David Moth says, “Email marketing is one of those disciplines that people often claim is on the way out. However its enduring power for driving traffic and sales means it’s highly unlikely that email marketing will die anytime soon. So rather than wishing it ill, let’s consider how email marketing is likely to develop over the coming years. Our new Email Marketing Census asked respondents to identify the top three areas of focus for their email campaigns in 2015, as well as asking them to take a longer-term view and predict how email will look in five years’ time. Here’s an overview... [...]

Steve Dille says, “Want an example of a misleading marketing meme? “You want to engage Millennials? Move all your budget into social media, into mobile advertising. That’s where the action is.” At first glance, it makes sense. After all, in 2010, a massive Pew study told us all that… Millennials outpace older Americans in virtually all types of internet and cell use. They are more likely to have their own social networking profiles, to connect to the internet wirelessly when away from home or work, and to post video of themselves online. The never-ending proliferation of new social... [...]

Monica Montesa says, “Anytime you interact with Apple – whether online, in-store or with a product – there are no doubts about what company you’re engaging with. From their simple color scheme to their clean website and packaging, it’s easy to recognize when you’re enveloped in an Apple experience. But how do they create such an amazing experience for their customers? By establishing a consistent brand image and experience. The Case for the Consistent Brand Developing a strong brand takes a lot of time and effort, but it’s essential to the success of any business – and you... [...]

Jimmy Daly says, “Digital marketers—like you!—are all stars. You have your hands full with all the many ways to reach your audience. At any given time, you may need to be fluent in email, content and social media because your audience is cross-platform. Few people make buying decisions anymore based on information from a single medium. So when marketers focus all their energy on one channel, they could be missing out on other opportunities and the natural rhythms of the buying cycle. So how can you keep on top of channels as different as social media and email? And how can you... [...]

Jason Warnock says, “Do you remember those awful chain emails from the late ’90s and early 2000s? They came in three varieties: a personal survey, an email you sent to your crush or a depressing, moralistic story. You know the ones. And, regardless of their content, the end message was always the same: Share with friends … or else. Luckily, we’ve left those emails in the past where they belong. What happened to the concept of “share with your friends” is another story entirely. What Does This Concept Look Like Today? Today’s message of “share or else” is far less ominous,... [...]

Jimmy Daly says, “Email marketing is a crapshoot. You send mass emails hoping that some small percentage of people will open, click and convert. The bigger your list, the less you know and the more you’re forced to guess about what to say and when to send. But what if you flipped the paradigm by sending email as a result of behavior? Instead of begging uninterested users to take action, you’re moving already-interested people through a buying cycle. Promotional email isn’t dead, but data-driven behavioral email is proving to be more effective. In this new world of email... [...]

Monica Montesa says, “Some days, there just isn’t enough time in the world to craft the perfect email. You’re busy managing every other aspect of your business and, well, life in general – so we get it. But if you find that you’ve been using the same old visuals, themes and content ideas over and over again, it might be time for a light refresh to liven up your emails. There are tons of possibilities when it comes to crafting awesome emails, and you don’t need a lot of time to start making small improvements here and there. That’s why we decided to start this blog series –... [...]

Ohad Hecht says, “By combining Facebook Ads with email addresses, automation, and predictive analytics, marketers can develop a strong social strategy. Facebook is a great platform for lead generation and nurturing. In fact, according to many friends and clients who manage e-commerce businesses, it is one of the best tools, if not the best, to acquire new clients. And we all know why – almost everyone and their mother are on Facebook (though mine isn’t…yet!). Further, the ability to open Facebook Messenger to advertising and direct communications from marketers provides almost endless... [...]

Tom Kulzer says, “If you learn anything about email marketing as a business owner, let it be this: You are not “blasting” prospects and customers. You’re sending emails in order to make personal connections with people. It’s common to view email marketing as just another way to show ads to customers and prospects. If that’s the case, you’re likely achieving drastically reduced results. Why? Because email marketing is so much more than sending weekly flyers to subscribers. It’s about delivering valuable information to those who want to hear from you. It’s about building relationships... [...]

Andrew King says, “It’s well known that order confirmation emails are some of the most widely opened, read and clicked emails around. It’s the one type of email that you can almost guarantee will be opened or at least saved for later in case there is an issue with the order. Unfortunately this type of email has traditionally been managed by the IT department that has often sent plain text receipts from a separate system which offers no tracking, limited HTML support and no advanced personalization features. So more often than not, this extremely important part of your customer journey... [...]