• The Future Of E-Mail
    We read a lot about strategy, issues, trends and client work, but rarely do we see anything written about the future of e-mail and its dependence on the rest of the digital world. I don't have time to wait for the analysts to make their predictions. I need a far-reaching vision of how this channel fits into our business and consumer lives now and in the future.
  • Viral E-mails: Dress Right For The Party
    As Paul Beck wrote in last week's EEC "E-mail Insider" column, "E-mail is back, and ready to party." But if you want to keep your dance card full, you have to dress for the party.
  • E-Mail Theatrics
    Last week I relayed my travails trying to find an article on The New York Times Web site. The article I was trying to reference was about the marketing efforts of one Ken Davenport, an off-Broadway producer who has been using the Internet in innovative ways to market his shows. The ever-connected Davenport got wind of my article and sat down for an interview with me yesterday.
  • Ask The E-mail Diva: ESP Selection Tips, Part 2
    Last week, Jay M. Saba of The TheArtofShop.com?a small/medium sized designer clothing retail business getting ready to launch an ecommerce site--asked for help in picking a new e-mail service provider (ESP). Because Saba mentioned "delivery problems with AOL and other ISPs," I provided resources for evaluating an ESP, with a focus on deliverability. In this follow-up column, I'll help him to narrow down the selection process further.
  • E-mail Quality Assurance
    Mistakes are inevitable in any business, and ours is no different. However, unlike most online advertising models, the e-mail channel follows the print model in terms of recoverability. Once you hit "print" or "send," it is what it is. The output cannot be recalled or changed. As e-mail grows in popularity, frequency, relevance and complexity, so too will the mistakes.
  • You're Invited To E-mail's Coming-Out Party--Again!
    Remember six years ago or so when e-mail was "the flavor of the month"? You remember--all of those comments about customers feeling free to e-mail what they were thinking while they sat in their pajamas? Back then, for the first time in a very long time, customers felt like they could actually have "real conversations" with companies. And, when companies started to e-mail back...well, you would have thought that solving world hunger could not have been far off. Cool? WAY Cool!
  • Yo, New York Times--Whatzamatter?
    One of the great perks of writing a weekly column is that when I get the runaround from a poorly designed e-commerce system and bad customer support, I can write an article to get my frustration out. If that happens to you, all you can do is pound your head against the wall!
  • Selecting An ESP With Good ISP Relationships: Part 1
    The E-Mail Diva suggests how to pick a good e-mail service provider.
  • Viral Marketing: How To Make It A Healthy Practice
    We all love the idea of viral marketing and the concept of our database organically building itself through loyal customer affinities. What impact can it have on your reputation if you relinquish control of the "send"? Here are two commonly used viral methods and my reflections about each.
  • Swimming In Data: Casino Subject Lines
    For this installment of "Swimming in Data," I took a look at the subject lines of 2,235 unique e-mail messages sent in June in the casino market sector. The idea was to examine the words and phrases in the subject lines for this sector, in order to see which ones may or may not be working based on frequency of use.
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