Email Marketing RulesWhat Makes Enterprise Email Marketing Different
Posted on March 31, 2026
Enterprise email marketing and SMB email marketing use the same protocols, the same inbox providers, the same basic formats. But the operational reality behind them is so different that organizations scaling from mid-market to enterprise often discover their tools, processes, and team structures need to be rebuilt from the foundation up.
This post by Knak dives into the critical elements that allow SMB email programs to grow to enterprise scale, covering:
- Signs you’ve outgrown your email marketing tools
- Brand governance and speed in enterprise email
- Why email creation is the enterprise bottleneck
- Proportional governance for enterprise email programs
- Measuring business outcomes, not campaign metrics
Less Copy, More Clicks: 9 Proven Ways to Improve Marketing Message Performance
Posted on March 27, 2026
Attention is scarce. Performance is everything.
Marketers invest heavily in identity resolution, predictive intelligence, and real-time activation to reach the right consumers. But even the most sophisticated targeting can underperform if the message itself creates friction.
In permission-based channels like email, SMS, RCS, and push, you have already earned access. The subscriber opted in. The real challenge is not breaking through the noise, but converting attention into action. That requires discipline.
Concise, value-driven messaging consistently outperforms bloated creative because it respects time, sharpens intent, and drives faster decisions. In our client’s campaigns across retail, financial services, and travel, Zeta’s Creative Studio team repeatedly sees that clarity increases click-through rates, reduces drop-off, and improves downstream conversion.
When real-time signals identify high-intent prospects, brevity becomes a force multiplier.
Here are nine practical ways to craft promotional messages that convert.
How Marketers Can Adapt to Gmail’s ‘Manage Subscriptions’
Posted on March 23, 2026
“Received too many emails” has perennially been one of the top reasons consumers unsubscribe. Google is clearly trying to address this complaint with the “Manage Subscriptions” functionality it launched in Gmail last year and rolled out over the course of subsequent months. However, the functionality is hampered by flaws that limit its usefulness for consumers, while at the same time arbitrarily punishing some marketers.
Litmus Live: Omnichannel Subscribers + Email Accessibility Mistakes
Posted on March 16, 2026
If you missed Litmus Live, now is your chance to watch all the sessions on-demand on YouTube. Those include my session on managing omnichannel subscribers better, and a session on email accessibility mistakes by my colleague Tylor Loposser and former colleague Lauren Castady.
How Ethical Are Your Digital Marketing Tactics?
Posted on March 11, 2026
The issue of ethics in digital marketing is being supercharged by advancements in data management, machine learning, generative AI, and AI agents. In particular, that last one is ringing alarm bells for brands. According to an EMarketer survey, 71% of national brands say that marketers need to establish ethical and privacy standards for agent-led recommendations and purchases.
Looking more broadly, the core questions brands are asking themselves is:
Just because we can do something, does that mean we should? And if we should, how can we do it safely and ethically?
To spark internal conversations and help brands get alignment across their marketing teams, below are a bunch of statements about potential marketing tactics. Many involve AI, but not all. Rate the statements yourself, then have your teams rate them. Use those to identify the points of divergence. Foster conversations around those issues to get everyone on the same page and to refine your AI strategies.
It’s worth emphasizing that the list includes tactics that may run afoul of the law. While mitigating legal risk should absolutely be a goal of any brand, finding your brand’s ethical compass and building consensus around that is the primary intent of this exercise.
The Last Word on February 2026
Posted on March 9, 2026
A roundup of digital marketing and email marketing articles, posts, and social buzz you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
Something Messy Is Happening: On AI, Panic, and Asking Better Questions (Ann Handley)
AI Is Disrupting the Analyst Industry. And That’s Good News (for Buyers). (Email Vendor Selection)
How to Work with Headline Sizes (Type E)
We Need More Humanity in Email, Especially at Unsubscribe (MarTech)
Machine Customers: The Structural Break in Customer Experience (CMSWire)
Insightful & entertaining social posts
DAAAMN! Chatgpt just roasted me:
“You’re the one who voluntarily chose a career where mso- is a personality trait”.
Fair.
— Anne Tomlin (@pompeii79) February 17, 2026
Noteworthy subject lines
Crate & Barrel, 2/6 – Ready for Football’s Biggest Night? So is this living room makeover →
IKEA Family, 2/4 – Happy Lunar New Year from IKEA!
CHANEL, 2/6 – Celebrate Valentine’s Day enveloped in softness
Bed Bath & Beyond, 2/15 – Red, white & 25% off your order 🇺🇸
HP.com, 2/15 – Today only: A 17-inch AI laptop for $600 off!
GameStop, 2/27 – It’s Pokémon’s 30th anniversary! Time to celebrate 🥳⚡
Duluth Trading, 2/15 – Is It Spring Yet?
Goldbelly, 2/26 – Spring Break Bucket List 😎 Joe’s Stone Crab + Central Grocery + Franklin BBQ!
Crate & Barrel, 2/15 – Double Rewards + up to 50% off bestselling sofas? It’s upgrade time →
Olive Garden, 2/12 – Breadsticks > Bouquets
Clinique Online, 2/27 – Pretty pouts 🫦 yes please.
RH, 2/26 – Discover the Early Spring Sale. Up to 70% Off Hundreds of New Items.
IKEA Family, 2/27 – Life hack: Go modular! 🌎
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
Five Ways to Personalize Emails for New Subscribers
Fourth Quarter 2025 Email Marketing Benchmark Report
Don’t Discount These Four Trends Driving Innovation in Restaurant & Hospitality
Posted on March 6, 2026
After years of margin pressure and unpredictable demand, restaurant and hospitality brands are finding smarter ways to grow. The next wave of innovation is not about bigger discounts. It is about relevance.
In 2026, data, AI, and loyalty will converge to create truly individualized guest experiences that drive measurable business impact. The leaders will capture better data, use it responsibly, and activate personalization that feels effortless for guests.
Here are the trends that will be driving that shift.
3-Year Anniversary of the 4th Edition of ‘Email Marketing Rules’
Posted on March 5, 2026
Three years ago today, the two-volume 4th Edition of Email Marketing Rules was published. Weighing in at 677 pages, many consider it the most comprehensive set of books on email marketing ever. I’m exceedingly proud I’ve been able to provide marketers with a source of trusted advice on this critical marketing channel for the past 13 years!
100% of reviewers have given Email Marketing Rules 5 or 4 stars on Amazon.com, with more than 82% giving them 5 stars. If you’re one of the email geeks who has reviewed it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! If you’ve read either volume and haven’t left a review yet, please consider it. Every review makes a huge impact and helps guide new practitioners toward solid advice upon which to build their email marketing foundation.
Thanks again to everyone for your support. I feel exceedingly lucky to have stumbled—like so many of you—into this powerful and dynamic industry.
>> Find Email Marketing Rules on Amazon.com
Five Ways to Personalize Emails for New Subscribers
Posted on February 20, 2026
Marketers know that personalization is key to both increasing performance and boosting retention and loyalty. However, early in a new subscriber relationship, many marketers struggle to create relevant emails due to a lack of data.
However, sometimes this lack of data is due to poor integration, missed data collection opportunities, and gaps in data practices. Let’s look at several possibilities for the profiling of new email subscribers and what data opportunities are available in each case.
Fourth Quarter 2025 Email Marketing Benchmark Report
Posted on February 11, 2026
Zeta Global’s latest Email Marketing Benchmark report shares aggregated data on sends, open rates, click rates, click-to-open rates, and unsubscribe rates from Oct. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025, including year-over-year changes. The benchmarks are broken down by industry (e.g., retail; travel, hospitality & entertainment; financial services & insurance; and media) and by email type (e.g., promotional and triggered).
The report also includes:
- Commentary and context from our digital marketing experts so you can understand these changes
- Tips on how to use benchmarks effectively
- Discussions of the latest inbox provider changes from Gmail and Yahoo Mail and how they affect marketers
To get the report via a free, no-form download…
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
GVP of CRM Strategy
Zeta Global
Author of Email Marketing Rules and nearly 4,000 articles about digital and email marketing
