Email Marketing RulesApple’s Link Tracking Protection: The Impact on Email & Other Channels
Posted on August 24, 2023
First Mail Privacy Protection, and now Link Tracking Protection (LTP). Apple’s latest platform privacy change will undoubtedly have already-traumatized marketers concerned, given how much MPP undermined open rates and made it much harder to only send to engaged email subscribers.
However, LTP is mostly aimed at online advertisers, so marketers will generally be much less affected by LTP than they’ve been by MPP. And some email marketers will almost entirely escape the effects of LTP.
We’ll talk about that all in detail, but first…
Rightsizing Your Use of Digital Marketing Agencies
Posted on August 21, 2023
Digital marketing programs are dynamic, with needs, goals, and circumstances that change from year to year—even quarter to quarter. Regardless of what is changing, working with a digital marketing agency can be the solution. That’s because most agencies offer a variety of kinds of engagements that range from short-term to long-term, as well as limited to extensive.
Here at Oracle Marketing Consulting, we have clients across all of those spectrums. We see them as falling into four kinds of engagements:
- Project-based engagements that are short-term and limited in scope
- Seasonal engagements that are short-term and extensive in scope
- Role-based engagements that are long-term and limited in scope
- Full service engagements that are long-term and extensive in scope
Let’s talk about each of those in more detail…
The B2B Content Show: Has Generative AI Established a New Content Floor?
Posted on August 17, 2023
For content creators and brands, this is a pivotal question. SparkToro’s Rand Fishkin argues that “If your content isn’t better than what AI can produce, it’s not worth making.” I mentioned Rand’s point of view in a MarketingProfs column, The Future of Content Marketing: Five Predictions, and added my own spin.
In this episode of The B2B Content Show podcast, I join host Jeremy Shere to dive into this issue. In particular, we break down my assertion that “To be successful, content marketers will need to rise well above that fray with timely content; unique examples; original research; novel ideas; and compelling, authentic, and trustworthy voices.”
Listen in wherever you get your podcasts or…
AI-Generated Code: Generative AI Concerns & Opportunities for Marketers
Posted on August 14, 2023
Ready or not, we’re rapidly heading into a world where generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, and others do more of marketers’ day-to-day work. That transition is not much in question. The only question is how well your organization makes that transition.
To make that transition as smoothly as possible, we recommend taking a cautious and realistic approach toward the here-and-now of these technologies, while keeping an optimistic long-term view. That starts with having a solid understanding of how these technologies work, including what they’re capable of and what they’re not.
Having that understanding will help you deploy generative AI in ways that will help your business grow, and either avoid or safeguard against situations where AI leads to costly errors or embarrassing customer experiences.
Because the issues and use cases around generative AI vary depending on whether you’re outputting text, images, or code, we’re addressing each of those separately. In this post, we’re focusing on generative AI for code.
Webbula: What’s One Tool Email Marketers Aren’t Using But Should?
Posted on August 11, 2023
I join 10 other email experts in this Webbula roundup as we answer the question: What’s one program or tool email marketers aren’t doing but should be doing?
I was happy to see that I wasn’t the only participant to cheat a little and give more than one answer. For larger senders, I think BIMI is underused, especially in light of Apple’s new support for the standard. However, for senders of all sizes, it’s re-permission programs that aren’t seeing enough adoption, particularly considering how much more difficult Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection is making it to accurately tell if a subscriber is inactive or not.
To watch my full answer, as well as the advice of the other experts…
Picking the Right Sender Name: Brand or Person?
Posted on August 9, 2023
Perhaps it’s the focus on empathy and connecting with our subscribers on a human level. Or it’s all of the emphasis on writing in plain English—using colloquialisms, sentence fragments, emojis, and even slang. Or maybe it’s the risky desire to con their way into the Primary tab instead of the Promotions tab.
Whatever the reason, some brands have gotten the message that it’s in their best interest to position their emails as coming from a person—the CEO, a salesperson, a support rep, almost anyone—rather from their brand. This pressure appears to be the greatest among B2B brands, but can also affect B2C brands like Peloton, which has sent bulk emails that appear to be from their instructors.
Done in the wrong way, this tactic can cause a number of problems. Let’s talk about those problems and how to avoid them.
>> Read the entire article on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
The Gmail Promotions Tab: 10 Years of Email Marketing Misunderstandings
Posted on August 7, 2023
Ten years ago, Gmail introduced inbox tabs, including the infamous Promotions tab. Among marketers, the development caused panic. You see, there were reports that open rates were slipping at Gmail, and marketers blamed the Promotions tab. To combat this shift, many major senders ran campaigns asking their subscribers to re-tab their emails from the Promotions tab to the Primary tab.
Fast forward to today and such requests are exceedingly rare. Most brands recognize—like it or not—tabs are here to stay. Indeed, having been copied by other inbox providers to various degrees, tabbed inbox interfaces are now common and highly accepted by and familiar to consumers.
However, some senders continue to fight against tabs. So, here on the 10-year anniversary of Gmail Tabs, let’s talk about five truths about tabs, as well as some real new concerns.
The Last Word on July 2023
Posted on August 3, 2023
A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, and social buzz you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
Consumers Worldwide Are Most Willing To Share their Email Address (MediaPost)
Public Web Unravels in AI-Driven Storm (Axios)
Rising Interest Rates Might Herald the End of the Open Internet (Wired)
Animated Gifs (a11y.email)
The Best 577 Welcome Email Examples in 2023 (Really Good Emails)
Insightful & entertaining social posts
Stop building your business in Facebook’s world. pic.twitter.com/YXhJ9Hliix
— Chris Vasquez (@ClickPop) July 6, 2023
A lot of Twitter threadbois are waking up this morning thinking…
“I wish I would have invested more in my Instagram following…”
When what they should be thinking is…
“I wish I would have invested more in building up my email list.”
— Ryan Deiss (@ryandeiss) July 6, 2023
Sassiness from cold email sequences I’ve been ignoring is not the vibe I was looking for today.
— Lauren Meyer (@LaurenEmailGeek) July 14, 2023
DON’T ❌ say whatever you want just to get the open.
DO ✅ align your subject line with the email content.
I haven’t ordered anything from this brand, but this subject line is saying that I did. Please don’t do this, y’all. pic.twitter.com/04SGzO0WRf
— Greg Saunders (@gregsaunders_) July 24, 2023
“People ask me, ‘Do you trust AI?’
I don’t trust AI.
I don’t trust people either.
Test everything.”
—@quaesita, @Google Chief Decision Scientist at #MAICON
— Jeffrey K. Rohrs (@jkrohrs) July 28, 2023
Noteworthy subject lines
Nuts.com, 7/12 – This Prime Ship Is Sailing Away…. 🚢
Macy’s, 7/7 – 🚦 It’s go time on Black Friday in July Specials!
Allbirds, 7/13 – Just In: The Death Valley Pack
AutoZone, 7/20 – Watch this quick hack for colder A/C
Diesel, 7/3 – Summer’s Must-Have Accessories
West Elm, 7/23 – Take your relaxing moments outside
Williams Sonoma, 7/14 – Hello, summer guests
J.Crew, 7/17 – For summer weddings, dinner parties & more…
Gap Email Exclusive, 7/12 – The beary cutest 1st birthday gifts
Michaels, 7/10 – 📯 Camp Creatology has begun! Register your kiddo in fun arts and crafts classes in store or online →
Art.com, 7/14 – Make learning fun!
kate spade surprise, 7/17 – Our school shop is here! Check out styles from $25
IKEA Family, 7/12 – Get ready for college with IKEA
The Company Store, 7/14 – 25% Off Back to College
Crate & Barrel, 7/14 – Introducing | The Dorm Shop
Duluth Trading, 7/14 – $14 Buck Naked Underwear For National Naked Day!
Spirit Halloween, 7/25 – 🔪 We’re slashing animatronic prices!
Nuts.com, 7/16 – I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For…
Nuts.com, 7/18 – NEW at Nuts.com 🍪 🍪 🍪
Clinique Online, 7/14 – 🎀 Do this before lipstick 💋
Williams Sonoma, 7/23 – Give your home a signature scent
Gap, 7/5 – 1,000 five-star reviews + Up to 75% OFF MARKDOWNS
Clinique Online, 7/3 – Our best body smoothers.
Abercrombie & Fitch, 7/14 – Open if you need a new dress.
Zara, 7/31 – HOME – NEW COLLECTION
katespade.com, 7/14 – Just arrived: the bag that ticks all the “boxxes”
Spirit Halloween, 7/19 – Coming soon: NEW Barbie the Movie costumes! 💕
Allbirds, 7/18 – Allbirds X Olivia Rubin in 3, 2, 1
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
12 Trends a-Trending: What to Plan for This Holiday Season
Digital Marketing Tests to Run in the Runup to the Holiday Season
5 Foundational Marketing Books You Need to Read
Third Quarter 2023 Holiday Marketing Quarterly
Making Seasonal Adjustments to Automated Campaigns to Boost Results
12 Trends a-Trending: What to Plan for This Holiday Season
Posted on July 28, 2023
The 2023 holiday season is shaping up to be as dynamic and turbulent as the past few have been. But 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 in your holiday campaign planning process:
- Shopper Anxiety & Uncertainty
- Consumer Financials Weakening
- In-Store Shopping Evolving
- Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection Hits 2-Year Anniversary
- Apple’s Link Tracking Protection Debuts
- Holiday Season Starts in October
- Veterans Day Is in Play This Year
- Sprawl of Marquee Shopping Days
- More Last-Minute Shopping Options
- Leveraging New Tech Capabilities
- Measuring More Holistically
- Hard Landing vs. Soft Landing
For a discussion of each of those trends, plus how marketers should respond…
Digital Marketing Tests to Run in the Runup to the Holiday Season
Posted on July 25, 2023
The back-to-school season, Labor Day, and Halloween represent great opportunities to better align with your ever-changing customers before heading into the all-important holiday season, when digital marketing misalignments are most costly.
- Is your branding strong?
- Are your offers clear and focused on what’s in it for your audience?
- Are we making it easy for our audience to do what we want them to do?
- Are we differentiating ourselves in the inbox?
- What words and imagery are your customers responding to most?
- Is your audience feeling the pinch financially or spending freely?
The way to answer these questions and others is to experiment and run A/B tests. Here are eight digital marketing tests we highly recommend.
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
