email marketing research and best practice from the Direct Marketing Association
The Direct Marketing Association UK is Europe's largest trade association in the marketing and communications sector and works to protect the direct marketing industry from legislative threats and promote its development.
This dedicated page has more information from the DMA, including the latest national email benchmarking summaries, best practice guidelines, the DMA Code of Practice, guidance on deliverability, legal advice and how you can keep in touch with the DMA.
email marketing research
Since 2004, the DMA have released quarterly National Email Benchmarking reports. The reports survey leading UK Email Service Providers. The aim is to provide companies involved in, or considering, email marketing as a marketing channel with a reliable series of benchmarks that aid their planning and help them make informed marketing decisions.
These reports include information on mailing volumes, industries, acquisition, retention, delivery rates, click through rates, bounce rates and opt out rates:
National email benchmarking reports (executive summaries)
If you have any questions or queries about these reports, please contact the Direct Marketing Association on: 020 7291 3383 or email research@dma.org.uk.
best practice guidelines
As part of the DMA's ongoing commitment to raising industry standards and promoting consumer safeguards, the DMA issues Best Practice Guidelines, covering specific areas of direct marketing. Please find below their best practice guidelines for email marketing and their code of practice.
This was released in June 2007 with the aim of stimulating the positive development of email as an effective marketing medium. The guidelines provide examples and practical advice, helping to raise the standards within the industry. They also provide practical advice regarding compliance with working practices and standards in the internet industry.
The Email Marketing Best Practice Guidelines (234KB)
Together with the independent Direct Marketing Authority and the DMA's Compliance Unit, this code of practice represents the DMA's total commitment to effective self-regulation. The Code, which is mandatory for all members, gives guidance on every aspect of direct marketing activity and sets standards to be achieved - standards that will give both the consumer and companies, full confidence in the services they can expect to receive from DMA members.
If you're not a DMA member, the DM Code of Practice is a good benchmark for your marketing activities.
The DM Code of Practice (943KB)
deliverability
In July 2007, the Email Marketing Council released a White Paper on email deliverability. Unlike marketers in other disciplines, email marketers have to worry about getting their messages to their intended recipients. So regardless of how much time you spend on getting the copy just right and the care you put into your creative, it is all wasted if your message is not delivered. The paper explains the issues around deliverability, and provides practical advice on what email marketers can do to improve and protect the delivery of their campaigns.
Email Deliverability: How we Got Here and What Marketer’s Should do About It. (126KB)
legal advice from the DMA
The lawyers in the Legal and Public Affairs department of the DMA have written guidance documents on various pieces of legislation affecting direct marketers. The guidance documents are written with the practical implementation of the new rules in mind.
Data Protection Act 1998. Published: 8 Oct 2001 (158KB)Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations Guidance Notes For Marketers Part 1 Marketing by electronic means (257KB) ICO Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations Guidance Notes for Subscribers Part 1 Marketing by electronic means (271KB) ICO Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations Guidance Notes part 2 Security, confidentiality, traffic and location data, itemised billing, CLI and directories (172KB) Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
keep in touch with the DMA
One of the aims of the Email Marketing Council is to be the primary email marketing resource in the British Isles. To support this, the Email Marketing Council works to provide marketers with expert education and training on email marketing through running regular conferences and seminars.
You can keep up to date with the latest information from the DMA in their monthly email newsletter Infobox, which provides readers with relevant articles, features and best-practice information on all areas of email marketing. You can also follow their blog where leading industry experts share the latest thinking in email marketing strategy.