In email marketing, data collection is the number one prerogative for any online marketing campaign to capture customers and be successful. The data that will be stored has to be of quality. It should be actionable , and should contain complete and essential characteristics of every customer. Such data should support your online marketing objectives, helping you to reach the ultimate goal in understanding the customer better and in fostering a relationship that will be beneficial to your business.

Technology has made it easier for data collection. You will be able to leverage on the data that you have so far collected. In the process of such leverage, you will be able to initiate good dialogues with customers. This will inevitably open up the path for your first step to building the desired relationship. The integral components of a good dialogue are basically patient listening and efficient responding. A listening ear to the needs of your customers and an immediate response with effective service will undoubtedly pay handsome dividends to your email marketing campaign.

How then do you go about collecting data? You can certainly approach your email subscribers and ask for information that may include their contact information, personal preferences, personal demographics and even their views and opinions on certain subjects. You must always keep in mind the aim of building the relationship that you have initially decided to achieve. This may be overlooked in your zest asking for more information from your customers.

To achieve best results, your survey must be compelling and effective. It must be correctly and powerfully constructed to get real results from the data collected. It would be wise to follow certain guidelines to format your survey effectively.

(1) Proper planning

List out the objectives of your survey. Determine what sort of information needs to be collected. Decide on how will the data collected be put to effective use.

(2) Avoid duplication

Always ensure that data collected presently will not be a repetition of similar data collected earlier. Customers would certainly be annoyed if they receive surveys posting questions that they have been asked before. Avoid the repetition of questions by using customized surveys.

(3) Ownership

By means of the survey, you will be building the desired relationship with your customer. It is therefore imperative for you to claim ownership of the survey. Make a friendly and short introduction about yourself - break the ice, so to speak. You will have to be the person to make the appeal.

(4) Provide comfort

It takes great effort to build a relationship through questions. Questions asked in the survey have to be constructed carefully. They should not appear too personal. They should also not be complicated or mind-taxing to answer. Your customers need to be comfortable with the survey in general.

(5) Simple and easy

Do not overlook the power of simple and straight forward questions in your surveys. Simplicity of surveys brings in much better feedback and does not harass the customers with unnecessary discomfort answering difficult questions. It will also enable customers to continue reading and answering the questions easily, smoothly and pleasantly.

(6) Effective use

All data collected via your surveys must be put to good use. This will facilitate the next course of action to be taken for your marketing campaign once analytical results are known. Information given infers that your customers do need certain help from you. This implies that there is valuable ground for the gradual building of precious relationships.

(7) Fun and ease

Inject some fun into your surveys. Ask questions with your sincere voice. Be a good listener. Make customers feel at home with you. Put a little humor into the questions.

(8) Short and sweet

Be careful with the length of your surveys. It is wise to keep them short, sweet and straight to the point. This will help to maintain the interest of your customers in answering the questions. Risk and friction for your customers will undoubtedly be eliminated.

There is value in the data collected using surveys. It is always possible to detect and analyze what information is missing with your surveys. Only effective surveys will add more value to your online communications and thus materialize the much desired relationships in email marketing.

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