This details some common questions that may arise around our Marketing Consent feature.
Q: What is marketing consent?
Marketing consent refers to a client’s ability to choose the type of messages they receive from a business. Typically, there are two types of consent - implicit and explicit.
Marketing consent refers to receiving permission from clients to receive promotional communications to their email or phone number.
Q: When providing permission to receive marketing communication, there are two types of consent from a client.
Implicit consent is when a client interacts with a business (by visiting their location or purchasing something) and provides their email address to the business (during checkout for example), we can reasonably assume they want to be contacted by that business. However, there is usually a time limitation to how long we can assume this consent, typically 24 months.
Explicit consent is when a client has taken affirmative action (clicking a checkbox for example) by choosing to opt-in to receive marketing messages from a business. This type of consent doesn't expire unless the client decides to opt out. Today, most businesses use explicit consent as it’s recommended for good customer experience and it’s a sensible default, allowing businesses to remain compliant with changing privacy laws.
Q: How do email campaign audiences work if it’s your first time using Marketing Suite?
Your eligible audience is based on recent appointments and product purchase history. If you’re new to Boulevard and did not migrate appointment or product history this does impact your eligible audience. If you have questions, reach out to support@blvd.co.
Q: Why is Boulevard collecting marketing opt-in preferences from clients?
As we continue to grow Boulevard’s functionality, we want to ensure you’re best positioned to engage your multi-channel audiences while remaining compliant with anti-spam regulations. It helps you maximize your ability to market to your clients today, and in the future — when SMS marketing is available in your Boulevard admin. This means we begin collecting explicit consent for both email and text marketing. While it’s not legally required for email marketing communications, it is legally required for text marketing communications.
Q: Will clients continue receiving confirmation & reminders if they opt out of marketing communications?
Yes, clients will continue to receive confirmation emails, reminder emails, and SMS reminders regardless of their marketing communication preferences.
Q: How are clients being opted in?
When a client books with your business through the self-booking overlay, they see a disclaimer that explains that by booking their appointment, they are opting in to receive email and text marketing messages. Clients can also verbally ask front desk staff to opt in to email marketing when they are visiting a business.
Q: How can clients update their marketing opt-in preferences?
After a client has chosen their preferences, they can edit them through a link in the appointment reminder, confirmation, and receipt emails. Clients can also opt-out through the footer of any marketing email they receive.
NOTE: for clients who’ve opted out of email or text message marketing, this option persists on the self-booking overlay in case clients change their minds.
Q: How can clients opt out?
Clients can opt-out through the ‘unsubscribe’ link found in any marketing emails they’ve received. Clients can also contact your business, and you can opt them out via their client profile.
Q: How can I see if a client has opted in?
Each client profile shows if a client has chosen their marketing opt-in preferences. Clients can choose to opt into receiving "Email only", "Email and text", or "Text only". Clients can also opt-out. If the client has not updated their preferences, you see a dropdown labeled “Marketing Opt-In” without anything else selected.
Q: Why can’t a client opt into SMS via the dashboard?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires that a client has to take physical action to opt-in to receive text messages - meaning we cannot accept verbal consent at this time. We are exploring other ways we could allow for setting text consent through the dashboard, but for now, the client has to physically opt-in via the self-booking overlay or their online profile.
Q: Will marketing opt-in preferences change which clients receive emails via Marketing Suite?
If a client opts out of receiving emails via their online profile, or a previously received marketing email, their preferences are saved and they won’t receive further Marketing Suite campaigns. If a client has yet to choose their marketing opt-in preferences, they are still eligible to receive campaigns.
Q: Why can’t I opt a client back in via the dashboard?
If a client has opted out, it is industry best practice to respect that preference. Clients need to opt back in via the self-booking overlay, or their online profile.
Q: Can I choose which staff members can edit Marketing Opt-In consent?
Yes, there is a new privilege under the “Marketing” section labeled “Set & Edit Marketing Opt-In Preferences”. If turned off, anyone in the privilege group is not able to change a client’s Marketing Opt-In setting. We are defaulting this privilege to on for all existing privilege groups.
Q: Can I change the verbiage for the disclaimer on the Self-Booking Overlay?
At this time, the language is not editable.