Greg Zakowicz
My Reading & Podcast List

Here is my list of recent reads and podcasts I am currently enjoying. Maybe they’ll give you something new to look into and enjoy.

Read more to find what I’ve been digging into lately, including:

  • Building a Story Brand

  • The Power of Geography

  • The Greatest Beer Run Ever. A Crazy Adventure In a Crazy War

  • The Escape Artist. The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World

  • Devil in the White City. Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

How to Use Video in Email Marketing

How to Use Video in Email Marketing

For years, marketers have said video in emails will be the next evolution in email marketing, but the challenges of implementing it have held it back. Email clients not supporting it, file size restrictions and video production time have been too much to overcome.

Now, 98% of email clients support video, the number one type of content to inspire consumer research, and the time has never been better to bring new life to your email marketing with video.

Here are ways to incorporate video in your email marketing program.

Top Marketing Podcasts of 2019

Top Marketing Podcasts of 2019

As host of the Commerce Marketer Podcast, I conduct a lot of interviews. But choosing my favorite episodes is like choosing a favorite child (if my kids are reading this, I love you both the same). However, I forced myself to choose some of the episodes that really resonated with me for one reason or another.

Here are some of my favorite marketing conversations from 2019, in order of episode number. I hope you enjoy.

The Best Day to Send Your Marketing Emails

Which days are best for sending marketing emails and which days are most popular for retailers? Should you send on the same high-volume days as other retailers, or send on lower-volume days so you can more easily stand out in the inbox?

Now, you may finally have an answer.

I am signed up for hundreds of retailer email programs and monitor my inbox for daily send volume. While each retailer will have their own unique requirements, here are some tools you can use to help you determine which days might be best to send your marketing emails.

 

2019 Email Marketing Sends

2019 marketing email send volume broken down by day and month. Check out which days were the most and least popular days to send marketing emails.

 

2018 Email Marketing Sends

2018 marketing email send volume broken down by day and month. Check out which days were the most and least popular days to send marketing emails.

 

Keys to a Great Unboxing Experience

Keys to a Great Unboxing Experience

Unboxing is about providing a branded, aesthetic opening experience that builds excitement. The customer purchase experience shouldn’t end when the package arrives — that’s when the experience really just begins. The way customers feel about your brand after the purchase determines whether they become repeat customers or remain a one-time buyer.

Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

If you ask a hundred people what makes a good article headline or email subject line, you may get a hundred different answers. After all, it’s subjective, isn’t it? 

Not entirely, as many marketers know. There’s a science behind what makes a consumer open an email, click on a call to action (CTA) and make a purchase. Whether it’s writing an attention-grabbing headline or getting someone to “click and convert,” understanding that people rely on certain decision-making defaults helps marketers nudge them to take a desired action. 

In this article I discuss how to use behavioral science to improve marketing campaigns. Topics include …

3 Holiday Promotions That Keep Subscribers Opening Your Emails

3 Holiday Promotions That Keep Subscribers Opening Your Emails

There’s no shortage of promotions retailers can choose when planning their holiday email marketing strategy. However, the holiday season is long, so retailers need to find ways to not only increase sales but also keep subscribers opening their emails.

Here are three kinds of promotions that I expect will be heavily-used by retailers throughout this upcoming holiday season to accomplish these goals.

Top Holiday Email Marketing Planning Resources

Top Holiday Email Marketing Planning Resources

Email marketers are always looking for holiday-related content, and me — I provide a few pieces this time of year. Between sifting through and analyzing tens-of-thousands of holiday emails in my personal inbox, charting daily emails received, identifying reoccurring themes, looking through the previous years' online sales data, reading industry analysis, interviewing podcast guests, and talking to industry peers, I am left connecting dots with what retailers and email marketers will be promoting this holiday season.