• by Loren McDonald , Op-Ed Contributor, May 14, 2015

This column marks a milestone: the 200th column since my first Email Insider debuted on Sept. 27, 2006, and I became a regular contributor on July 25, 2007.

That first column established the framework for how I approached nearly all of my contributions: a combination of relevant topics, high-level strategic thinking and tactical ideas marketers can implement right away, infused with my own experiences and personality.

Columns Worth Another Look

As I looked through my list of columns, I found a few favorites and a couple that took on surprising lives of their own. Below are some of those I recommend for a second look, along with a few reader comments:

1. Fun and Favorites

These columns are either my own favorites or those that were popular with readers, as measured by the number of comments and shares on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. (Note: When MediaPost changed its content-management system several years back, the move wiped out comments and social sharing numbers up to that point, so activity reflects just comments and shares after the change.)

• Why The Open Rate Must Die (April 24, 2008)
• Teens: OMG. Email Is For Old People (Feb. 24, 2011)
• Email Must Embrace Its Inner Lady Gaga (Sept. 23, 2010)

• 'I'm Mad as Hell:' My Top Email Marketing Peeves (Oct. 2, 2014)

2. Ideas Inspired from Outside Email

My outside reading often yields new perspectives that I can apply to email marketing:

• The 'Balanced Scorecard': Measuring The Entire Email Picture (Nov. 8, 2007)
• Six Sigma Deliverability -- Why Not 100% Delivery Rate? (Sept. 13, 2007)
• What If: A Mitchell Report On Email Marketing (Jan. 17, 2008)

3. Practical/Tactical Tips

High-level strategy discussions set the stage for key topics, but tactical approaches help make those strategies work:

• The Unsubscribe Link Location: Top, Bottom Or Both? (April 9, 2009)
• Saying 'I'm Sorry': Keys To An Effective Email Correction Process (April 22, 2010)
• The Last 'Best Time to Send?' Article (Aug. 12, 2010)

4. Think Differently

These three columns offer fresh perspectives to help marketers grow and prosper. They also feature three of my favorite themes:

• Are You Using Email To Help Other Departments Achieve Their Goals? (July 2, 2009)
• Benchmarking: 'Average' Is The New Bottom (Dec. 17, 2009)
• Does Your Email Program Need Some 'White Space'? (Nov. 14, 2013)
• Using Data To Empower Your Customers (Feb. 5, 2015)

Gretchen Scheiman (former Email Insider columnist): "You gave exactly the types of examples that help clients visualize how to use their data better. With all the hype about big data, it's refreshing to hear it made simple again."

5. Personal Viewpoints

The "Loren" column generated some of the most extensive commentary and shares, because everyone has experienced a personalization nightmare. The "Stefan" column eulogizes Stefan Pollard, a colleague and friend to many in the email community:

• My Name Is Loren. BTW, I'm A 'He' (October 8, 2009)

• What Would Stefan Say? (June 3, 2010)
• 'I'm Mad as Hell:' My Top Email Marketing Peeves (Oct. 2, 2014)

Kym Vance, VP Email Solutions for Launchpad Marketing CloudL "I have a copy handy, and when someone comes in with an issue, I tell them 'Look at this first.  If your issue is on this list, turn around, and walk right back out the door.'"

6. Strategy/Leadership

My work with clients in recent years has made me realize that the biggest challenge isn't so much what to do, but figuring out what to do first and how to get it done.

• 'So Where Do We Start?' (July 14, 2011)
• Getting Email Marketing Done: Lessons From The Sustainability Revolution (August 23, 2012)
• Nine Steps To Getting The Big Stuff Done (January 12, 2012)
• Are You a Lemming or a Leader? (October 20, 2011)

What's Next?

So what will I write about next? I've always got ideas on the back burner, but you never know what will crop up between now and next time. Got something you'd like me to tackle? Let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading, for commenting and sharing over the years.

Until next time, take it up a notch!