Email Marketing RulesWebinar Recording + Q&A: 2017 State of Email Report
Posted on June 14, 2017
Email is a constantly changing landscape of email clients, support, and marketing trends. The email client ecosystem continues to be fragmented and dynamic, and email clients can drop and add support for critical email elements without warning. Combine that with the fact that consumers’ definition of spam is changing, and it’s pretty clear that email marketers have a lot to contend with as they adapt their email programs in 2017.
In this webinar, Kayla Lewkowicz, Kevin Mandeville, and I share the findings and our advice from the 2017 State of Email Report so you can arm yourself and your team with knowledge to navigate these changes and build email campaigns that surprise, delight, and ultimately, convert.
In particular, we focus on:
- Changes in email clients, including support for HTML5 video in iOS and responsive design in Gmail
- Changes in how consumers define “spam” and the reasons that drive consumers to report emails as spam
- Trends around interactive emails and gamification
- The biggest trends in email marketing for 2017
- Email workflow trends and opportunities to streamline your email production
To view the webinar recording and download the slides…
>> Visit the Litmus blog
LiveIntent’s Everything Email Podcast: The 6 Stages of the Subscriber Lifecycle and More
Posted on June 13, 2017
In this episode of the Everything Email Podcast, I join the show’s hosts, Ali Swerdlow and Kerel Cooper, to discuss:
- The 6 stages of the subscriber lifecycle: acquisition, onboarding, engagement, super-engagement, re-engagement, and transition
- How email attention spans have increased over the past 6 years
- Email virality, including what drives it, what subscriber lifecycle is most conducive to creating it, and how it differs from social virality
For the full discussion…
>> Listen to the podcast on the LiveIntent blog
And for a deeper dive, check out:
More Email Marketing Workflows Incorporating Task Runners & Static Site Generators
Posted on June 7, 2017
We continue to see web development tools being adopted by email developers. Two such tools are task runners and static site generators.
Task runners automate repetitive tasks such as inlining CSS and sending test emails. Static site generators are build systems for flat files that allow you to templatize and break down email elements, making them easier to edit and control
Usage of both of these have increased among email marketers, according to our 2017 State of Email Workflows report. Eight and a half percent of email marketers are now using task runners as part of their email production workflow, up from 6.7% in 2015. And 9.2% of email marketers are using static site generators, up from 5.2% in 2015.
>> Read the full post on the Litmus blog
What People Are Saying about the 3rd Edition of ‘Email Marketing Rules’
Posted on June 6, 2017
I’m beyond thrilled with the initial reaction to the latest edition of my book, Email Marketing Rules, which is thoroughly updated and greatly expanded. Compared to the 2nd Edition, the 3rd Edition has…
- 30 new rules, with many of them focused on best practices around deliverability and workflows
- 7 new chapters, including ones on subject line and preview text writing, subscriber journeys, the minimum viable email, recovering from email mistakes, and email marketing attribution
- 3 times as many charts and diagrams, including ones about the transactional email spectrum, components of an email opt-in, and the email audience funnel
- 152 more pages, making it perhaps the most comprehensive email marketing book ever written
Here is some of the early praise for the new edition:
“Chad is dead on with this book. Stop chasing the next new thing and get good at email.”
—JOE PULIZZI, Founder of the Content Marketing Institute; author of five books, including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing
“Email marketing is more critical than ever. Email Marketing Rules is timely, relevant, and necessary. Highly recommended!”
—JAY BAER, President of Convince & Convert; author of Hug Your Haters and Youtility
“Chad is honestly one of the brightest minds in email marketing, and this book is the gold standard on email best practices.”
—MATHEW SWEEZEY, Principal of Marketing Insights at Salesforce; author of Marketing Automation for Dummies
“Avoid leaving money on the table. Email Marketing Rules gives you a well-structured, easy-to-follow template for reviewing and improving your program.”
—DR. DAVE CHAFFEY, CEO & Publisher of SmartInsights.com; digital marketing author
“I train hundreds of email marketers and reference this book regularly. A must-have.”
—KRISTIN BOND, Sr. Email Marketing Manager at Girl Scouts; Co-Founder of Women of Email
“Chad White lays out the key ‘rules’ required to take your program to the next level. Ignore them and you risk being left behind by competitors.”
—LOREN McDONALD, Marketing Evangelist at IBM Watson Marketing
“The Wikipedia of email marketing. You simply can’t find a more comprehensive all-in-one resource.”
—JUSTINE JORDAN, VP of Marketing at Litmus; 2015 EEC Email Marketing Thought Leader of the Year
“Chad White is one of the top thinkers in the email world! Anytime I am asked how someone can learn more about email, I reference this book.”
—SIMMS JENKINS, Founder & CEO of BrightWave; author of The New Inbox and The Truth About Email Marketing
“A clearly written guide…from a master of retail email marketing. A must-read.”
—DON DAVIS, Editor in Chief of Internet Retailer Magazine
“Chad White provides a clear reminder that email marketing done right remains one of the most powerful marketing tactics available today. Read this book.”
—JEFFREY K. ROHRS, Chief Marketing Officer of Yext; author of AUDIENCE
“Incredibly thorough and packed with the most useful content of ANY book on email marketing!”
—JOEL BOOK, Senior Director of Digital Marketing Insight at Salesforce
The 3rd Edition of Email Marketing Rules is available in paperback and Kindle versions.
>> Get your copy today on Amazon.com
The 3rd Edition of ‘Email Marketing Rules’ Is Now Available!
Posted on June 2, 2017
I’m thrilled to announce the release of the 3rd Edition of my book, Email Marketing Rules, which is available on Amazon.com in both print and digital versions.
Updated and greatly expanded, the 3rd Edition of Email Marketing Rules demystifies this vital channel, taking you step by step through 150 best practices, providing extensive tactical checklists, and giving you strategic frameworks for long-term success. It will help you…
- Set the right program goals by understanding “deep metrics” and properly interpreting campaign, channel, and subscriber metrics
- Build high-performance lists by identifying valuable subscriber acquisition sources, using appropriate permission practices, and managing inactives wisely
- Ensure your emails are delivered by understanding the factors that cause inbox providers to block senders
- Craft relevant messaging with effective subject lines, savvy designs, and smart targeting
- Automate your messaging so you address moments that matter and create highly engaging subscriber journeys
- Develop solid workflows that avoid errors and speed up production
You can preview the book below or by visiting Amazon.com and clicking on “Look Inside” above the cover image.
The Last Word on May 2017
Posted on June 1, 2017
A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, and tweets you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
The Halo Effect: Marketers Stuck In Last-Click Attribution (MediaPost)
The New Age Of Infinite Media And What It Means For Marketing (Forbes)
Using the Customer Journey to Help You Achieve Sales Success (Pipedrive)
Email code easter eggs (Kurated Email Design)
3 Types of Email Preference Centers (SendGrid)
Stop Shaming Your Users for Micro Conversions (Nielsen Norman Group)
The rise of the chief marketing technologist (IBM Think Marketing)
9 Psychology-Based Pricing Strategies You Can Use Today (+ Swipe File) (Sleeknote)
Insightful & entertaining tweets
BIG DAY #eec2017 pic.twitter.com/W9oNTtHQtS
— Alessandra Souers (@asouers) May 1, 2017
The State of Email Marketing 2017 [Infographic] https://t.co/irRX5fjn2W pic.twitter.com/w90T67Txxw
— Dr Dave Chaffey (@DaveChaffey) May 5, 2017
Future jobs for marketers: fixing AI mistakes & adding the human element. Must use left & right sides of the brain. @LorenMcDonald #DSATL
— Amanda Wemette (@AmandaWemette) May 23, 2017
Noteworthy subject lines
ToysRUs & BabiesRUs ,5/14 – Mom?Mom!Moooommmm…
AutoAnything, 5/7 – Who Says All Moms Want Flowers?
SeaWorld Orlando, 5/13 – Quiz Time: What type of mother are you?
Under Armour, 5/8 – Forgot Something? Like…Mother’s Day?
Bonobos, 5/7 – Put mom’s good genes to use.
Barneys New York, 5/11 – Celebrate Mother’s Day Like a Supermodel with Christy Turlington
Vera Bradley, 5/22 – Brooke Webb of KBStyled reveals her favorite gifts for grads!
Under Armour, 5/15 – UA Stars & Stripes Collection—Pride Meets Performance
Sesame Place, 5/1 — THIS WEEKEND: Elmo is wondering about MAGIC!
Walmart, 5/26 – You go, grill!
UncommonGoods, 5/30 – Three Words: National. Doughnut. Day.
Anthropologie, 5/22 – Another reason to join AnthroPerks? FREE SHIPPING.
The North Face, 5/9 – Our weatherproof travel jacket packs flat in four folds.
J.Crew, 5/10 – The dress to wear @work right now
Ann Taylor, 5/30 – Dresses For Every R.S.V.P.
ModCloth, 5/30 – Sun, sand, & smiles. What’s missing?
J.Crew, 5/15 – This sold-out one-piece swimsuit is back – get in there
Sony Electronics, 5/7 – Nearly 100,000 View In This Email Alone
Pier 1 Imports, 5/12 – As seen in Woman’s Day.
ASPCA, 5/26 – Meet the ASPCA 2018 Calendar Cover Star
Threadless, 5/22 – I literally can knot.
Victoria’s Secret, 5/30 – Knotty by nature
Nike, 5/22 – Free Hugs on Every Run
Moosejaw, 5/9 – My Mean Boss wants you to save up to 25% off.
ToysRUs, 5/7 – Know Who Else Sells These Toys? Neither Do We.
RH, 5/15 – The Milo Baughman #3426 Chair. Watch the Film “The Master of Modern.”
Victoria’s Secret PINK, 5/20 – Weekend uniform inspo, inside —>
Carnival Cruise Line, 5/7 – Don’t Delete! You’re Invited To Cruise On The Vacation You Need
Lands’ End, 5/22 – R.E.S.P.E.C.TEE + 30% off ends today
Chipotle, 5/8 – Lollapolooza+LifeIsBeautiful+AustinCityLimits = TRIFESTA VIP Giveaway
Ikea, 5/26 – Bold patterns for all – AVSIKTLIG!
West Elm, 5/14 – Make your weekend 10000x better (Up to 30% off!)
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
The Email Design Podcast #62: 2017 State of Email Workflows (Part II)
The Email Design Podcast #61: 2017 State of Email Workflows (Part I)
What Is the Biggest Email Marketing Myth?
Marketing Cloudcast: It’s 2017. Are You Still Making These Email Marketing Mistakes?
Top Email Copy Tips from 12 Email Experts
The Email Design Podcast #62: 2017 State of Email Workflows (Part II)
Posted on May 24, 2017
In this episode of The Email Design Podcast, I continue my conversation with host Kevin Mandeville about the findings of our 2017 State of Email Workflow.
In Part 1, we talked about content planning, production cycles, and email design and development tools. In Part 2, we walk through the sections of the report about…
- Quality assurance
- Approval processes
- Email platforms
- Interventions and apologies
>> Listen to the podcast on the Litmus blog
The Email Design Podcast #61: 2017 State of Email Workflows (Part I)
Posted on May 12, 2017
In this episode of The Email Design Podcast, I speak with host Kevin Mandeville about the findings of our 2017 State of Email Workflow.
We walk through each section of the report, talking about…
- Content planning
- Production cycles
- Email design and development tools
…before running out of time. We then recorded Part II, which covers the other topics in the report and will be released next week. But first things first: Here’s Part I.
>> Listen to the podcast on the Litmus blog
What Is the Biggest Email Marketing Myth?
Posted on May 11, 2017
Doing email marketing right is challenging in the best of circumstances. But it’s made more difficult by all of the outdated and just plain wrong advice out there that leads marketers astray.
To put you on the right course, we’re busting 25 email marketing myths—many of which you’ve probably heard repeated so many times that you’d swear they were true.
Along with a brief explanation of the truth, we provide a link to a full exploration of the issue so you can appreciate the entire context of it.
Which email marketing myth do you think is the biggest?
>> Read the full post on the Litmus blog
Marketing Cloudcast: It’s 2017. Are You Still Making These Email Marketing Mistakes?
Posted on May 10, 2017
I was fortunate to be asked back to be a guest again on Salesforce’s Marketing Cloudcast, which is hosted by Heike Young and Joel Book. During the 34-minute episode, we discussed the upcoming 3rd edition of my book, Email Marketing Rules, and what has changed over the years and is on the horizon.
Over the course of the podcast, we also talked about six mistakes that marketers continue to make in 2017 when it comes to email:
- Committing email marketing that’s neither functional nor respectful.
- Letting email marketing efforts transpire in a silo.
- Neglecting email for other channels where consumers don’t actually want brand interaction.
- Not leveraging the power of mobile.
- Sending more emails instead of better emails.
- Not personalizing for today’s high-expectation consumer.
I shared advice on how to avoid those mistakes, and much more.
>> Listen to the Marketing Cloudcast
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
