• Is There An RFP Template?
    Dear E-mail Diva: We are trying to move our company's e-mail program from batch-and-blast to a more relevant approach. I was looking around for a spreadsheet or form that could serve as an RFP or requirements document for vendors.
  • How NOT To Kill The Skunk
    "What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself."--Abraham Lincoln. The 16th President of the United States got it right. This quote stands true today in the world of email marketing. Throughout the year we've talked about the PR problems email has dealt with--from poor budget support, to C-level misconceptions, ROI equity and more. As we near the start of 2007, I leave you with this question: Are we actively helping email's PR challenges, or are we too focused on our own debates that the skunk still stinks too much to the outside world?
  • Have I Got A Pitch For You!
    I received an early Christmas present in the form of an article idea this week, when I received what was at once one of the best and worst pitches I've ever heard. Here is the phone message I received: "Hi, Bill McCloskey [said in a chipper tone], my name is [blank]. I don't know if you have more than enough clients you can handle at this point, but my company gets you new clients, guaranteed in writing, and we've been doing it since 1974...."
  • E-mail On PDAs
    Dear E-mail Diva: Do you have any idea how many people are using their PDAs as their primary e-mail monitoring/reading device? I think the number is significant and growing, especially for electronic newsletter providers/services like yours that cater to the new-media community.
  • The Simple Truth About Personalization
    Many e-mail columnists and leaders in the industry talk about the power of personalization. They talk about dynamic content and advanced personalization as ways to further engage and build relationships with your customers. I do not disagree with these points. However, if you're too resource-strapped to actively manage dynamic content, your database is too cumbersome to manage advanced personalization, or you are so overwhelmed by all of your options that you're paralyzed--stop, take a step back and look at the situation as a whole.
  • Let's Review
    How many times have we heard this from a college professor or a speaker at the end of a presentation? The approach of a new year is the perfect time to ask ourselves, "Where do we go from here?,"as the Email Experience Council's Ali Swerdlow asked in last week's column. It is also helpful to review the past year's efforts. What were our successes in the email channel and what were the failures? Why did they succeed or fail?
  • The Continuing Conversation
    Well, the Email Insider Summit is now officially over, but the conversation continues....
  • Ask The E-mail Diva: Spam And E-mail Acquisition
    The E-mail Diva fields a basic but important question about spam, along with a query spotlighting the perils of using e-mail to add customers.
  • Strategic Takeaways From The Email Insider Summit
    It can be dangerous to go high atop a mountain with a bunch of e-mail marketers, a few of whom just might take the fast route down. But we had no major injuries; we brought together a bunch of really good thinkers; and I think we put together one of the better events of the year. Why? Well, I'm biased, but there is a place for networking discussions around the real issues we don't broadcast publicly. That was the essence and theme of the Summit.
  • Where Do We Go From Here?
    After spending an amazing three days at the MediaPost Email Insider Summit, we are back to reality. The hectic and busy pre-holiday wrap-ups quickly begin to eat away the excitement and passion instilled by the speakers and conversations from the event....
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