{"id":4633,"date":"2025-12-31T03:32:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633"},"modified":"2026-01-05T13:57:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T13:57:50","slug":"2026-email-marketing-strategy-planning-a-practical-playbook-for-the-year-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633","title":{"rendered":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4633\" class=\"elementor elementor-4633\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26dbdd5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"26dbdd5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-359d9e4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"359d9e4\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4207d4d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4207d4d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a4a14c2 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a4a14c2\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d580fa6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d580fa6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac43300 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ac43300\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As 2026 approaches, email marketing teams are entering the planning cycle with a familiar challenge and a new reality. Email continues to deliver reliable reach, <a href=\"\/?p=4423\">strong ROI<\/a>, and measurable performance. At the same time, audience expectations, inbox behavior, and measurement models are evolving faster than many programs.<\/p><p>The result is a planning gap. Teams know email matters, but many are still relying on frameworks and success metrics that no longer reflect how subscribers engage.<\/p><p>Effective 2026 planning requires more than adjusting send frequency or refreshing creative designs.\u00a0 It means reassessing how email supports business goals, how engagement is measured, and how teams operationalize relevance at scale.<\/p><p>This article outlines practical best practices and recommendations email teams can use as a starting point in January 2026.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56f160a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"56f160a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-be304d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"be304d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Start with Business Alignment, Not Campaign Calendars<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3af4b5a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3af4b5a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the most common planning mistakes is starting with a campaign schedule. While calendars are necessary, they should be the output of strategy, not the input.<\/p><p>Before mapping sends, email teams should clearly define what email is expected to accomplish in 2026. That may include revenue generation, retention, activation, lead nurturing, or customer education. Most programs support multiple goals, but prioritization matters.<\/p><p>Aligning email goals with broader business objectives helps answer critical questions early:<\/p><ul><li>Which <a href=\"\/?p=4254\">audiences<\/a> matter most this year?<\/li><li>Where should email drive direct outcomes versus support other channels?<\/li><li>How will success be measured beyond opens and clicks?<\/li><\/ul><p>Starting with alignment ensures email strategy reinforces company priorities instead of operating as a parallel effort.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e493cf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1e493cf\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed65a2d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ed65a2d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Reevaluate Metrics That Define Success<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e22a082 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e22a082\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>As privacy changes and <a href=\"\/?p=3965\">inbox behaviors evolve<\/a>, traditional metrics are becoming less reliable indicators of performance. Planning for 2026 should include a reset of what success looks like.<\/p><p>Open rates still provide directional insight, but they can no longer stand alone. Stronger programs are shifting focus toward metrics that reflect meaningful engagement and value, such as:<\/p><ul><li>Click and conversion rates by audience segment<\/li><li>Revenue or goal completion per subscriber<\/li><li>Engagement trends over time, not per send<\/li><li>Retention and reactivation performance<\/li><\/ul><p>This shift requires collaboration with analytics and leadership teams to ensure reporting supports strategic decision making. When teams agree on the right metrics, optimization becomes more focused and more effective.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-706465a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"706465a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-468306b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"468306b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Build Strategy Around the Subscriber Lifecycle<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa69b39 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fa69b39\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Email planning often defaults to campaigns rather than relationships. In 2026, lifecycle thinking should be the foundation of email strategy.<\/p><p>Mapping the subscriber journey clarifies what messages are needed and when. This includes onboarding, engagement, conversion, retention, and reactivation. Each stage has different expectations and different definitions of value.<\/p><p>Lifecycle driven programs help reduce over messaging by replacing repetitive promotions with timely, relevant communication. They also allow teams to prioritize automation where it creates the most impact.<\/p><p>For January planning, teams should review existing lifecycle programs and identify gaps. Even modest improvements in onboarding or reactivation can deliver outsized results over the year.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7eff76e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7eff76e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f5b473a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f5b473a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Make Segmentation a Strategic Asset<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74ab17f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"74ab17f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Most email teams segment in some form, but often at a basic or campaign specific level. In 2026, segmentation needs to be more intentional and more scalable.<\/p><p>Effective segmentation combines behavioral signals, engagement history, and lifecycle stage rather than relying solely on demographics or static attributes. It also evolves over time as subscribers interact with content.<\/p><p>As part of strategy planning, teams should audit current segments and ask:<\/p><ul><li>Which segments drive the most value?<\/li><li>Which segments receive the most email?<\/li><li>Where does performance vary significantly?<\/li><\/ul><p>This analysis helps identify where personalization will have the greatest return and where generic messaging may be hurting engagement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cb4908 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7cb4908\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dcf7608 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dcf7608\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Plan Cadence with Flexibility, Not Fixed Rules<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38b33b3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"38b33b3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the hardest parts of email strategy is determining how often to send. There is no universal best frequency, and 2026 planning should reflect that reality.<\/p><p>Instead of fixed cadence rules, teams should plan for flexibility. Engagement signals, lifecycle stage, and subscriber behavior should influence how often someone hears from you.<\/p><p>This requires operational readiness. Suppression logic, frequency caps, and prioritization rules need to be defined in advance, not applied reactively.<\/p><p>Starting the year with clear cadence principles helps teams avoid fatigue while still maximizing opportunity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54a311e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"54a311e\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11dc458 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"11dc458\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Design Content to Earn the Click Quickly<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e377174 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e377174\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>With inbox attention limited, email content needs to deliver value immediately. Strategy planning should include guidelines for content clarity and purpose.<\/p><p>Every email should answer three questions quickly:<\/p><ul><li>Why am I receiving this?<\/li><li>What value does it offer me?<\/li><li>What action should I take next?<\/li><\/ul><p>Clear CTAs, focused messaging, and consistent value propositions help turn opens into engagement. Planning templates and content frameworks in advance reduces friction during execution.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a4bdf4a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a4bdf4a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9423acd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9423acd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Coordinate Email with the Broader Channel Mix<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b8cf051 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b8cf051\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Email does not exist in isolation. In 2026, coordination with SMS, push, paid media, and onsite experiences is increasingly important.<\/p><p>Email strategy planning should account for how channels support one another. Email may introduce an offer, reinforce a message, or reengage users who did not convert elsewhere.<\/p><p>This coordination helps prevent duplication and improves overall customer experience. It also positions email as a strategic driver rather than a standalone tactic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ca226f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3ca226f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6de669a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6de669a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Invest in Testing with Purpose<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79f7125 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79f7125\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Testing should be part of strategy, not an afterthought. Planning for 2026 should define what teams want to learn, not just what they want to optimize.<\/p><p>Instead of testing minor variations continuously, stronger programs focus on a few meaningful questions each quarter. Examples include content relevance, timing, personalization depth, or lifecycle triggers.<\/p><p>Documenting test plans early ensures insights compound over time rather than being lost between campaigns.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f60f6c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5f60f6c\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59a0d31 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"59a0d31\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What This Means for Email Teams and WhatCounts Clients<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-654174c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"654174c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For email marketers entering 2026, the opportunity is not about doing more. It is about doing the right things with intention.<\/p><p>Teams using platforms like WhatCounts already have the technical capabilities to support advanced segmentation, automation, and orchestration. The differentiator is strategy.<\/p><p>By starting the year with clear goals, modern metrics, lifecycle driven planning, and flexible execution, email teams can build programs that adapt as subscriber behavior evolves.<\/p><p>Email remains one of the most controllable and cost effective channels available. But its performance in 2026 will depend on planning that prioritizes relevance, value, and long term engagement.<\/p><p>January is not just the start of a new calendar. It is the opportunity to reset how email works for your business and your audience.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ceb2990 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ceb2990\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d0a7fe e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1d0a7fe\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0043ba7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0043ba7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ready to See WhatCounts in Action?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50bb389 elementor-align-center request-form-popup elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"50bb389\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Request a Demo<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams As 2026 approaches, email marketing teams are entering the planning cycle with a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Whatcounts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1601\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8a587875d8f7ccd9982f26cae7ab8b53\"},\"headline\":\"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\"},\"wordCount\":1040,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\",\"name\":\"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png\",\"width\":1601,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/\",\"name\":\"Whatcounts\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Whatcounts\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/WC3_V1-01-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/WC3_V1-01-2.png\",\"width\":474,\"height\":104,\"caption\":\"Whatcounts\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8a587875d8f7ccd9982f26cae7ab8b53\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e07ecc1b0afbebc392f9101db25d469528bab6e8482d771d1ceea5fbeece6c48?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e07ecc1b0afbebc392f9101db25d469528bab6e8482d771d1ceea5fbeece6c48?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts","description":"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts","og_description":"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633","og_site_name":"Whatcounts","article_published_time":"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1601,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8a587875d8f7ccd9982f26cae7ab8b53"},"headline":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams","datePublished":"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633"},"wordCount":1040,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png","articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633","url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633","name":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams - Whatcounts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png","datePublished":"2025-12-31T03:32:17+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-05T13:57:50+00:00","description":"Planning your 2026 email strategy? Learn the priorities, best practices, and tactical recommendations email teams can implement starting in January to drive real engagement and results.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WC3_LifecycleMarketingWelcomeSeries_WebPageHero_1600x600-8.png","width":1601,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?p=4633#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"2026 Strategy Planning for Email Marketing Teams"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/","name":"Whatcounts","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#organization","name":"Whatcounts","url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/WC3_V1-01-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/WC3_V1-01-2.png","width":474,"height":104,"caption":"Whatcounts"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8a587875d8f7ccd9982f26cae7ab8b53","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e07ecc1b0afbebc392f9101db25d469528bab6e8482d771d1ceea5fbeece6c48?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e07ecc1b0afbebc392f9101db25d469528bab6e8482d771d1ceea5fbeece6c48?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.whatcounts.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4633"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4689,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4633\/revisions\/4689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whatcounts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}