'Tis the Season for Standout Subject Lines

Your coveted spot in your customers' inboxes, where you appeared so reliably all year long, is now in jeopardy from all the holiday-related email campaigns poised to rain down on them now through Christmas. Your subject line will have to work harder than ever to help your messages stand out in the flood. This article tells you just what you have to do to stay front and center in your customers' inbox view. Read Full Article

Full Article | Email Feedback

Previous Optimization Article
Six Steps to a Happier Holiday Season

Additional Resources:

• Email Subject Lines: 15 Rules to Write Them Right
• EmailLabs' Subject-Line Tester
• Quick Tip: Help Your 'From' Line Help You

Crafting a Compelling Text Message

By Stefan Pollard

With HTML coming under attack from image-blocking, platforms that don't properly render it, and aggressive spam filtering that targets non-standard formatting or message size, it's more important than ever to create a text message as part of your regular mailings. In my regular ClickZ column, I explain why you should create attractive text alternatives for every email you send. Sometimes it's more important to get out the order confirmation, newsletter, sale announcement or breaking news than to fuss over how it looks. Plus, not everybody wants pictures in their email. Click here to read the full story.

Full Article | Email Feedback

Previous Delivery Trends Column
Reclaim Bad Addresses - Carefully

We know it's true, but it's always nice to see the numbers: the latest Direct Marketing Association report continues to affirm the supremacy of permission-based email.

Projected ROI per channel, 2006:

1. Email ROI per $1US spent: $51.45
2. Print catalogs: $7.20
3. Non-email Internet marketing: $21.08

Total industry spending projected 2006:

1. Email: $400 million
2. Print catalogs: $20 billion
3. Non-email Internet marketing: NSA

Projected sales generation, 2006:

1. Email: $18.5 million (+14.9%)
2. All direct marketing: $1.939 trillion
3. Non-email Internet marketing: $338.9 billion

Source: Direct Marketing Association Power of Direct report October 2006.

Question: We use the same subject line for each issue of our bi-monthly newsletter. Do you have any statistics to show whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage for our "read" percentage?

Answer: There aren't any reliable statistics that show whether a subject line that never varies will draw better or worse than one which changes to reflect the new content in each issue. You can test this on your own audience, however, using a standard A/B split test. However, unique subject lines serve your readers better. Click here to read why.

Full Answer | Got a Question? Ask EmailLabs
More Email Marketing FAQ's

Join Me for a Free HTML Design Webinar

Want to learn how to design HTML messages that will render better in your readers' email clients and inspire more action? I'll be in ClickTracks' Virtual Classroom Nov. 27-28 to discuss those topics plus these other crucial issues that block email program success:

• HTML design and coding for optimal inbox delivery
• Reducing spam signatures
• Combining text and images to improve readability
• Stylesheets and tables
• Layout tips for preview panes

When you sign up, you'll also receive our Complete Guide for Creating HTML E-mails. Discover how to optimize your email marketing ROI.

The Webinar is free, but space is limited, so sign up right away.

EmailLabs is a leading provider of high performance email marketing solutions to agencies, publishers and marketing, sales and customer service departments of middle-market and Global 2000 companies. The EmailLabs email marketing platform is provided as an ASP (Web-based) service, and is easily customized and integrated with a company's Web site, sales force automation and CRM technologies. The company provides email marketing solutions to more than 550 companies, including Nokia, Agilent, PalmSource and Jupitermedia. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., EmailLabs was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of Lyris, Inc. (OTCBB:JLHY).