This economic "rinse cycle" offers an opportunity to shore up your organization's fundamental strengths. Happily, for anyone responsible for a budget, pursuing the fundamentals doesn’t require cash as much as it requires wit and persistence. In part one of this two-part series, Christopher Kenton underscores five low- or no-cost initiatives ... more

What's new and cool in the email space? Animation? Flash? Video and voiceovers? Some other hip and sexy technique to grab eyeballs? Put the glitz aside. Would you believe...there's nothing more effective than really knowing your audience? In email marketing, it's more effective than anything else -- even the ... more

Undeliverable emails--or email "bouncebacks"--are becoming more and more of a challenge for email marketers these days. Why should you be concerned? Because customer acquisition is expensive, and email bouncebacks could mean the loss of customers and prospects that you paid dearly to acquire. more

Email's evil twin -- UCE or "unsolicited commercial email" as it’s officially known -- has come to be known as “spam.” Your intrepid gumshoe, always up for a good mystery, went in search of the nefarious beginnings of the stuff from which so many Hotmail accounts runneth over. Just where ... more

Contrary to what you read in the newspapers, a lot of e-commerce and content Web sites are finding success in 2002. Each success teaches a different lesson. But all the lessons have some definite elements in common. more

You've heard the pitch – marketing newsletters are supposed to attract customers. They're sworn to build customer loyalty. And they'll increase profits. All that…and they are incredibly cheap to produce. So why is your newsletter's falling hopelessly short of its potential? more

Previously, Lynda defined viral marketing and suggested why you should consider using it. Now, she offers a list of 13 best practices for successful viral email marketing. more

In the first of this three-part series, Partner defines viral marketing and tells why you should consider it. In her view, email is the ideal viral marketing tool. more

Listen up, all you direct marketers now relying on email to deliver your messages. As with any campaign, you need to plan carefully and adhere to best practices. more

Most recently, the art of serial storytelling has taken root in TV -- where we tune in to The Sopranos or Six Feet Under each week to watch the story unfold. There are some valuable lessons in the art form that can also apply to email marketing. more

Previously, the author talked about everything you always wanted to now about securing customer testimonials. But once you have them in hand, it’s what you do with them that really counts. more

our email marketing messages are competing with every other message appearing in a customer's inbox. Here’s a simple test to see if your message will get the mindshare it needs. more

You’ve been working on your brand new web site for months — the graphics look great, it’s user-friendly, easy to navigate, takes your prospects where you want them to go, and so on. Now you have to get qualified visitors to your site, and (more importantly) keep them coming back. ... more

E-mail is abused by innocent victims, just as alcohol, drugs and food are. Here's a 12-step program for the electronically afflicted. more

Questions of e-mail format stir up a flurry of interest among online marketers. In addition, how marketers wish to send e-mails may vary considerably from what consumers want. more

In our combined years of experience, we’ve discovered quite a bit about what works, and what doesn’t, in the email marketing arena. More than that, we’ve also divined the true secret of marketing via electronic mail. more

Since lucid, memorable and profitable direct marketing is now more than ever dependent on first -class planning, the skill is fast becoming as crucial as it is scarce. It is now time for a planning renaissance. more

Why most people dislike spam more than unsolicited direct paper mail comes down to three simple reasons. more

If you're going to get the an email relationship off on the right footing, then you need to be making a positive impression before your customers are even signed-up on your list. more

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. more

Content is still king. But what beyond content must be included to ensure success? more

The English poet John Donne (of "for whom the bell tolls" fame) wrote that "no man is an island." Nor is any email campaign. more

Cease with campaign marketing and switch to program marketing. What it is and how do you do it, plus the five critical elements for success. more

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

The average business person receives over fifty emails a day. Is it possible to break through the inbox clutter? more