Email Marketing RulesDigital Channel Strategy: Strengths & Weaknesses of Email, SMS, & Push
Posted on August 19, 2024
Brands are increasingly building out their SMS and mobile push messaging audiences to supplement their well-established email marketing programs. However, as these audiences grow, it becomes more important to have a clear digital channel strategy that leverages each channel optimally.
Devising an effective cross-channel messaging strategy starts by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each of these three channels. Let’s start with…
Is Cold Email Dead?
Posted on August 13, 2024
I was recently asked this question and struggled to give a quick and clear answer. After considerable thought, I realized it’s hard to answer that question because it’s actually multiple questions rolled into one.
So, let’s tease this question apart to get at the key issues, including legality and effectiveness.
Seasonal Email Strategies: Stand Out on Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Posted on August 9, 2024
Everyone wants to have their email marketing campaigns stand out during the Thanksgiving–to–Cyber Monday time period. And for good reason. Based on an examination of email campaign performance among retailers and ecommerce brands using Oracle Responsys, campaigns sent during the Cyber 5 weekend routinely generate the highest revenue per email for the whole year—by far.
However, marketing emails aren’t ads. They’re not about shouting the loudest, flashing the brightest colors, or being the most sensational or shocking. They’re also not about abusing trust with misleading or vague copy.
There are two components in the battle for holiday email marketing attention.
CDP vs. MDW vs. CRM vs. CDM vs. DMP: How They Differ & How They Might Work Together
Posted on August 8, 2024
When it comes to managing your customer data, brands have many options. However, all of those options are not created equal. Key differences are not always easy to identify, especially when solutions have legitimate overlap in some characteristics and functionality. This confusion is particularly acute around customer data platforms (CDPs) and adjacent technologies, which is raising doubts among brands as to which solutions truly meet their needs.
Let’s examine how CDPs like Oracle Unity stack up against marketing data warehouses (MDW), customer relationship management (CRM) systems, customer data management (CDM) systems, and data management platforms (DMPs). But first, let’s look at…
The Last Word on July 2024
Posted on August 6, 2024
A roundup of digital and email marketing articles, posts, and social buzz you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
Hartley Thrown Out: Good News for Permission, Bad News for Spammers (Spamtacular)
Authenticity in the Age of AI (Christopher S. Penn)
In Shock Decision, Google Abandons Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Plans (The Drum)
A Customer Just Unsubscribed! What Are They Telling You? Are You Even Listening? (Only Influencers)
Something Phishy About AI: Threat Actors Are Using It In Email Attacks (MediaPost)
Insightful & entertaining social posts
Huge respect to the developers who work on HTML emails for a living. This stuff is painful 😅
— Josh W. Comeau (@JoshWComeau) July 14, 2024
Hey if you’re looking for a postmaster position, you’re in luck -> job openings recently increased by 14%
Go postmasters!!! pic.twitter.com/5F6QYtEBTf
— Keith Kouzmanoff (@emailmp) July 15, 2024
Simone Biles and Snoop Dog’s shirt are a perfect 10 🏆
Happy Olympic Games season! #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/jBPYMS7l9S
— Litmus (@litmusapp) July 29, 2024
Noteworthy subject lines
Gap, 7/10 – The Team USA Collection
Fanatics.com, 7/3 – GET IT NOW: USA Basketball Collection
Michaels, 7/15 – 🏅❤️🤍💙 From opening ceremony watch parties to festive décor, we’ve got you!
FIGS, 7/18 – FIGS x Team USA🥇🩺
Chubbies Weekender, 7/26 – SPORTS WE THINK SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SUMMER 2028 OLYMPICS
Macy’s, 7/2 – Ready for the 4th? Open for savings as amazing as our fireworks 🎆
IKEA Family, 7/16 – Don’t miss the Ready for College Event!
Forever 21, 7/21 – TGIF ♡ Dorm Life Deals from $10
Disney Store, 7/10 – Back to School Varsity Jackets get a ⭐
Bass Pro Shops, 7/1 – It’s National Grilling Month
Allrecipes The Scoop, 7/1 – Secret Family Recipes and Top Tips for the Ultimate Summer Party
Crate & Barrel, 7/10 – Summer camp season is here—get your little geared up
Columbia, 7/13 – Gear that’s up for a hike & adventure in town.
The North Face, 7/9 – Hats, shorts and hoodies for the highest temps.
West Elm, 7/20 – How to *always* dine outside
Goldbelly, 7/30 – The Hot 100 Foods of Summer!😎
Spirit Halloween, 7/16 – 🔪🍼 NEW horror babies are here!
HP.com, 7/16 – Black Friday in July | Sale ends tomorrow
Wayfair, 7/26 – ⚡ BLACK FRIDAY IN JULY ⚡ STARTS NOW ⚡
Bed Bath & Beyond, 7/12 – It’s Never too Early For Holiday Cheer ✨
Harry the Revenge Seeking Hydrant, 7/7 – Your dog has peed on me over 400 times…
Priceline, 7/5 – ⇊ How to get free drinks at sea ⇊
Uncommon Goods, 7/2 – Back in stock
Huckberry, 7/14 – It’s Here: Our #1 Most Requested Restock
Neiman Marcus, 7/10 – Gucci Tennis 1977 sneakers for women & men
Levi’s® Collaborations, 7/3 – Off to the races with Levi’s® x McLaren Racing
Williams Sonoma, 7/6 – Plan a Bridgerton-inspired brunch 🌸🥂 + Up to 75% OFF during our 4th of July Sale
Everlane Men, 7/6 – Since You Aren’t Watching That Movie
Magic: The Gathering, 7/1 – Miss MagicCon? Catch up on the latest reveals!
Dell Technologies, 7/25 – Your AI journey begins with Dell.
Crate & Kids, 7/23 – Sleep expert Dr. Aubrie DeBear shares her tips→
YETI, 7/28 – A Film About Friendship, Fishing…
Uncommon Goods, 7/22 – Celebrating 25 years of independent artists
Michaels, 7/1 – ✨✨Our Regencycore décor collection has gone viral! ✨✨
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
5 Steps to Optimize Web Modals & Boost Visitor Engagement
Third Quarter 2024 Holiday Marketing Quarterly
12 Trends a-Trending: What to Plan for This Holiday Season [with on-demand webinar]
Posted on August 1, 2024
The 2024 holiday season is shaping up to be as dynamic and turbulent as it has been in recent years, but in different ways. Knowing what to expect and proper planning can help make the best of another tough holiday season.
Here are our predictions for 12 trends to account for as you plan your holiday customer experience and digital marketing campaigns:
5 Steps to Optimize Web Modals & Boost Visitor Engagement
Posted on July 22, 2024
Popups, popovers, slide-ins, lightboxes, and other web modals are powerful because they demand attention. That’s why so many brands use them to drive email signups, SMS opt-ins, lead generation content downloads, event registrations, and other audience-building efforts.
However, when modals demand too much attention too loudly or too often, they can be incredibly annoying. That can lead to an increase in site abandonment, and even keep consumers from returning if they anticipate being harassed by modals every time they visit.
Once you’ve determined the goal of your modal and crafted messaging that’s aligned with that goal, use these five modal characteristics to maximize its performance while minimizing its annoyance.
Third Quarter 2024 Holiday Marketing Quarterly
Posted on July 15, 2024
The holiday season doesn’t have an off-season. Having a successful holiday season means executing a successful year-round strategy. Oracle’s Holiday Marketing Quarterly gives you a quarter-by-quarter plan for how to achieve more during this critical time of the year.
The third quarter is focused on the final prep for the start of the holiday season. In this Holiday Marketing Quarterly, we’ll cover:
- Campaign Planning
- Workload Management
- Contingency Planning
- Audience Optimization
- Performance Monitoring Plans
- Solidifying Your MarTech Stack
For the full checklist…
>> Get the Holiday Marketing Quarterly for free via a no-form download
The Last Word on June 2024
Posted on July 10, 2024
A roundup of digital and email marketing articles, posts, and social buzz you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
DMARC: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Word to the Wise)
Yahoo Mail Redesigns the Inbox for a Cleaner, Smarter, and Simpler Experience (Yahoo)
How AI Amplifies ‘Fauxthenticity’ (Only Influencers)
Bot or Not: Understanding Email Bot Clicks (Braze)
The Generational Email Effect (Exclaimer)
Insightful & entertaining social posts
The only perspective on AI that matters pic.twitter.com/FSkGIeirRv
— Nathalie Gordon (@awlilnatty) June 2, 2024
Ever received an email with a subject line that awkwardly cuts off? 🫣
It’s the longest day of the year, so *naturally* we’re thinking about long subject lines. (Happy #SummerSolstice to those who observe! ☀️) pic.twitter.com/El1joQ79YZ
— Litmus (@litmusapp) June 20, 2024
Noteworthy subject lines
Gap, 6/18 – The Team USA Collection
J.Crew, 6/4 – Summer 2024 with USA Swimming
Columbia, 6/21 – Celebrate the 4th with new Americana gear!
Michaels, 6/19 – ❤️🤍💙 Welcome summer with patriotic party supplies and DIYs! ❤️🤍💙
Uncommon Goods, 6/17 – How to WOW on July 4th
IKEA Family, 6/3 – How are you celebrating Pride Month?
Redbubble, 6/20 – Let’s talk about Pride 🌈
Crate & Barrel, 6/16 – Get your order as fast as 7 (!!) days →
IKEA Family, 6/10 – Coming soon: the IKEA Grad Bash 2024!
Bed Bath & Beyond, 6/ 5 – Massive Markdowns on Gifts for Grads 🎓
Columbia, 6/2 – Gift dad the best, from $ to $$$.
Clinique Online, 6/16 – Dermatological solutions for summer 💪☀️
The Company Store, 6/5 – 😴🧊 Sleep Cool & Save: Up to 35% Off
Superdry, 6/4 – New Arrivals in Crochet
Levi’s, 6/21 – (Officially) summer styling’ 😎
REI, 6/27 – Hiking & backpacking deals, ready for summer
AutoZone, 6/20 – Is your vehicle read for the heat?
Spirit Halloween, 6/5 – 🙌 Spirit Halloween is hiring!
Crate & Barrel, 6/19 – Couches worth canceling plans for →
Scout from BARK, 6/25 – FOUND: a FREE Fi Collar to keep your pup safe
Chubbies, 6/21 – ⏰⏰⏰
VS PINK, 6/3 – All 👚 Of 👛 This 👙 Buy 2, Get 1 FREE
Everlane, 6/27 – Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Di
Allbirds, 6/5 – Top-To-Bottom Black
J.Crew, 6/27 – Get to know our summer best sellers
Huckberry, 6/27 – Now Trending: “Carmy” Style
Disney Store, 6/17 – 🐝What’s the buzz? New Disney Winnie the Pooh arrivals!
Chubbies, 6/27 – The 🐻 is back.
kate spade, 6/21 – Now on sale: the Dumpling collection
Urban Outfitters, 6/21 – UO EXCLUSIVE: Gracie Abrams 💜
adidas CONFIRMED, 6/27 – adidas Originals x JJJJound
Allrecipes The Scoop, 6/25 – Never Peel Eggs Again with This Hack
Bass Pro Shops, 6/24 – Now’s The Time To Redeem Your Gift Card!
IKEA Family, 6/7 – Let’s say ‘Hej’ on WhatsApp!📱
Macy’s, 6/25 – 40-50% off sandals only in the app
Patagonia, 6/21 – Patagonia Films on YouTube
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
Digital Marketing in 2030: Major Changes & How to Adapt [with on-demand webinar]
How to Identify & Create More Great Customers
Leadership & Fatherhood: An Inspiring Father’s Day Tribute
Things I’ve Read about Email Marketing that Are Simply Wrong
What Email Marketers Should Be Upset About
Evolving Your Account-Based Marketing Program [with on-demand webinar]
Apple & Yahoo Back 2 Worrisome Trends for Email Marketers
Posted on July 8, 2024
Marketers have reasons to be concerned by the upcoming inbox changes that were announced by Apple on June 10 and Yahoo on June 11. Those changes entail Apple adding tabs to Apple Mail, and both Apple and Yahoo adding AI-generated summaries to emails.
Let’s talk in more detail about each and what the concerns are.
Welcome! Email Marketing Rules is your guide to understanding the best practices of this complex, often misunderstood channel as you craft the best executions for your brand. Every week, we’ll explore strategies and tactics, discuss tips and inspiration, and dig into industry news and trends.
Chad S. White
Head of Research
Oracle Digital Experience Agency
Author of Email Marketing Rules and nearly 4,000 articles about digital and email marketing
