A U.K. firm recently interviewed more than 400 people about email marketing and their buying habits. What they found was this: not only does great email marketing encourage people to spend more online, but it actually drives people into brick and mortar stores to make their purchases. The study also shows that the majority of those interviewed forwarded emails to their friends. Click here to find out more.

According to the experts at Marketing Sherpa, a marketing campaign that uses both email and snail mail packs a powerful one-two punch. The fascinating study lays out what to send first – and why. For instance, if you’re sending customers a large package, it’s best to use email first to alert them that it’s coming. The story also shows how snail mail can help build your opt-in email list. Click here to read more.

A recent report by Mintel Cooperemedia followed both small and large financial services companies and their email marketing habits. What they found was this: large businesses used email to communicate with their existing customer base and advertise new services while smaller financial businesses used email to bring in new customers, cross-sell and build a niche. The study shows that email marketing may turn out to be the great equalizer in the financial services sector, but the same rules apply to any small or mid-size business duking it out with the giants.

For many businesses, email marketing is an inexact science that boils down to one phrase: throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. But the experts at Loyalty Builders, via Direct Marketing News, believe it simply shouldn’t be. Two top analysts make the case that email testing should be a major priority, so important that it becomes a line item in your marketing budget. The pair suggests testing everything from subject lines to copy. Click here to read more.