Things do keep getting better here @ The eMail Guide! We’ve been seeing phenomenal growth with more visitors, more Tweeple following us and more bloggers joining our team! Jeff and I want to thank you all for your fantastic support!

The eMail Guide is a giveback project and it’s very rewarding to know that our efforts are making a positive difference for so many!

On Tuesday August 10th at 1 PM EST + 5 GMT, we will launch one of our most ambitious projects to date: eMail Radio!

eMail Radio will be a live weekly call in show tackling all aspects of marketing. You can get more details here!

Have you signed up for The eMail Guide newsletter yet? Sign up here!

Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Here are 9 hot takeaways from OMS Dallas!

Takeaway: The landing page is there to take the order and that should be its primary purpose.

Takeaway: Keep it simple. Have a business plan. Plan the work and work the plan.

Takeaway: Consumers are using communities, social networks and micro blogs to start and carry on conversations with organizations, and brands need to be prepared to manage these conversations.

Takeaway: Co-registration can help build your list, but if you don’t do it exactly right you could do major damage to your brand and sender reputation.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Get more top takeaways here!

Certainly this week was stimulating with the Ben & Jerry’s evolving story and our breaking it wide open with the first statement right from the cow’s mouth! No grass is growing beneath our feet here @ The eMail Guide!

We’d like to think we did our job and fulfilled our mission to be the source for email marketing solutions and information. However, we didn’t do it alone. Our community and dozens of Tweeple got involved to spread the word and that’s pretty darn cool. Thank you!

If you’ve got a breaking story or just see something some where that doesn’t quite add up and think the Ninjas here @ The eMail Guide should dig deeper on it, drop us a tweet or an email!

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Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Don’t believe everything you read with out doing some homework.

Takeaway: Push the testing envelope! Don’t just test what you have to; test what you can do.

Takeaway: There’s no end to the different ways you can grow your email marketing list. Just take a look at what others are doing both online and in the real-world to grow their followers!

Takeaway: Use landing pages instead of the one-size-fits-all pages of your standard website to take personalization from email all the way through to the web browser and lead forms.

Takeaway: A little love from your customers can make you top dog @ The eMail Guide!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Get more top takeaways here!

We’ve been blown away by the response to our EMAPP campaign against list selling and buying! In just a few days our “Every time you buy an email list a puppy dies“ video PSA & post have become our most tweeted and viewed ever! As well, more and more bloggers and email marketing professionals are posting the EMMAP logo on their sites to show their support for not buying or selling lists!

So what’s are takeaway on this? See below!

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Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Do something relevant and do it with some humour and style and you’ll get people’s attention.

Takeaway: Events such as the CMA National Convention are important for marketers because they give us the opportunity to share insight and test ideas.

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Get more top takeaways here!

What could possibly hotter than this heatwave the eastern part of Canada and the US have been suffering through lately? Our top takeaways of course! Hotter than even a ‘Bhut Jolokia‘ chile pepper! That’s the hottest one in the world BTW and the last known human to eat one may have started the California wildfires last year! No, you don’t want to know exactly how they set them off.

Speaking of HOT! Have you signed up for The eMail Guide newsletter yet? Sign up here!

Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Every time you buy an email list a puppy dies!

Takeaway: The next time you send out a newsletter insert some content that relates to what you sell, and see what link gets clicked on and then track your sales. Content might just be the thing your newsletter needs to boost your own sales.

Takeaway: We’re all marketers of our own brand: Ourselves.

Takeaway: Delivering relevant email communications is paramount.  If financial institutions adopt this type of list growth strategy, it will be an win-win for all three parties concerned.  Subscribers will gain instant incentives and relevant messaging, merchants will exponentially increase their email list sizes with high quality data and credit card companies earn a lucrative revenue stream through each email registration.

Takeaway: You can try and fight this. You can hire lawyers to send cease and desist letters every time you see something negative posted on the web about your brand, but your time would be better spent engaging young consumers and involving them.

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Canada Day and Social Media Day made this past week even busier than normal here @ The eMail Guide! Our CEO (Chief Email Officer), Jeff Ginsberg, enjoyed Canada day with his family on the water or at least near it (I know I saw boats in the twitter pic he posted) and Anita, Rowan and I spent the day at a local berry farm — site of a recent Katie Holmes and Surri sighting. No, that’s not why we went there.

Here’s an early birthday wish to our friends south of the boarder! Watch for our #FF page later today as we have plans…yes plans…plans so good they might be evil. Actually, they’re not evil just good…seriously, we don’t do evil.

Have you signed up for The eMail Guide newsletter yet? Sign up here!

Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Word of mouth is hard to measure as a lead source, but is very much worth the effort of delivering great service and telling your customers to spread the word about how great it actually is. Make sure there’s a process in place to actively promote word of mouth.

Takeaway: Keep aware of what’s going on around you and be open to new possibilities which change presents.

Takeaway: Consider the audience you are writing for and be as inclusive as possible.

Takeaway: Don’t ask yourself why the change is happening, but how you can take advantage of it.

Takeaway: So, if in the future you receive an email newsletter from a guy named Jeff and he’s selling cookies and brownies, you might want to consider passing and instead head down to the local store for some cookies made by elves in a tree.  Dood! I’m just sayin’.

Takeaway: We know you wanna be Canadian…

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Here we are, the first week of summer! Lots of things are going on in and around EMG HQ! Here in Toronto the G20 summit is the big news with it looking like a ghost town as people either work from home or take the day off to avoid the potential chaos. Of course the World Cup has many people glued to their TVs cheering their team on. Best of luck to team USA! Go get em guys!

Meanwhile here @ The eMail Guide, we’ve been working on some really cool stuff! If you are subscribed to our email newsletter, you’ll know soon enough what some of our plans are! Not subscribed? Sign up here!

Enjoy this week’s top takeaways of email marketing wisdom!

Takeaway: Staying close (being relevant) and being interesting will help you take advantage of the “cocktail party” effect.

Takeaway: Social media is not a band aid solution for other customer service shortcomings.

Takeaway: Don’t disguise your unsub link. Use the word Unsubscribe. Add multiple subscription options. Show the email address so the recipient knows which email address to type in if you don’t pass it to the unsub page.

Takeaway: In hard times, cut back where you can but, keep your pedal to the metal when it comes to delivering value to your customers — nothing is more important.

Takeaway: Hyper-segmenting based on location and interests can convert online support into real world actions.

Takeaway: Understanding the value of social marketing is important! Don’t  judge Social media until you try it!

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day and I thought I’d share with you five things my father taught me which can certainly be applied to email and social, because most of what he taught me has to do with relationships and that’s what good marketers do, build relationships.

1- It’s not important how you fall but, how you rise.
2- The only real control you have in life is how you react to others.
3- Love, devotion and loyalty are the most noble emotions.
4- Helping others is how we help ourselves.
5- Life is painted in shades of gray.

Funny how being a new father myself has brought all those lessons home to me so clearly now. Thanks dad!

Takeaway: Understand how people think and what they want when they come to your site.

Takeaway: Don’t get dad a damn tie this year! Get your email geek dad something cool!

Takeaway: Getting a customer to come back is a lot cheaper for you than getting new customers, so give this a try and make it an ongoing campaign!

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Soccer (yep I said soccer, so sue me) fans around the world are revved up about today’s kick off of the World Cup. Here in Toronto, where The eMail Guide HQ is located, city council even went so far as to extend bar hours to allow them to open up one hour early. Now, I personally don’t see the logic in this when you consider past incidents involving tipsy fans (not just soccer fans) but, I guess you need to have something do to in between goals — and in this game that can sometimes be quite a while.

Perhaps a more responsible way to while away those moments when nothing seems to be happening in the game would be to read our top takeaways and learn a little something while you wait for your team to crush the competition like the insects they are. Bring a laptop and enjoy our top takeaways for the week!

Takeaway: Remember, that with all the tracking, reports, point-of-sale coupons, etc. there will always be a portion of your email marketing success that you will never be able to track.  Email marketing can and does move people to take advantage of sales and specials.  They just may not always tell you or use those discounts when making a purchase.  It’s important to you that they do, but it’s not important to them.

Takeaway: Content is king but, the gold is in the list.

Takeaway: Just get testing!

Takeaway: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

It’s the season of hot dogs, potato salad and oddly shaped Jello dishes with vaguely familiar inclusions wobbling blurrily inside. Ah summer, hiking, biking, camping and ghost legged park strollers. The time of year when fashion rules are relaxed and grown men feel comfortable wearing shirts that remind one of the pattern of their great aunt’s old sofa. Damn, I love this time of year!

Raise your frozen yogurts with me in a toast to fair weather and clear sailing for email marketing and enjoy today’s feast of brilliance as we present our weekly top takeaways!

Takeaway: In their work as Email’s Lone Rangers, these consultants can most often treat a company’s deliverability afflictions, so that key members of the organization can hop back in the saddle without too much damage done to its sender reputation.

Takeaway: If a marketer decides to outsource their email marketing (afterall, there are many compelling arguments), what kind of ROI can they expect? There is only one way to find out: initiate a conversion and choose your path wisely. As it may pay huge dividends to work with a partner that can work in concert with their in-house resources or manage the entire email marketing effort, soup to nuts.

Takeaway: Start thinking content, engagement, relationships, choice, value, trust and respect now!

Takeaway: Oscar’s favourite saying is: “Don’t bang on my can!” This could be translated into human terms as: “Respect the inbox!”

Takeaways: Getting started in email marketing can be pretty intimidating and you’ve probably got a flock of questions you’d like answers for!

Takeaway: Kristin Hersant recaps ten great takeaways from marketing leaders from the CMA National Convention in Toronto.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!

StrongMail’s Kristin Hersant presents her top ten takeaways from the CMA National Convention in Toronto.

Day one wrap up here.
Day two wrap up here.

Also, check out Judi Samuels’ thoughts @ Lemon Twist on why there is no “next big thing” in marketing here.

I just returned from two days at the Canadian Marketing Association’s annual conference, CMA Next: 2010, where I was tweeting from the event in conjunction with The eMail Guide. The event programming covered a broad swath of topics from branding, traditional advertising and product marketing to web analytics and social media. The presenters were some of the best and brightest minds in Canadian marketing who over the course of two days, challenged our assumptions and made us think, talk and laugh out loud. The hard work of programming co-chairs Mitch Joel of Twist Image (@mitchjoel) and Sandy Perlman of Microsoft Canada paid off and I left feeling enriched and informed. I have recapped some of the best takeaways from the event for you below.

1 Don’t suck. That pearl of wisdom came from Avinash Kaushik (@avinashkaushik), Analytics Evangelist for Google and author of Web Analytics 2.0. Accodring to Kaushik, if you suck, nothing else matters. “Sucking” is obviously a relative term, which he defines in terms of engagement. How are people interacting with your content? Are they engaging with your website or are they visiting your site and leaving after looking at the first page? If they “came, puked and left”, you need to stop worrying about everything else and fix it. He also stressed that speed and access to information should be the #1 feature of your website. Don’t sacrifice functionality for sexiness. If your website isn’t fast, you will die.

2 We live in an age of conversation marketing. participate and empower. Kaushik also reminded us that marketing today has to be conversational – it’s time to stop broadcasting messages to our audiences. We need to use engagement metrics to analyze effectiveness in today’s marketing world. It’s no longer about reach metrics like fans, followers and hits (which he defined as “How Idiots Track Success”.)  The new age of marketing is customer-centric. Abandon your comfortable metrics and start leveraging engagement metrics like your website bounce rate, clicks, email opens, social media sharing rates, re-tweets and Twitter lists. Once you have these metrics identified, optimize your marketing strategy, creative and technology choices to support improvements in those areas.

3 Challenge everything you know about marketing. Ken Wong (@kbw2009) of Queen’s School of Business and CMA Hall of Fame inductee dropped a bomb on the audience when he told us that the C-Suite tends to view marketers as “margin sucking maggots.” Most companies know that they need to market their way out of a recession and yet the first thing that the executives cut when tough time hit is marketing. Why? Because marketing doesn’t appear to have a direct effect on profitability, the #1 factor affecting the success of a company.

The NYSE 2010 CEO Report ranked Marketing/Advertising Initiatives dead last in Profitability Impact for 2007. In the same survey, only one marketing variable entered into the equation as mattering to shareholders – brand strength – and it ranked second to last. It gets worse. According to Wong, only 18% of 545 executives in UK firms rated their firm’s marketing effectiveness as better than good and 36% rated it fair/poor. In fact, you are 2X more likely to get a marketing job in the UK if you have a finance background than if you have a marketing background.  Ouch!

Why do executives view marketing as wasteful and expendable? Because we’re not communicating our value in terms that they understand. Marketing needs to stop focusing on market share and volume and return to building brand value because when the value is clear, you don’t need to slash prices. Price is the #1 factor in contributing towards profitability. Help your executives get there and your budget won’t be the first thing slashed during a recession.

4 Great brands are simple and clear. Canadian design guru and television celebrity Debbie Travis (@debbie_travis) reminded us to keep to basics when building your brand. The best brands know what they do well and focus on that. When you try and take on too many ancillary things, you dilute your brand and loose strength and meaning. There are two aspects to every brand: brand character and brand value. Character is how you make a first impression. Brand value is about loyalty. You should develop a clear strategy for both sides of the brand equation. Do you provide enough value to keep your audience coming back for more?

5 Your company can make a difference for the next generation. One of the more surprising and inspiring keynotes was a joint presentation from the Ontario Power Authority, the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) and Airmiles, a Canadian frequent flier company that has penetration into 70% of the homes in Canada. This unlikely partnership was the result of three very different entities uniting for a common cause: to reduce carbon emissions while meeting distinct goals that benefitted each company.

The Ontario Power Authority needed to find alternative sources of fuel to avoid the rolling brownouts that have been plaguing the province and ensure continuous, clean power for future generations. They partnered with the WWF to develop a program that will eliminate Ontario’s reliance on coal by 2013. Simultaneously, Airmiles greened their company and became the largest rooftop solar energy producer in Canada. Now you can also redeem your miles for a transit pass, a scooter, bicycle, or other low carbon options instead of airfare. Their inspiring message was that transformative companies should use their influence beyond their four walls to change the world. Think about what influence you have beyond your own life and talk to your company about your environmental footprint.  You can help change the world as well.

6 Surprise is the key to successful relationships. Andy Nulman (@andynulman) reminded us in his own unique and creative way that the element of surprise is what keeps human nature moving forward. We tend to fall into comfortable patterns and are doing ourselves (and our marketing programs) a disservice by lulling our audience into complacency. Put in the time to think different and be creative each time you want to make an impression. It’s the only way to ensure a healthy, engaging ongoing relationship with your audience.

7 Friction is a powerful tool of persuasion. Ad veteran Terry O’Rielly (@ageofpersuasion) had a slightly different theory about what the surprise ingredient in everyone’s marketing programs should be… friction. According to O’Reilly, friction is a powerful tool of persuasion. Only the smartest and most insightful marketers use friction to make a sale. For example, Johnson & Johnson invented a cream that healed without pain, but people didn’t believe they were being healed unless they felt a sting. J&J put a little alcohol in the cream and sales went through the roof. Marketers are social anthropologists and it’s product marketing’s job to find the right combination of ease of use with a just a touch of friction to make people want what we’re trying to sell.

8 Use checklists. O’Reilly also referenced a study that was performed to reduce the number of accidental deaths that occurred due to human errors during surgeries. They analyzed how pilots prevented mistakes and found that they used checklists. A test group of surgeons adopted checklists and their mistakes plunged by 80%. I think everyone can learn from that one.

9 Be open to opportunity and change. Howie Mandel’s (@howiemmandel) closing keynote had everyone roaring with laughter, and yet his key message was an important one. You have to be open to opportunities as they arise and be willing to adapt and change. Over the years, he has “re-branded” himself from a carpet salesman to a comedian to an actor to a game show host and television producer, but none of that evolution would have happened if he had given in to fear and doubt and not been open to change.

Similarly, we learned that Indigo Books & Music is transforming their brand, product offerings and fulfillment mechanisms in real-time to adapt to the changes in how people are consuming media. Instead of clinging to traditional books as adoption of digital readers skyrockets, they are embracing change and adapting to become a leader in this new method of consumption.

10 Never underestimate the power of alcohol in building relationships. And finally, this oh so true statement came from the advertising veteran “war stories” panel and was the most tweeted and re-tweeted phrases from the event. I’m not sure if Mad Men’s constant drinking reflects the era or the industry… but one thing is certain. Marketers love our booze.

For a complete play-by-play of the event, I invite you to read my full Twitter Transcript posted on StrongMail’s website.  If you would like to follow my coverage of future marketing events, you can find me on Twitter (@kristinhersant).

Thanks to everyone at the CMA and The eMail Guide for this great experience!

About the author

Kristin Hersant
Director of Corporate Marketing, StrongMail

An interactive marketing veteran, Kristin Hersant has more than 12 years of experience managing successful integrated marketing programs. An active voice in the industry and contributor to marketing trade publications, Hersant currently specializes in the email marketing and social media fields for B2C and B2B marketing. Since joining StrongMail in 2004, Hersant has spearheaded its corporate marketing efforts, which have helped fuel the company’s strong growth and industry reputation. You can follow her on Twitter at @kristinhersant or visit her Email Marketing Insights Blog on www.strongmail.com.

The eMail Guide team just got back from the CMA National Convention in Toronto. What a great opportunity for marketers to learn not just from leaders and legends but, from each other! As Jeff Ginsberg likes to say: “The real learning happens in the hallways.” I found myself being inspired and challenged by the speakers and then enthralled and fascinated by the interpretations and POV offered by other attendees between sessions. The eMail Guide is proud to be a sponsor of Next: 2010!

I want to thank the staff and volunteers who made this event what it was! They slept little, probably ate less and smiled constantly. Marketers can be tough customers (ironic ain’t it?) and these folks took the good and the bad with sparkling attitudes and rabid dedication to their trade. These events never go off with out some glitches and consider this was a totally new format for the CMA, it really did run pretty smoothly. We’ve found it a pleasure to be involved with everyone at the CMA as a sponsor of the event right from the first contact.

Once again I’m proud to be able to serve up some email marketing wisdom garnished with personality and insight.

Takeaway: Honesty is the best policy when it comes to unsubscribing. Ensure that your subscribers  are clear on exactly what they are receiving and why they are receiving it. Then give them the option to decide if it’s what they want to read.

Takeaway: Dozens from leaders such as Ken Wong, Avinash Kuashik and Debbie Travis!

Takeaway: Reach out to enthusiasts! They are the real “influencers”.

Takeaway: More fantastic wisdom about marketing from Howie Mandel, Terry O’rielly and Ray Zahab!

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!

Another great week of email marketing takeaways!

This weekend is the May 2-4 long weekend here in Canada and that means beer — we call it 2-4 because that’s how many beers come in a case. Much beer is consumed on this holiday which was originally established to celebrate the former Queen of England, Victoria. However, over the years we Canucks have come to associate it more with camping, cottage openings, deck parties and of course…beer. It’s not that the common Canadian has anything against her…it’s just that we know beer better. We grew up with beer and it’s always been here for us when we needed it.

Have you entered yet? Find out how you can qualify to win a free pass to the CMA National Convention valued at $1,495!

Spread before you is a feast for body, soul and mind as we present our email marketing top takeaways!

Takeaway: The key takeaway in all of this is whether you are a medium or large sender, you should request a meeting with your ESP representative to go over what is really involved in their reporting.  Ensure that it aligns with your business nomenclature and never ever assume that they always match up. Sometimes it’s the little things that really make a difference and its always best to take a mini inventory of your partnership.

Takeaway: Frame of reference is everything in communication – how we view the world dictates how we interact with it. Do you know what your subscriber’s frame of reference is and are you relevant? This is especially important if you are marketing globally?

Takeaway: Your subscriber base might be members of the “Short Attention Span Theatre”, but you don’t have to be.  So take some time to plan and you’ll see that it will pay off in better ROI for you and your audience.

Takeaway: By sending this series of emails, you are building a relationship with your audience that is solidified through your events to help you accomplish your business goals.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!

Wow! What a fantastic week for email marketing and for the whole team here @ The eMail Guide! Not only have we had the pleasure of helping a lot of people but, we’ve also launched a great contest for the upcoming Canadian Marketing Association convention at the end of this month! Find out how you can qualify to win a free pass valued at $1,495!

Spread before you is a feast for body, soul and mind as we present our email marketing top takeaways!

Takeaway: Email marketing can work for every industry but, success doesn’t happen by itself. If your messages are relevant and you respect your subscribers, it works.

Takeaway: Only 21% of retails segment their email. Maybe they should think of their bottom line results and the consumer… and get personalizing.

Takeaway: While privacy policies are a vital component of social networks, and users should always evaluate how changes impact their personal information, no one should take for granted that this is an evolving medium on the information super highway.  Whether it’s a business or personal account, what is shared is ultimately controlled by you.  In the words of my editor, Jim Ducharme, “I alone am responsible for my online privacy.”

Takeaway: It’s a great quick reference of who you should be short listing when it comes time to choosing a new Email Service Provider. Whether you are doing an RFP or a simple vendor evaluation, this guide is a great place to start.

Takeaway: The higher, the fewer. Respecting your subscribers also means showing you respect and care about your community and the world we share.

Takeaway: Just as the user must adhere to a service agreement, social networking sites have a responsibility to explain policies in a manner users, particularly those under the age of 18, can understand and protect established privacy settings.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!

Feast your eyes email marketing people on this glorious breakfast of smart food! We’ve had some absolutely amazing posts this week and we’ve gathered them up here all in one place for you to chow down on. If Jenny Craig was an email marketer and calories increased wisdom, she’d be as big as a house after reading this and twice as smart as Stephen Hawking. Now that’s smart food!

Takeaway: These 50 tips are a good place to get started with your email marketing strategy. Looking for more? Don’t forget to see ActiveCampaign’s original post: 128 effective ways to optimize your email marketing campaign!

Takeaway: Before deciding to go it alone, first carefully consider your needs, and options, then initiate a conversion with prospective suppliers. Email can do more than you might think.

Takeaway: More email marketers plan to use more advanced segmentation and targeting strategies this year, according to a new survey.  That’s good news for the industry, and an indication that smart email marketers appreciate the need to take it up a notch in order to optimize response and revenues amid the evolving utility of the inbox and feirce competition for consumer attention.

Takeaway: Whether you are new to social media or wondering why you haven’t been able to drive traffic to your site, take a moment to reflect on your approach and how you may be perceived.  You can have the best product or the most insightful blog, but if you appear too slick or insincere, you will alienate followers.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!

Delightful dynamic deliciousness abounds in this week’s top takeaways for email marketing! We deliver the brain food right to your desk every Friday with our terrific tidbits of tasty email marketing takeaways! Dig in!

Takeaway: If you have a high percentage of iPhone and Mac users in your email database, they are almost five times more likely to purchase an iPad ( Morgan Stanley survey ). If like me, you have upwards of 10% reading your newsletter via the iPhone, keep an eye on your iPad stats.

Takeaway: Designing an email marketing conference themed on the entire life cycle (from opt-in to opt-out) would give both new and veteran marketers a wider view and much better perspective.

Takeaway: Follow these 12 best practices as a guide to keep your campaigns on track and your list growing.

Takeaway: Spam checkers use content analysis of words to determine whether a message is legitimate or not.  While the content may look benign to the human eye, a machine scanning your message may disagree and inadvertantly mark your message as spam due to the perceived toxic combination of words used.

Takeaway: The daily email marketing buzz is a collection of the best email marketing posts every day. Each post in the buzz has a takeaway, making this a buffet of brilliance all on it’s own.

Have you got a great takeaway and link to share? Post it!