Previous Posts

Featured Post: My Reading & Podcast List

Here are recent books I’ve read and podcasts I enjoy. If you’re looking for something interesting to listen to or read, these are a few that have stood out to me. Let me know if you have a recommendations.

Read more

Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

My Five Favorite Marketing Posts of 2019

I write a lot of content throughout the year, but some pieces stand out to me more than others. From behavioral science to charting daily email sends for two-plus years, here are the five articles from 2019 that really resonated with me. I hope you enjoy.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

2018 Email Marketing Sends - By Day and Month

The chart below reflects the daily email send volume of 2018. The daily lift and declines reflect the average number of emails retailers sent on that day of the week compared to the overall number of emails sent during the entire year.

As you can see, retailers sent …

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

2019 Email Marketing Sends - By Day and Month

(IN PROGRESS): The chart below reflects the daily email send volume of 2019. The daily lifts and declines reflect the average number of emails retailers sent on that day of the week compared to the overall number of emails sent during the entire year.

For example, retailers sent …

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

Stop guessing what makes customers click. In this post, you’ll dive into real-world behavioral science applied in marketing, from headline hooks and social-proof nudges to decision-making shortcuts and conversion strategies. Science meets strategy, ready to plug into your campaigns.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

How to Use Free Shipping to Boost the Power of Your Holiday Emails

This appetite for free shipping has made it a powerful promotional tactic during the holiday season, and last holiday season it became a major focal point in many email promotions.

But free shipping is more than just casually appealing to consumers — it can be the difference between a sale and a lost customer. Twenty-two percent of holiday shoppers flat-out refuse to pay for shipping during the holiday season.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

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.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

Five Often-Overlooked Holiday Email Marketing Tips

As the holidays approach email marketing teams are busy determining promotional schedules, designing messages, and inputting coupon codes into their e-commerce platforms among a slew of other items. With all of this work happening behind the scenes, there are a few holiday items that all-too-commonly fall by the wayside. When preparing your email marketing program for the season, don’t overlook some of the items that can help you deliver a better customer experience and generate more sales. Here are five items to not overlook this holiday season.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

The Most Important Things to Know About Holiday Email Planning

The holiday shopping season is upon us and, like last year, this year is expected to once again break online sales records — reaching $142 billion, according to eMarketer. For companies big and small, email marketing is going to have a significant hand in helping drive those record sales.

Read More
Greg Zakowicz Greg Zakowicz

Cyber 10: The Holiday Shopping Sprint You REALLY Need to Prepare For

Most digital marketers have heard of the Cyber Five, the five shopping days from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. These five days happen to be the top five online sales days for the entire holiday season, accounting for 19% of all online holiday sales.

And now, within Gray November comes another consumer shopping evolution that will become a holiday season norm — the Cyber 10.

Read More