Read Chad White's Convince & Convert blog postsThe paid-owned-earned (POE) media model did a good job of describing traditional media, but it has done a poor job of accommodating most digital channel activities, which have generally been stuffed awkwardly into the owned media bucket. To bring greater clarity to the marketing mix, we need new language and a new framework to describe marketers’ various channel activities.

There are 3 characteristics that describe the channel activities available to us today:

  1. Who creates the content
  2. Who developed the audience
  3. Who controls the platform

It is that third characteristic that requires most digital channels to be broken out of the owned media category and placed in two new categories: granted media and leased media.

Using those 3 characteristics, here’s a full breakdown of what this new paid-owned-granted-leased-earned (POGLE) media model looks like and which media activities fall within each category…

>> Read the entire column on the Convince & Convert blog

Crowd Favorites from the Swipe FileWe pin tons of inspiring digital marketing examples to our Swipe File pinboards on Pinterest every month. And each month you tell which ones most inspired you by repinning and liking them.

Here are your favorite pins among the ones we uploaded last month:

The Email Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…

Blue Nile embraces the expansion of the marriage pool >> View the pin

>> Browse the pinboard

The Social Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…

The Electronic Frontier Foundation makes it easy for donors to tweet their support >> View the pin

>> Browse the pinboard

The Audience Growth Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…

Old Navy repeats mobile signup call-to-action throughout store journey >> View the pin

>> Browse the pinboard

Help determine this month’s crowd favorites by repinning and liking the pins that inspire you most.

Download the free 2014 Email Marketing Holiday CalendarEvery month through January, we’ll be reviewing our predictions from the 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar for the previous month and discussing what to expect this month in terms of holiday messaging trends.

For November, we predicted that major retailers would send their active subscribers 22 promotional emails. That prediction turned out to be a tad low, as our panel of more than 100 major retailers sent their subscribers 22.6 promotional emails on average last month.

In December, we’re expecting retailers to send their active subscribers around 28 promotional emails each. We’ve already seen record-breaking ecommerce sales and email volume on Cyber Monday. Other big days to look for will be Green Monday, which is this coming Monday; Free Shipping Day on Dec. 18; and Last Sleigh Day on Dec. 22, which will the last day for guaranteed Christmas delivery with express shipping for many retailers.

>> Read the entire post on the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Blog

The Last Word on November 2014

The Last WordA roundup of email marketing articles, posts, tweets and examples you might have missed last month…

Must-read articles, posts & whitepapers

Could a Company See a 15 Percent Drop in Stock Value Due to Email? (ClickZ)

What Do You Mean, ‘Email Marketers Need Not Apply’? (MediaPost)

Insightful & entertaining tweets

@lvojvodich: Engaged customers = 23% revenue premium @KeithBlock quotes Gallup poll at #SalesforceTour

@mickc_pro: Looks like Yahoo Mail is still suffering from a disruption of service: http://t.co/LLsUqiyBeT

@SimmsJenkins: Email rules for offers via @lance http://t.co/y3Gwwhfcld

Great additions to the Swipe File pinboards

eBags includes shopping cart information in broadcast emails >> View the pin

Blue Nile reaches out to gay couples in wake of Supreme Court decision >> View the pin

Noteworthy subject lines

Monterey Bay Aquarium, 11/25 — Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Be part of a new tradition: #GivingTuesday
Walmart, 11/29 — Cyber Week STARTS NOW – up to 50% off + Free Shipping
Toys “R” Us, 11/29 — Mega Cyber Week Sale Starts Today!
Petco, 11/29 — Cyber Savings from sun ↑ to sun ↓
Sears, 11/29 — You’ve been removed ☒ from the Naughty List! See Santa’s Top 100 Gifts.
Moosejaw, 11/26 — Do you want a Free [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅100)̲̅$̲̅]?
Kate Spade, 11/28 — why wait in line? up to 75% off is happening now
Target, 11/27 — Doors open at 6pm. Happy Black Friday!
Toys “R” Us, 11/27 — On Your Mark, Get Set…SAVE! Stores Open at 5pm
Express, 11/27 — 50% off + free shipping! You don’t even have to leave the couch
Pier 1 Imports, 11/27 — Rise & Shine, then shop. Stores open Friday morning.
J.Crew, 11/27 — Turkey, then gifts. Sound like a plan?
Hayneedle, 11/27 — Shop first, then eat: Last chance for 10% off sale …
Epicurious, 11/26 — How to Cook Thanksgiving in 2 Hours, Plus What to Do with All Your Leftovers
Boston Market, 11/20 — $9.99 per person – create your own Hot Thanksgiving Buffet
West Elm, 11/20 — 20% off Thanksgiving must-haves + free shipping!
Target, 11/20 — Deals for Thanksgiving readiness.
Walmart, 11/16 — Conquer Black Friday — plan today!
Lowe’s, 11/4 — BREAKING: Black Friday Leak From Lowe’s‏
Furniture.com, 11/21 — Black Friday Sneak Peek…6 HOURS ONLY!
Michaels, 11/4 — Easy Holiday Projects Under $10
The Container Store, 11/20 — Top Pinned Stocking Stuffers!
Clinique, 11/20 — #MakeSomeoneHappy
Saks Fifth Avenue, 11/25 — In a season of selfies, stay picture-perfect
Express, 11/5 — Our favorite holiday dresses‏
Chico’s, 11/4 — Brilliant Holiday Party Looks (and 50% Off Inside)
Garnet Hill, 11/3 — It’s beginning to look a lot like…
Michaels, 11/2 — Tree Event: 100% Merry, 50% off
Aeropostale, 11/2 — 50% Off Your Early Holiday Haul
Lands’ End, 11/22 — Someone forgot to tell winter it’s still fall – 40% off outerwear!
J.Crew, 11/16 — Whoa. It got cold out.
J.Crew, 11/2 — Think outside the cubicle
Anthropologie, 11/4 — A denim pas de deux + free shipping.
Ann Taylor, 11/4 — So Good It May Go Viral…#TUESDAYSHOESDAY‏
Levi’s, 11/2 — Turn back your clock (+ don’t miss our Friends & Family Event!)

New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com

5 Important Email Marketing Rules: Exclusive Excerpts

Infographic: Optimizing the Second Subject Line – Snippet Text

Inbox by Gmail: 3 Experts Share Their Thoughts on Its Impact – Part 2

120 Email Marketing Rules to Live By

October Review & November Preview for the 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar

Out with the POE Media Model – In with the POGLE Media Model

The Last Word for October 2014

Black Friday Week Email Marketing Insights

View all of Chad's MediaPost columnsIn my latest Email Insider column for MediaPost, I discuss two developments in the email marketing holiday season thus far.

First, more retailers sent out promotional emails on Black Friday than last year. And more interestingly, fewer retailers sent email on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving Day, and the Saturday after Black Friday. Retailers seemed to be making way for more activity on Black Friday.

And second, a majority of retailers sent mobile-UNfriendly emails on and around Black Friday. While retailers, along with other B2C brands, had been making progress on making their emails more friendly on small screens, they made absolutely zero progress between early October and late November—which was a time last year when huge progress was made.

>> Read my entire column on MediaPost.com

Internet_Retailer_logoAs we work our way through Cyber Monday—the kickoff of what is becoming Cyber Week—the holiday season is now in full force. December is when retailers’ email programs work the hardest.

In the third and final of my 3-part Holiday Planning Checklist for Internet Retailer Magazine, I advise retailers to:

  • Fine tune your order-by deadline messaging
  • Create your season’s greeting email or, if you prefer, “Happy New Year” email
  • Develop post-Christmas messaging
  • Plan to take down your holiday email template
  • Do a post-mortem
  • Update your swipe file

For the full details on each of these recommendations, which include a lot of tips and stats just for retailers…

>> Read the full article on InternetRetailer.com.

And for even more holiday planning advice, check out our 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar.

Smart InsightsEmail marketing veteran Mark Brownlow knows more about email than just about anyone else. That’s why he was one of the people I turned to help edit both editions of my book. In his latest post for Smart Insights, he shares which of the 120 rules in my book he thinks are the most important.

In addition to sharing some exclusive quotes, he adds some of his own perspective based on what he’s seen and extensive client work he’s done. Don’t miss his thoughts on what are the most important best practices to follow, including one that’s especially relevant as we head into the heart of the holiday season.

>> See his top 5 picks

>> Check out all 120 email marketing rules and tweet your favorites

Your sender name has the biggest impact on whether subscribers open and engage with your emails or not. The vast majority of marketers do a great job of using the same sender name consistently to ensure they’re recognized in the inbox.

Your subject line has the second largest impact. Because of its importance, subject lines are the most tested of any email element.

However, there is a third element of an email’s envelope content that impacts subscriber engagement: snippet text. This appears beside or beneath the subject line of an email in the inbox view of the native iPhone email app, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and other email clients. In most regards, it acts like a second subject line.

I looked at how well 148 B2C brands were optimizing this important email element and found that there are clear opportunities for marketers to do better, especially since optimizing it is as simple as writing a subject line. Here’s what you need to know:

Optimizing the Second Subject Line infographic

Read the full interview on ClickZInbox by Gmail is the latest email innovation by Google to get marketers wringing their hands and worrying about how their programs will be affected. To help determine its impact on marketers, BrightWave CEO Simms Jenkins interviewed Ryan Phelan of Acxiom, Jay Jhun of BrightWave, and myself about the new app.

In this second in a two-part series, Simms asks us:

What advice do you have for email marketers that may be panicking because of Inbox or ready to seize the new opportunities presented?

After a decade of inbox staleness, the email channel has evolved quite a bit over the past few years – what’s next?

>> Read our answers on Click.com.

>> Check out Part 1 of the interview.

120 Email Marketing Rules to Live By

Email marketing offers unparalleled reach, acceptance, and effectiveness. Going hand-in-hand with that, however, is that it’s a well-established channel with well-defined norms and behaviors.

In Part 1 of my book, Email Marketing Rules, I break down email marketing into 120 easy-to-understand rules, the first 11 of which are essential to follow while the remaining 109 are highly recommended. While I go into detail about each rule in the book, I’ve pulled out the top-line rules here in this presentation.  Use it as a checklist to see if your program is on the right track and tweet your favorite rules.