The Ten Most-Ignored Best Practices

Our recent survey of 203 commercial email messages across 6 market segments found relatively few marketers utilized more than 1 or 2 of the 18 best practices we identified to get maximum return from their email programs. Only one practice - a working unsubscribe link - was adopted by 100% of senders reviewed in our audit. Read the full article to see which practices you might be ignoring.

Full Article | Email Feedback

Previous Optimization Article
Delivery is a Challenge for 82% of Marketers

Additional Resources:

• Email Marketing Best Practices and Quick Tips
• Designing Emails For the Preview Pane and Disabled Images
• Email Admin Center - The New Standard in Email Messages

FTC Actions Target Opt-Out Compliance, Phony Forwarding

By Kirill Popov

A couple of commonly used email tools, such as forward-to-a-friend messages and links to subscriber-preference pages, could land you in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission even if they even inadvertently violate the email regulations of CAN-SPAM. Read the full article to find out who the FTC just fined for noncompliance and how you can avoid the same fate.

Full Article | Email Feedback

Previous Delivery Trends Column
Email Authentication Picks Up Speed

Calculating the Cost of Increased Email Frequency

By Loren McDonald

When management needs some additional revenue, an increasingly popular directive is to ask the marketing team to "send more emails." That could be the right answer if you handle it properly. But significantly increasing frequency can lead to overmailing, and that can eat up your profits, damage your relationship with your customers and impair your deliverability. This article, first published in our regular ClickZ column on email deliverability, outlines the hidden risks and costs of overmailing your subscribers.

Full Article | Email Feedback

Previous The Lab Column
Are You Monitoring Your "Reply-To" Inbox?

How National Geographic Can Punch Up Your Subject Lines

By Loren McDonald

If you want to write better subject lines, article titles and teasers, reach for a National Geographic magazine cover and study the taglines. In just three to five well-chosen words, they draw the reader in past the classic yellow-rimmed cover with its gorgeous color photography to the cover story and secondary material. Read full article for some tips and sample covers

Full Article | Email Feedback

More Email Marketing Best Practices and Quick Tips

According to a survey by Direct and Multichannel Merchant magazines, business-to-business (B-to-B) marketers are less likely than their business-to-consumer (B-to-C) counterparts to have formal permission practices. The disparity doesn't alarm email analysts, however, who say B-to-B marketers are more likely to have previous relationships with their recipients. However, EmailLabs still recommends that marketers establish a basic permission policy and avoid opt-out marketing whenever possible.

Difference on Permission Use

Permission Practice Percentage Marketers with No Formal Permission Practice: B-to-B 39% B-to-C 7% Marketers Using Single Opt-In:   B-to-B 26% B-to-C 60% Marketers Using Double Opt-In: B-to-B 3% B-to-C 7% Marketers Using Opt-Out:   B-to-B 19% B-to-C 20% Source: Direct and Multichannel Merchant Magazine, 2006

More information: Permission Email Marketing: "Permission" is Not Optional

Question: Is there a best time of day to send emails?

Answer: Of course the optimum time depends on many variables, but read on for some suggestions on the perfect time to press the "send" button. Read full answer.

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

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 500 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).