Yep. I’m about to date myself for sure.

But does anyone else remember seeing NBC’s “The More You Know” public service announcements in the 1980’s while watching your favorite cartoons growing up?

It turns out that this informational campaign still exists as a platform to inspire individuals to create change in their lives and communities. But nothing can beat those original quaint vintage spots.

The premise of these promotions is exactly as the name implies: “The More You Know,” the better decisions you can make.

And although these spots were designed to help kids, the concept also makes a lot of sense when it comes to email marketing.

The more informed you are about email contacts, the better decisions you can make when it comes to marketing and inspiring them to take action.

Relevance equals better marketing

The key to successful email marketing is relevance. The more pertinent messages are to recipients, the better the chances of email contacts opening emails, consuming content, and then taking desired actions.

It’s important to understand the basic needs of your audience, customers, prospects — or whatever you want to call them. Understanding their needs and the problems allows the creation of more relevant content that keeps current customers engaged — and also attracts a prospective new audience for products or services.

Start by looking at your best customers

Since you probably already have great relationships with your best customers, this knowledge gives you a great place to start for thinking of marketing ideas that will really resonate.

What about information on new customers?

As you build your email list, it’s likely you may not be very knowledgeable about these new contacts right off the bat — especially since it’s likely that only minimal information will be collected, such as First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. That’s OK. You can gather additional information over time.

What types of information should you collect over time?

Information to collect depends on the varying needs of your business. But it usually starts with basics such as:

  • Email Address
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Job Title
  • Company
  • Address
  • City
  • State
  • Phone Numbers

And then there’s information like:

  • Date of Birth
  • Social Profiles
  • Websites
  • Important Dates (such as date of birth, anniversaries, etc.)
  • Interests
  • Notes

The approach to this information depends on the ways you interact with contacts. You can customize your website sign-up form to collect more information right when people sign up. Or perhaps you hold an event and collect more detailed information with an online registration form. Or maybe a new piece of information is garnered based on online, offline, or phone interaction.

You can even reach out to your existing contacts with an online survey or update profile form to learn more about what they’re interested in receiving.

What does all this information allow you to do?

Once you’re equipped with lots of data, you can segment your email contacts into smaller lists. Breaking down contacts allows emails to be tailored specifically for contacts on that list or targeted to contacts that share the same interests.

You may think it’s unnecessary, but 56 percent of people unsubscribe from email lists because the content is no longer relevant. This gives a better appreciation for why it’s important to get the right information to the right people at the right time.

The more you know

Remember, the more you know, the easier it is to inspire action. So always be on the lookout for ways to gather more information about contacts over time. Then you’ll be on your way to making smarter marketing decisions.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by Constant Contact.

How do you collect information to make smarter decisions with email marketing? Share your tips in the comments below.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2013 and has been updated for relevancy and accuracy.