Consent options and marketing sources are two short settings that work together to keep your marketing compliant and help you understand where your members come from. Consent options record what each member has agreed to receive, and marketing sources record how each prospect first heard about your club. This article covers how to set up and use both.
What consent options are
Consent options let you record specific permissions from your members for different types of communication. They matter because they decide who you are allowed to send marketing to:
Club mailing covers essential communications, such as a payment reminder or a class cancellation. These do not need a marketing consent.
Marketing mailing covers promotional content, such as a newsletter or an offer. These can only be sent to members who have given the relevant consent.
Until you have set up at least one consent option, you cannot send marketing emails. Members give their consent when they register, and can update it themselves at any time in the member app.
Setting up a consent option
Open your Settings, go to Communications, then Consent Options. Any existing consent options are listed here.
Click Add New Consent Option.
Enter a clear Name that members will understand, then click Add and Edit.
Add a Description explaining what members will receive, how often, and what to expect.
Set the Default Status. Choose Opted Out so members actively choose to receive these communications (recommended for marketing), or Opted In so they are subscribed automatically.
Choose the Visibility. Choose Visible Online so members can manage the preference themselves, or Admin Only so only staff can change it.
Click Save Changes.
You can create as many consent options as you need, one for each type of communication you send. For example, a club might set up separate options such as a newsletter, promotional offers, and event invitations. The names are entirely up to you.
š” Tip: use clear, simple names members will recognise, avoid internal jargon, and create a separate option for each distinct type of communication.
Using consent options when you send a message
When you send a group or bulk message, you choose which consent the message is sent under:
Go to Contacts and filter to the members you want to message.
Select your recipients and open the option to send a message.
When composing the email, choose the relevant consent: Standard Club Mailing for essential communications, or one of your configured options for marketing.
ClubRight automatically filters recipients based on their consent and shows you how many members will actually receive the message. For more on sending, see Sending a group or bulk message.
ā ļø Important: if you try to send marketing without any consent options set up, club owners are prompted to create them and other admins are asked to contact a club owner. Marketing cannot be sent until consent is configured.
How members give and manage their consent
Members provide their consent themselves, so the permission you hold is always theirs to give:
At registration: when someone signs up online, they reach a Contact Preferences step where they can tick the consent options you have set up (for example, a newsletter) and choose a marketing source from the Where did you hear about us? dropdown, before clicking Save & Continue.
In the member app: a member can update their choices at any time. They open the Menu, go to Settings, then Contact preferences, and change which communications they are happy to receive.
You can also view and update a member's consent from their profile in ClubRight. If you update consent on a member's behalf, record the reason and only do so where you have explicit permission, such as a signed form or verbal consent.
ClubRight keeps an audit trail of consent, recording when consent was given or withdrawn, who made the change, and the time it happened, which supports your data protection obligations.
Consent and blocked emails
Consent and email blocking are separate. Consent options control who receives marketing, while an email block stops emails to a specific member who has complained. A member can have marketing consent and still be blocked. Member profiles show a warning indicator where emails are restricted: a first-warning state where marketing emails are blocked, and a final-warning state where all emails, including essential ones, are blocked.
What marketing sources are
Marketing sources record how a prospect first heard about your club, for example social media or a referral from a friend. Once you have set them up, they appear in the Where did you hear about us? dropdown a prospect sees when joining online, so you can see which channels bring you the most members.
Setting up a marketing source
Open your Settings, go to Communications, then Marketing Sources.
Click Add New Source.
Enter the Name of the source.
The source then appears as an option a prospect can select when they sign up online. You decide which sources to add: a club might list options such as social media, a friend's recommendation, or a local advert, depending on where its members tend to come from.
Have more questions?
If you need a hand setting up consent options or marketing sources, click the orange chat button to talk to our team.
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