If you're like the Email Diva, the last thing you want to think about on this lovely July day is the H word. But, as Wikipedia points out, "Strategy is differentiated from tactics.... by its nature of being extensively premeditated.... Strategies are used to make the problem easier to understand and solve." In the name of making life easier, despite our seasonal aversion, let's roll up our sleeves and start planning. I give you the Email Diva's guide to a successful holiday email strategy.

What is loyalty marketing today? I asked my team a few really broad questions, not only to see what they knew about loyalty programs and their personal experiences, but how they'd frame their arguments when creating such a program. In the marketing world, one size does not fit all, yet how you justify your hypothesis is almost as important as your idea. Here are the questions I asked and some answers from the team...

The increasing use of preview panes to view emails has changed how marketers design their messages, putting great emphasis on getting the primary call-to-action above the fold.

Email marketing campaigns continue to prove their value, even as new media channels emerge to pull marketing dollars in different directions. But today's email marketing strategies and tactics are different than they were even five years ago, and there's a lot more to a successful campaign than just looking at open and click-through rates. In today's digital world, it has become imperative for marketers to employ a well-rounded online marketing toolset, that includes everything from Web analytics to behavioral analysis of respondents to gain valuable insight into just how effective their email campaign is -- or isn't.

As an email service provider, it's always humorous when a prospective client sends us an RFP stating that we be responsible for ensuring they are CAN SPAM compliant. No one can ensure that you will follow the law. Wouldn't it be great if you could make your mechanic responsible for your speeding ticket? It just doesn't work that way.

What a great metaphor to discuss email. Stephen Covey has long reigned as one of the core pioneers of self development and time management principles. As such, I'm a firm believer that the email space can benefit from the core principles of the "7 Habits" series. You must first realize that your paradigm (the way each person sees the world, essentially your "lens"), may be diametrically different from that of many of your counterparts and customers you are trying to reach. So, take these metaphoric analogies with a grain of salt.

We in the email industry have our own set of generally accepted best practices (GABP), formed by our own mistakes, triumphs and experience based on what works best for senders, ISPs and end recipients. What makes me tear at my graying and thinning hair lately is all the companies who still violate these GABPs. No, they aren't laws, but they are a bit like teaching your children to say "please" and "thank you" (hold the Barney jokes). They are simply the right thing to do. Read through my initial list of 10 infractions of "GABPs," and see how your program …

The biggest language gap in email marketing is not about global geography, it's about making a business case to the C-suite that creating great subscriber experiences is something they should invest in. We email marketers have a hard time getting the budget and IT resources we need because we often do not make our case in the language these executives understand.

Dear Email Diva: I need a catchy subject line, something to make sure that prospects open my email. I have tried professional, I have tried friendly, I have tried blunt and to the point, I have tried kooky, but none seems to work. What I am I doing wrong?