Ask subscribers what they want in email content and the answers may surprise you. Not the responses themselves, but the startling difference between what subscribers say they want and the data you've collected that shows you what they respond to. For example, subscribers may want additional how-to tips and advice, but sales messages have higher open rates.
So how do you determine what works and what doesn't when what subscribers want and the data collected doesn't match?
The Truth Is...
Content is still very important to any successful email campaign. Different subscribers respond differently to email content. In reality, you need to take the wants and needs of subscribers and leverage both to get them to make a purchase. The main reasons your data and subscriber feedback, suggestions, or requests for content don't match may be due to factors such as ineffective subject lines, increased bounce back rates, or fickle consumers.
It's not that subscribers don't respond well to information they've asked for, it's that you may not have done enough to compel them to open the message in the first place. Or, if you filled the message with spam triggers (lots of buttons, large images, sloppy code), your messages may have ended up spam folders instead of inboxes.
On the Other Hand...
The responses you received from subscribers only represent a small segment of your list as not everyone takes the time to respond. These subscribers may only make up a small percentage of actual customers. Most likely, those that responded are looking for more information and have not made up their minds yet whether to purchase from you or not.
This is a tricky situation to be in because you want to appease subscribers, but you also need to convert them into paying customers.
Segment Your List
Segment your list into frequent customers, sometime customers, and those that have never made a purchase. Go through and remove subscribers that haven't made a purchase within the past six months. Send new surveys to frequent and sometime customers. Tailor your campaign to provide the types of information each group asks for. Monitor the data to see if there's an increase in open, click-through, and bounce back rates. If you're still not satisfied, start testing subject lines, calls to action, and other email components until you find out where the problem lies. If bounce back rates continue to increase, contact your ISP as you may be the victim of a hacker.