Now that the new year has begun, it’s a good time to step back and reflect on the recent holidays. We can reflect on the time spent with family, the travel we may have enjoyed (or endured), and of course, the gifts we received from those we love.

We’d probably all love to get nothing but fancy gadgets and luxury items in our proverbial stockings, but it’s much more practical to hope for those things we need; for staples like…a new pair of socks. And no matter what’s on your list, isn’t it nice to get what you asked for?

Of course it is, and the same principle rings true for your email inbox.

Signing up to receive emails is like making a wish list. The subscriber finds your form, completes it, and asks to receive your emails. But what kind of emails? How frequently? Completing a sign-up form that doesn’t clearly lay out what you’re getting and how much of it doesn’t make for a very good wish list. Give the subscriber a clear indication of what they’re asking from you. Or better yet, give them options!

What if you really, really wanted socks for Christmas, so you made a wish list consisting solely of socks. And what if you got those socks, but you also got lots of other unwanted gifts? Maybe a coupon for a product you can’t use, or a free meal at a restaurant with no locations in your region.

When it comes to gifts, they say it’s the though that counts – but is your email a gift to the subscriber? Sure, you’re offering a great deal or some useful content, but what you consider valuable doesn’t always carry over to your subscribers.

In the email marketing industry, there’s a long-standing debate over whether or not to “send more email”: some say it always produces better sales; others say it encourages fatigue, while most are somewhere in the middle. But here’s a novel idea to start 2016…why not just send your subscribers what they asked for?

– BG