Source: EmailInsider

by Chad White

After several conversations recently about “best practices,” I’m convinced that the term is now meaningless. It’s been bastardized in the same way that the definition of “spam” has shifted to the point that it has very different meanings to different groups of people. Here are some definitions of “best practices” that have been used recently:

1. The best practice is the practice that is best for your business.

2. If there’s one example of a marketer successfully breaking a best practice, then it’s no longer a best practice.

3. Best practices are old-school. New-school marketing doesn’t have best practices.

4. The best practice is whatever the majority of marketers do.

I would argue vehemently that all of these definitions are false, that best practices are the practices that generally work best, regardless of the current adoption rate. But attempting to clarify the definition is moot at this point. It’s too far gone.

Frankly, the term has always been too “big tent” to be truly useful. When “don’t buy email lists” and “use buttons for primary calls-to-action” are both best practices, it’s no wonder there’s confusion. What we need is new language that differentiates those practices that are a litmus test for legitimate email marketers vs. spammers, from practices that are simply wise.