When it comes to managing your audience, it's crucial to prioritize your subscribers' preferences. By giving them more control over how, when, and what you communicate, you build trust and gain the data needed to target them with content that is genuinely relevant.
In 2026, personalized marketing isn't just a "nice to have"—it's how you stay in the primary inbox.
What are email and SMS preferences?
Every contact in your account has a Contact Profile. This contains the standard details (name, email) and the custom fields you’ve collected, such as birthdays or interests.
In 2026, this profile also tracks Consent Status. It indicates whether they want email only, SMS only, or both. By letting them choose their "channels," you prevent them from hitting the "Unsubscribe All" button just because they're tired of one specific type of message.
Why is it important to encourage profile updates?
Avoid Information Overload: Let them choose to receive "Monthly Newsletters" instead of "Weekly Deals."
Transition to Express Consent: Privacy laws in 2026 are strict. When a contact updates their own profile, they move from "implied" to express permission—the gold standard for deliverability.
Better AI Recommendations: The more data your contacts share, the better our AI Assistant can predict which subject lines and products they will click on.
How do I encourage them to share preferences?
If you're attracting new contacts, keep it simple: name, email, and maybe one interest. But don't stop there! Use these 2026 tools to keep the profile growing:
Custom Interest Fields: If you're a florist, use a custom field for "Favorite Flower." If you're a consultant, use the new DateTime Picker to ask when they'd like their annual review.
The Update Profile Link: This is your best friend. By default, it's in your footer, but in 2026 you can also link to it from buttons or images within your email body.
How to customize your form in 2026
You can now customize your Subscriber Form (which covers both Update Profile and Unsubscribe pages) in one place:
Go to Account Settings.
Click the Advanced settings tab.
Under Subscriber emails & pages, click Manage.
Here, you can add your logo, match your brand colors, and choose exactly which Contact Fields and Lists your subscribers can see.
💡 2026 Pro Tip: Always include your "General Interest" list as a fallback. If a contact wants to leave a specific promotion, they can uncheck that list but remain on your main newsletter list.
Offer an Incentive
In 2026, "value exchange" is everything. Tell your subscribers: "Update your profile with your birthday and get a 20% off coupon on your special day!" This transforms a boring data-entry task into an exciting perk for the customer.
We want to hear from you! What is the one piece of "non-standard" info that has helped your business the most? Let us know in the comments!
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the latest Constant Contact features.
