorial how to create a workflow.
Start block
Let’s start with the start block. In the start block you will have to choose all the contacts that will be added to the workflow, based on various triggers. To add contacts with a preference, open the Contacts tab, then select Contacts that select a preference and you will automatically go to the next step.
As you can see you also have to option “contacts that remove a preference”. Use this when you want to take immediate action if a contact decides he is no longer interested in this preference.
On the next screen, select the particular preference that will trigger the workflow. You may also opt to add not only to contacts who are new participants in the preference group but the ones who had the preference already. To include those check the mark in front of Include all contacts that already selected these preferences. Click on Save to continue.
Flow actions
In the flow actions, you have the possibility to add an if/else condition. Under the Contacts tab, you can ask if your contact belongs to one or more preferences. Based on that answer, the contacts will move to the yes or no side of the condition.
Contact actions
Last but not least, you can also add or remove a preference in the workflow. This can be set with the contact actions.