Goodmail systems® Contributed Articles

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The following articles were authored by Goodmail and contributed to publications.

2008

4 Steps to Better E-mail Deliverability
In my live chat from the Nov. 13 All About eMail Virtual Conference & Expo presented by eM+C, I answered questions from listeners about e-mail deliverability. Here are some of the e-mail deliverability best practices that I shared with the audience. With an estimated 80 percent of all Americans using e-mail, it's become the medium of choice for marketers. To be effective, however, e-mail marketing messages must get delivered. Delivery of e-mail requires a basic understanding of deliverability technologies, as well as the deployment of industry best practices that ensure marketers operate within the acceptable parameters of mailbox operators. E-mail marketing success, however, goes beyond just technology and deliverability. Response is what matters most in an e-mail campaign. There are four critical things to keep in mind to be effective at driving response: relevancy, frequency, value and respect... | Charles Stiles contributing to eMarketing and Commerce
AOTA Email Academy - Changing Rules Of Interactive Marketing & Email Deliverability
An article in the AOTA newsletter, contributed by Charles Stiles, VP of Business Development, at Goodmail
Nov 1, 2008 - I was recently approached about participating in an activity that immediately followed the Authentication and Online Trust Alliance Summit for the purpose of educating participants on all aspects of email deliverability. While this isn't an uncommon topic, I was a little confused that the target audience was comprised of industry professionals, I had thought many of which have been in this space for years. Not only did I expect that most of them know this inside and out, but many should be considered experts. Welcome to the dynamics of email and its evolutionary nature. Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about email, someone comes and changes the rules.... | Charles Stiles contriguting to the AOTA Email Academy
The Next revolution in email marketing (pdf)
An article in the DMNews Essential Guide to Email Marketing 2008 [page 16],
contributed by Peter Horan, CEO of Goodmail
The e-mail inbox lies at the convergence point of two mega trends in advertising: Marketers forming direct relationships with consumers and marketers working to deliver more relevant, specifically targeted messages to consumers. The inbox uniquely allows marketers to address interested consumers in context. As a result, it verges on becoming a major online advertising medium. However, it remains to be seen how quickly the potential of the inbox will be realized. Much will hinge on eliminating the clutter and aggravation caused by spam, phishing and viruses. These attacks have forced ISPs to adopt draconian measures to protect their subscribers, impeding the medium’s creative and functional capabilities... | Peter Horan contributing to DMNews' Essential Guide to Email Marketing 2008
Email gets rich
Jordan Cohen, senior director of industry relations at Goodmail, says that certified email is the foundation for future changes in the way consumers interact with email. "Email is poised to not be the redheaded stepchild of the market anymore," he says. "It will become elevated in importance, especially in certain groups. It will skyrocket the value of the inventory [of products being sold] and provide so much value." Cohen says marketers will be able to take email where it should have gone years ago: to include video ads and interact with consumers via rich media. He calls email a potential hybrid direct marketing and advertising vehicle. "Email is an archaic medium. It's archaic in terms of what content publishers are able to do with it," he says. "It's 2008 and you can't see video in email. That's truly pathetic." | Jordan Cohen contributing to 1to1 Media
Last-minute campaign help for the holidays
There's still time to tweak your seasonal campaigns. Four industry pros say making small changes in your e-mail, insert, e-commerce or search efforts can make all the difference.
While your customers will drive themselves nuts figuring out how to deliver “value add” and meaningful presents to their loved ones during the holidays, marketers must similarly think about how their e-mail campaigns can add value to customers' lives during the gift-purchasing process.First, use past purchase and browsing behaviors to develop offers. Segment and use dynamic content to closely match offers to your recipients' interests. Look especially for customers that have already used your Web site to send someone else one of your products — the odds are pretty decent that they're going to need to send that same recipient a gift for the holidays as well. | Jordan Cohen contributing to DMNews
5 ways to make your emails spoof proof
Spammers and hackers keep getting more creative when it comes to infiltrating inboxes and infuriating consumers. Learn to protect your subscribers and your image
More than 850 million spoof emails arrived in consumers' inboxes this past August mimicking the prominent news media brands CNN and MSNBC and calling into question the integrity and safety of emails from these and other well-known and trusted media organizations. While many consumers may already be skeptical about emails that claim to be from their bank or request their social security numbers, they are now left wondering whether something as innocent as reading the morning headlines might result in a stolen identity or a hacked computer. | Jordan Cohen, contributing to iMedia Connection
DMNews Toolbox: Turning Web Visitors Into Leads, Creating E-Mail Trust And More
What Tools Can E-Mail Marketers Use to Build Greater Audience Trust
"What's often overlooked," offers Charles Stiles, VP, worldwide development, Goodmail Systems, "is that before being accepted into whitelists and reputation management services, senders must already have stellar reputations and high rust factors. Many ingredients go into building trust with your audience and getting whitelisted and certified, but topmost is remembering that consent is not a panacea. Ensure that messages you send are relevant, valuable and in line with recipients' expectations." he suggests that marketers provide clear and conspicuous notice at the time of sign up to set those expectactions, and maintain a messaging preference center to accomodate recipeints' evolving whishes. "Let them adjust content and frequency. Monitor all available data - especially abuse/complaint rates - to ensure that your program remains trusted with each campaign you deploy." | Charles Stiles, contributing to DMNews (September 2008, print edition)
Make money off e-mail before hitting send
A few months ago, the Federal Trade Commission approved a new rule provision under the CAN-SPAM Act that clarified opt-out and other legal responsibilities for “multiple sender” e-mail messages — those messages that contain advertisements from numerous parties. Before the ruling, many senders were unclear about what was required in such situations. A strict reading of the law would have it that each entity whose products and services were advertised in an e-mail should pool and process their opt-out files before deployment of every campaign and that each message should contain an unsubscribe link for each and every marketer... | Jordan Cohen, contributing to DMNews
Join Together to Improve E-mail’s Trust Factor
In many ways, the nearly 10-year-old spam debate in this country has mirrored the great national political debate, with highly polarized sides, many ups and downs, and glimmers of productive industry cooperation here and there. If you look back at the past eight years in this country, you can rightfully wonder whether we've made any progress and are on the right track. The election in November presents a thematically opportune moment to reflect on the spam debate -- past, present and future. Progress has been slow and difficult. The majority of e-mail hitting ISPs' networks is still junk. Consumers still report missing e-mails they signed up for when overzealous spam filters take over. ... | Jordan Cohen, contributing to eMarketingandCommerce.com
Trust is the key to e-mail marketing excellence
There's no doubt that e-mail occupies a growing role in marketers' plans and programs — the DMA recently revealed that it is now the most widely used direct marketing channel — but despite its unique ability to cultivate one-to-one customer dialogs and off-the-charts ROI, it still doesn't get anywhere near the respect that other media do. | Jordan Cohen (Sr. Director of Public Relations at Goodmail), special feature to DMNews