Author: Julie Edminster
Title: Salesforce & Pardot Solutions Architect, Independent Consultant
Company: Simplified Solutions, LLC
Date: October 2020
How do I encourage Opt-back-In in Pardot?
There are times when it makes sense to prompt your prospect to opt-back- in if they have unsubscribed. It’s possible that either they didn’t necessarily mean to unsubscribe or perhaps they changed their mind about unsubscribing to your marketing emails.
There are two scenarios that I outline in this blog:
When a Prospect fills out a form and Pardot recognizes he/she is an unsubscribed Prospect based on their cookies IP or email address.
You want to send out an email to all unsubscribed users to give them a chance to opt back in.
OPT BACK INTO EMAIL WHILE FILLING OUT A FORM
ENABLE PROSPECT RESUBSCRIBE IN PARDOT SETTINGS
In either case, the first step is to Enable the feature “Prospect Resubscribe” in Pardot Settings.
Before you can enable Prospect to resubscribe, you need to Enable Handle Bar Merge language from the Pardot Dashboard as shown below, if you haven’t already done so.
Create an autoresponder Email template that includes the Resubscribe link, which is a merge tag. This is an HML merge tag, which is why you needed to upgrade to HML in step 1. ** Make sure you select the Stock template called “Resubscribe Layout” to make this process easier.
Customize the Email template as needed.
Go to Pardot Settings > Account Settings and Click Edit.
Scroll down to Prospect Resubscribe and check the box to Set an Email Template to use to Resubscribe.
Select the email template that you created in Step 2. Enter a resubscribe message. This will appear on the form automatically, if the prospect had unsubscribed in the past (Opt Out is checked off on the prospect.)
Create a test prospect with your email address that is unsubscribed so you can test your Form and autoresponder to resubscribe. In the test prospect, check the box OPTED OUT.
Pull up one of your forms to test. (Content/Forms/Select a Form). Click on the Form URL.
You may have to Visit the form again and you will see this message to resubscribe.
Click on the Let us Know link and you should receive the autoresponder to resubscribe. Click resubscribe.
Pull up the prospect and you should see the Opt Out unchecked and he/she is resubscribed!
Give prospects a chance to Opt back In
While Pardot has very strict permission based marketing policy, you can send a one time email to a list of prospects that opted out, giving them a one-time chance to opt-back in to your email marketing.
In order to do this, you need to enable Operational Emails.
Enable Operational Emails by going to Pardot Settings/ Account Settings.
Scroll to Operational Emails and click Enable.
Read the details about Permission Based Marketing rules. Check I understand and Enable.
Build a list of all the prospects that unsubscribed that you feel would benefit from having the option to opt back in. In your list rules, select Email Status is Opted Out.
Create your email template with the merge tag Opt-In. Hint: You can use the Stock Template called Resubscribe as a starting point.
Create a list Email by going to Drafts/Send New List Email
Check the box Operational Email and SAVE.
Build out your email and make sure you include a link that has the Resubscribe merge tag as shown below:
Select the Opt out List under the Sending Tab and Send the email.
