So, it's important to dig into email stats beyond campaign performance to see which subject lines, email copy, design and CTAs performed well … and understand why. There are a few key strategies every smart marketer should employ, based on the psychology behind what grabs readers' attention — and the factors leading up to it.

Ryan Urban, CEO and founder of Wunderkind: "Provide value, have fun" is my permanent mantra. There's a next level to that, which is to massively contribute to society but enjoy yourself while you do it. Life is about enjoying what you do.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are typically the biggest email and SMS volume events of the year, resulting in a spike in transactions — but only when done right. Put that hard-earned first- and zero-party data to good use.

Over several informal conversations with marketing leaders at over 20 companies across a range of industries, we asked what struggles, pain points and wish lists dominated their day and influenced their spending decisions.

In our Consumer Trends Index - Retail Forecast, published earlier this year, we found that 51% of consumers are doing more research before buying, and 47% are waiting for items to go on sale. Also, 50% are "showrooming" or browsing in-store before buying online or elsewhere. Over half (52%) made a purchase directly as a result of an email (up 4% on last year), while 55% used their mobiles to research potential purchases.

Campaign Monitor points out that the double opt-in approach has the important benefit of creating higher-quality leads. The additional step of opting into an email list twice indicates that the consumer in question has increased interest in your company to the point that they're willing to put in the extra effort.

The first part wasn't so hard, since the umbrella company doing the buying wasn't a strong brand to begin with. It was just a placeholder as we built our strategy through acquisitions. So, changing from CM Group to Marigold wasn't a huge risk.

Far more challenging was how to reposition the multiple companies underneath it — each with its own customers, employees and existing marketing and messaging in the field. In particular, the employees of each company were tied both professionally and emotionally to those brands, and upsetting that carries its own risks.

As we all know, customer retention costs far less than customer acquisition. When it comes to cutting costs, you can only save so much. But there's no limit to how much you can earn. So, if past recessions are any indication, the smartest strategy is to focus on your most loyal customers and super-serve them with personalized offers, experiences and rewards.