Grow your subscriber list

Most of your list comes from checkout. Add a sign-up form for people who haven't booked, and import any list you already have. A broadcast only goes to subscribers - see Email marketing to write one.

Four ways to grow your list

Ask at checkout

Checkout shows an unticked box - "Email me occasional updates" - unless Marketing emails is set to Don't ask in Settings → Policies. Roughly one booker in seven ticks it.

A customer who declines is asked again after 3 more bookings and 60 days. Anyone who unsubscribed, marked you as spam or was imported as opted out is never asked again.

Soft opt-in

Soft opt-in grows your list fastest. Checkout shows one line instead - "We'll email you occasionally about sessions and offers. Tick here if you'd rather not:" - and anyone who doesn't tick it joins. It shows at checkout and on gift voucher purchases, not on the waiting list.

When you can use it

UK law (PECR Reg 22(3)) allows it only when all four hold:

1. You got their address while they were buying from you - a booking counts, a newsletter sign-up or bought list doesn't.
2. You only email them about your own sessions and offers.
3. They can refuse easily, at checkout and in every email - Session provides both.
4. You're the one sending it.

Turn on soft opt-in

1. 1
   Open Settings → Policies and, under "Checkout details", open Marketing emails.
2. 2
   Choose Join unless they refuse, confirm the conditions, then choose Save changes.
3. 3
   Start a booking and check the notice replaces the tick box.

It only adds people who book from now on. Switching back to Tick a box to join keeps everyone already added.

Collect sign-ups from people who haven't booked

Open Sign-up form on the Marketing page - top right, or beside Import your list while you have fewer than 20 subscribers - for a link for your social bio, a printable QR code for your front desk, and a snippet for your website.

Sign-ups join once they click the confirmation email, which lasts 48 hours. The button only appears while checkout asks about marketing. Customers can also opt in or out from their account page.

Import a list you already have

Bring subscribers from Mailchimp, Acuity, Appointedd, Periode or a spreadsheet - see importing your data. Send the first broadcast to Known-good only (below) to protect your sending reputation.

Choose who your marketing email is sent to

Choose a group under Recipients when you send. Each shows a live count.

• Current members means an active membership, or a cancelled one still in its paid period, not a paused one. Members aren't added to your list automatically, so the count shows the gap, like "36 of your 73 members can be emailed".
• No bookings on record, Booked recently and Lapsed add up to All subscribers. An imported list without booking history puts long-standing customers under No bookings on record.

See who this goes to, beside the count, opens your Customers directory filtered to match. In the directory a filled green dot means opted in and a hollow ring means added by soft opt-in; the On list, not asked filter and the export's Marketing list column show the same.

Common questions

1. Someone signed up on my link but isn't on the list - why? They haven't confirmed yet. Ask them to check spam, or send the link again if 48 hours have passed.

2. Why does the subscriber count differ from the recipient count? Subscribers who bounced or marked you as spam stay on the list, badged, but aren't sent to.

3. Why can't I see some recipient options? Options only show when they'd pick out some, but not all, of your subscribers. For example, Lapsed needs someone 90 days without a visit.

4. A customer says they never agreed to emails. What do I do? Their customer record shows the exact notice they saw. Choose Remove from marketing list there and nothing adds them again.

5. Will soft opt-in hurt my deliverability? It can. People who didn't actively ask are likelier to mark you as spam, and Session pauses marketing automatically if complaints climb.