If your credit union is in the market for a new email vendor, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which features are must-haves and which are nice-to-haves.

According to Ray Parenteau, founder/president of ClickRSVP, a Milford, Mass., a feature that should be considered standard is the ability to let members specify their email preferences while still remaining subscribed to the overall email program. This can be achieved through providing multiple content tracks.

“If a credit union offers only one content option, members who opt out are basically removing themselves from all future email marketing,” he explains. With tracks, a member might opt out of messages about car loans but still get messages about home equity promotions.

Basic automation is another helpful feature, enabling automatic responding to certain types of member actions, like clicking on a link or requesting information, he says. For example, if a member clicks a link for more information about car loans, the CU could auto-send an email about its products. And of course, security features assuring internal stakeholders and customers that data/personal information is protected is essential.

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