Marketing and all things related

Email service provider Return Path just released their 2006 Holiday Email Study (free registration required.) Of note, more than 60 percent of consumers opened e-mail from senders they knew and trusted. The performance of email campaigns depends upon a number of factors. In terms of email open rates:

43 % open based on subject line
25 % open for discounts
23 % open based on preview window contents
21 % are motivated by free shipping 

Campaign conversion rates depend on understanding and meeting the needs of the target audience:

50 % took advantage of e-mail offers
41 % comparison shopped with e-mail
31 % used e-mail for gift ideas
29 %used e-mail to get to familiar web sites

Marketing Blurb advocates permission-based, opt-in email marketing. Successful email marketers test list segmentation, copy, offers, frequency, and other variables to maximize results. Oh, and treat women with respect--they purchase online.