Hope everybody had a fun and safe Fat Tuesday (and appreciated the hilarity in scheduling International Women’s Day on the same date). If you’re looking to stimulate your brain after some excessive Mardi Gras celebrations, look no further than this week’s wrap. Try and soak it up before reversing the damage on St. Patrick’s Day.

Choosing the Tone and Layout for Your Email Newsletter

Tone is a key part of making any writing engaging. Go back and look at some of the first blogs I wrote at Benchmark. They’re a long way from Charlie Sheen jokes and other obscure pop culture references. Layout is also an important aspect of your email campaigns. Learn a thing or two about Choosing the Tone and Layout for Your Email Newsletter.

Support Update: How Many Clicks Does It Take?

One? Two? Three. Owls don’t only answer questions about Tootsie Rolls. They’re smart, you know. The fancy hat that every cartoon owl ever has worn tells you that. Sorry…there aren’t any owls in this blog post. Despite a lack of owls, it’s still worth reading up on the new Support Update: How Many Clicks Does It Take?

New Benchmark Feature: Preview Specific Contacts

We have often talked about the benefits of personalization in email marketing. Some of our new features make that easier. Our latest one allows you to preview an email for a specific contact. After all, you want to make sure you get it right for your most active subscribers. Check out the New Benchmark Feature: Preview Specific Contacts.

Winery Email Subscription Forms: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

There is a great scene in Curb Your Enthusiasm when Larry David tries to procure some “medicine” for his fathers failing eyes. Lost’s Jorge Garcia informed David that he didn’t have to sell it, but that it would sell itself. I imagine that’s what an email list about wine should be like. Make sure your wine sells itself; it starts with a great subscription form. Learn about Winery Email Subscription Forms: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.

Email Marketing for Small Business: Scalability and the Future

“Plan for the long term” is a common piece of advice. Me, I usually think in the short term. I just like immediate payoff. Well, do as I say, not as I do. You need to make sure your email marketing tactics can be scaled up for growth in your business. Read all about Email Marketing for Small Business: Scalability and the Future.

Poor Email List Management Limiting Email Marketing Success

Sure, in the US we do some segmenting by location, but it’s all the same country. Europe and all its countries should stand to profit more obviously from segmentation. Unfortunately, a new study showed that Europeans are not taking that approaching. In Europe, Poor Email List Management Is Limiting Email Marketing Success.

The 100 Worst Spam Words and Phrases

Not as funny as George Carlin’s 7 Dirty Words, but probably more informative. Yeah…I’d take Carlin too, but I know my bosses wouldn’t want me using all of those words. So, learn something now. Laugh later. Don’t use The 100 Worst Spam Words and Phrases.

7 Things to Consider when Taking Your Business Online

Benchmark Email is a champion of small business. This blog (mostly) takes a break from discussing email marketing and discusses those of you that live under a rock and haven’t taken your business online yet. Find out the 7 Things to Consider when Taking Your Business Online.

5 Ways to Boost Your Auto Dealership’s Email Marketing Results

Remember the red button? Now is the time to push the red button on your email marketing campaigns for your auto dealerships now. I guess a better question might be, remember Men in Black? Need something newer? How about, if you don’t pay attention to the advice in this post, your auto dealership will be Gone in 60 Seconds. Nailed it. Learn the 5 Ways to Boost Your Auto Dealership’s Email Marketing Results.