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Email Essentials

Help and guide your members in managing their email preferences

Updated today

Effective email communication is vital for maintaining strong relationships with your subscribers. This guide will help you explain to your customers how they can manage their email preferences, ensuring they receive the content they want while complying with email marketing regulations.

๐Ÿ’ก TIP: As our platform cannot be held responsible for any issues related to the spam rate of your emails, you may consider using a custom domain to improve the deliverability of emails coming from your store.

๐Ÿ”— Learn more about Custom Email Domain

Email List Hygiene

Bounce Handling

  • When emails can't be delivered, they're categorized as either soft or hard bounces

    • Hard Bounces: Permanent delivery failures (invalid email addresses)

    • Soft Bounces: Temporary issues (full inboxes, server problems)

  • Our system now automatically retries soft-bounced emails without any action required from you

๐Ÿ“ NOTE: The previous manual Retry bounced option has been removed from the admin area, as our system now handles this process automatically.

Automatic Email Processing

Recent updates to our system have improved how email delivery issues are handled:

  • Email addresses that encounter a soft bounce are now automatically retried

  • They are automatically removed from our internal Suppressions list

  • The system automatically attempts delivery in the next instance

  • Hard bounces are permanently suppressed to protect your email and domain reputation

Email Numbers Comparison

You may notice differences between your audience segments and the actual number of recipients in your email broadcasts. This is normal and happens because:

  • Bounced emails: Recipients with invalid email addresses or persistent delivery issues are automatically excluded

  • Spam protection: Users who have marked your emails as spam are removed from future sends

  • Opt-outs: Unsubscribed users are automatically excluded

  • Inactive contacts: Our system automatically filters out contacts that have not been active in your membership or received an email from you in 12 months

โ„น๏ธ INFO: These protective measures help maintain your email reputation and improve overall deliverability.


Opt In or Out of Emails

Familiarize yourself with these two simple options to guide your members in controlling the emails that they receive.

๐Ÿ’ก TIP: Create a simple guide or video tutorial showing customers exactly how to adjust their email preferences. This demonstrates your commitment to respecting their inbox preferences.

Option 1: Using the Unsubscribe Link

Every marketing email sent through your Uscreen platform includes an Unsubscribe link in the footer.

  1. Scroll to the bottom of the marketing email

  2. Click the Unsubscribe link

  3. Follow the prompts to complete the unsubscribe process

  4. Click Update

Option 2: Managing Preferences in the User Dashboard

For more granular control, guide your customers through their User Dashboard.

๐Ÿ”— Learn more about the User Dashboard: Profile

  1. Sign in via your website

  2. Click the avatar image (top-right) to access the User Dashboard

  3. Navigate to the Profile tab

  4. Scroll down to My Notifications

  5. Check or uncheck specific notification types

  6. Click Save to apply the changes

๐Ÿ’ก TIP: Let your customers know that they can opt back in at any time by visiting their User Dashboard and checking the notification types they wish to receive again.


Track Email Preference Status

As an admin, you have different ways to monitor your subscribers' email preferences.

Individual User Accounts

Check email preferences for specific subscribers.

  1. Navigate to People

  2. Search for the specific user by name or email

  3. Under the email address, you'll see the notification status of that particular user

User Profile Impersonation

Get a firsthand view of what your subscribers see.

  1. Navigate to People

  2. Search for the specific user by name or email

  3. Click the ellipsis (...) across their name

  4. Select Impersonate

  5. Click the avatar image (top-right) to access the User Dashboard

  6. Navigate to the Profile tab

  7. Scroll down to My Notifications

๐Ÿ”— Learn more about Impersonating a User

๐Ÿ“ NOTE: While impersonation allows you to view user settings, remember that giving users control over their communication preferences is not just good practice, it's essential for compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM Act.

Always respect user choices and avoid changing their preferences without explicit consent.

Bulk Export of People CSV

For a comprehensive overview of all subscribers:

  1. Navigate to People

  2. Click Export CSV

  3. Select People Table

  4. Download the CSV file from Settings > Exported Files

  5. Open the CSV and look under the Email Marketing Opt-In column

โ„น๏ธ INFO: These methods give you valuable insights into your subscribers' communication preferences, helping you tailor your email strategy accordingly.


Ensure Your Emails Reach Your Customers

To help your subscribers never miss important communications, provide these instructions in your welcome emails or knowledge base.

For Gmail users

  • Have them add your sending ("From") email address to their contacts

  • Suggest moving your emails from the Spam, Promotions, or Social tabs to their Primary inbox

  • When prompted, select Yes to future messages going to their Primary inbox

For other email providers:

  • Have them add your sending address to their address book or contacts list

  • Suggest marking your emails as Not Spam if they appear in their spam folder

  • Advise creating a filter or rule to ensure your emails are delivered to their inbox


Physical Address in Email Footers

How Uscreen Handles Address Requirements

Uscreen automatically includes your business address in the footer of all marketing email communications.

This address is pulled directly from the address listed in your Store Settings page to ensure compliance with international email marketing laws.

  1. Navigate to Settings > General

  2. Enter your physical address in the Company Address field

  3. Click Save

Why a Physical Address is Required

Including a physical mailing address, especially in invoices and marketing email communications, is legally required by regulations, such as:

  • CAN-SPAM Act (United States)

  • GDPR (European Union)

  • CASL (Canada)

  • Various other international regulations

โ„น๏ธ INFO: These laws mandate that commercial emails include a valid physical postal address to ensure transparency and accountability.

Privacy Options for Your Business

If you're concerned about privacy, consider these alternatives:

  • Use a business P.O. Box

    • This satisfies legal requirements without using your home address

  • Register for a virtual business address

    • Many virtual offices offer a physical mailing address for business purposes and mail forwarding services

  • Consider a co-working space address

    • Co-working spaces often provide professional address services

๐Ÿ’ก TIP: You can update the address anytime in your Settings to use an option that best suits your needs while keeping your communications compliant.


Best Practices for Email Communication

  • Set Clear Expectations

    • Tell your subscribers what types of emails they'll receive and how often. This transparency builds trust and reduces unsubscribe rates.

  • Segment Your Email Lists

    • Use Uscreen's segment and status filters to send targeted content based on subscriber interests and behavior. Relevant content is less likely to be ignored or marked as spam.

  • Respect Preferences

    • When subscribers choose to unsubscribe, the system automatically handles this process and will ensure they no longer receive marketing emails, respecting their decision without requiring any action from you. This automatic compliance helps build trust with your audience and maintains your reputation as a responsible sender.

  • Analyze Opt-Out Patterns

    • Regularly review your user preferences to identify patterns in unsubscribes. This data can help you refine your email strategy and content to better meet subscriber expectations.

โ„น๏ธ INFO: By helping your customers effectively manage their email preferences and understanding email compliance requirements, you'll build stronger relationships, improve engagement, and create a more positive experience with your brand.


FAQs

Will users still receive important account notifications if I opt out of marketing emails?

Yes, they will still receive necessary transactional emails such as purchase confirmations and account security notifications even if they unsubscribe from marketing communications.

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