While e-cards - emails sent to consumers to commemorate a birthday or holiday, for example - don't have the best reputation in the business, they can be downright successful when done correctly.

According to Melissa Rothchild, senior director of marketing communications for CPA2Biz, an e-card her company sent which offered a discount to CPAs on their fifth anniversary as customers saw an open rate of 50 percent (compared with the industry benchmark of 30 percent) and a 24 percent clickthrough rate. The campaign resulted in $66,000 in sales, writes Multichannel Merchant (via MediaBuyerPlanner).

Rothchild said the key to a successful campaign is that the cards be sent when customers aren't expecting them.

The campaign was discussed during a panel discussion titled 50 DM Ideas in 50 Minutes at last week's List Vision conference. Other tips from the 50 ideas included trying outer envelopes that include the phrase "Do Not Bend" (though the content must actually contain something that shouldn't be bent) and making sure that all marketing programs and materials look the same and are sending the same message.

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