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CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Writing

All email marketing managers search for ways to grow their subscription files, and many options and opportunities exist to grow subscription files organically. Unfortunately, some email marketers still rely on purchasing permission-based lists as a means to increase their email file. By doing so, however, they settle for a quick fix that really does not result in a stable, viable, and cost-effective file. The saying "Good things come to those who wait" applies to smart email marketing managers who appreciate the logic and process of growing their subscription file organically, over time, with well-developed marketing efforts.

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In the two weeks leading up to the November 4 election, email messages came fast and furious from the presidential campaigns of both John McCain and Barack Obama. In the last week, both supporters received at least two emails a day from both campaigns. In evaluating those email messages, I saw commonly held best-practices that should be emulated, practices that should be avoided by marketers, and a few new concepts that may inspire email marketers to take their programs to the next level. Despite the outcome of the election, lessons can be learned from both presidential candidates. Also, some practices simply do not cross over from the relationships that political candidates form with their constituents to the relationships that marketers develop with their customers.

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The news about investment in marketing is not good as many firms cut their marketing budgets left and right. Instead of taking an ax to your marketing budget, consider first how your budget is allocated and move some resources to marketing activities that yield a higher ROI.

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Getting your permission-based email marketing emails into the inbox and ensuring that your email design is just right are closely related. Here is some useful information on the nexus between the two as well as on doing both well.

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Sears performed a courageous email-marketing act in mid-December. Like every retailer, Sears was surely eager for additional sales and revenue as the worst holiday season in memory reached a crescendo and the sale window started to close. Despite that pressure, the Sears team had the discipline to hit the pause button on the hard sell in attempting to make a connection with subscribers. Instead, it sent a co-marketing email with Heroes at Home, promoting a national gift registry for returning US soldiers.

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Here are five essential areas of any email marketing program that are worth poking around in. Turn over some rocks, and don't hesitate to dump anything you discover underneath that shouldn't be there. In the spirit of spring, let's do some email cleanup.

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More interesting than a mystery novel, but deadly serious for your business. Is something lurking in the shadows you should know about?

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PVBIT. You may not be able to pronounce it, but you had better remember it. PVBIT stands for the five things that email marketing must have for a successful B2B or fundraising application.

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Nonprofits are confronted with many of the questions that any other enterprise often ponders: How do I connect with my customers? Which communication vehicle will provide my organization with the highest return on investment? How can I determine what my target market wants? While many of our corporate friends have turned to email marketing to help answer these questions, the concept is comparatively new to nonprofits. Email marketing may not be the silver bullet for every problem, but it provides us with an efficient and affordable tool to communicate with our constituents.

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Unfortunately, for most marketers, email marketing remains an educated guess predicated on seasonal and industry trends. What most marketers don't realize is that they have an opportunity to send out smart, high-performance campaigns based on true consumer desires. Here's how.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: None

A great-looking email template is important for establishing credibility and brand recognition with readers; but, as the old saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. The same mentality should always be applied to email campaigns. A nice-looking template means nothing if subscribers aren't engaged and interested in what you have to say. The content of your email or newsletter is vital to the success of your campaign. Whether creating awareness, generating sales, or building customer loyalty, it's important to remember what keeps customers coming back for more.

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Email is one of the easiest, most affordable, and most effective marketing tools out there. Nonetheless, launching an email-marketing program can seem a daunting challenge, especially for time-strapped entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Email Marketing

There's plenty of autumn left, but the holiday season is fast approaching. You might think you still have lots of time to launch your holiday email marketing campaign, but now is the time to prepare. Check out these holiday email marketing tips from the experts.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Email Marketing

Email marketers don't often go too far beyond conversion-, click-, and open-rate data. Yet, to create email campaigns that engage your subscribers and increase ROI, you'll need to.

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Creating and running an email marketing program can be as difficult as... finding an enjoyable first date. The similarities don't end there. Here are four simple dating rules you can apply to email marketing.

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Today, each email competes with thousands of digital, mobile, and social messages. It can seem nearly impossible for your email to stand out and get noticed. But you can cut through the clutter.

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Gmail has been making lots of waves lately: priority inboxes, promotions tabs... Every new release seems intended to make life harder for email marketers. But if we'd stop complaining for a minute, we'd see a host of hidden opportunities.

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With the first quarter of the year behind us, what will you do to maximize email marketing's contribution to your bottom line from here on out? I encourage you to try these program-level objectives.

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Innovation in email marketing is tied to the customer conversation. If marketers don't keep their end of the conversation up between purchase cycles, they risk becoming irrelevant or forgotten.

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Using video in email should be a no-brainer, because emails with video are the ones that subscribers find most memorable. But the email-video combo is still a rare pairing. Here's how to use it to your benefit.