While the movie "Snakes on a Plane" garnered most of the Internet buzz and fun this past summer, marketers are coming to realize that snakes in your database are no laughing matter either. If you think you have done everything possible to keep these critters from putting a stranglehold on your email marketing campaigns, think again.

I've been spending time examining supermarket e-mail newsletters as part of my research for the latest white paper I'm working on. It has been interesting to see how the e-mail marketing channel has been embraced by supermarket chains over the past year, and the impact those e-mails have had on driving traffic to the store's Web properties.

Dear E-mail Diva: How can our company offer an e-mail opt-in when all we are trying to do is build an interest in a twice-a-year fashion trade show? We don't sell a product, just an interest. Any ideas on how we can direct this towards possible future exhibitors as well as prospective attendees?

Tips are often fun to read, yet hard to implement. Just remember a few key points about these ideas.

Email standards are a big topic, especially the the "gray area" surrounding email appends. Should they be set as standards for appends moving forward?

We spent a good portion of last week's OMMA session examining the best Welcome Letters we received. While we go into detail in the white paper, here are some important takeaways.

Dear E-mail Diva, How can I demonstrate my thought leadership in the field of e-mail marketing and make a name for myself and my company? Signed, Brilliant But Unnoticed

For today, I'm here to help simplify your life. (Well, at least your e-mail program.) And most importantly, by doing this, I'm here to help you achieve something much more significant: making your customers' lives simpler.

Here's what I wish I could say to the next person who brags to me about the open or click-through rate (CTR) his latest e-mail campaign or newsletter just produced: "Would you just get over the open rate already?"

My name is Ali Swerdlow, and I am officially the first employee of the Email Experience Council. I started less than one week ago and my first day went a little something like this: "Hi Ali, welcome aboard. Next week is OMMA, and you are organizing our booth and all the materials we need to have to communicate who we are and what we do. Cool?"