According to a study by Borrell Associates Inc. conducted earlier this month, digital advertising spend (including email marketing) for political campaigns will increase dramatically for 2018 campaigns. The figures are expected to eclipse previous years' spend and set new records.

The study shows that digital ad spend is set to grow to $1.8 billion, beating out cable, radio, newspapers and telemarketing, among other categories. In fact, the only category that will beat digital ads in the budgets of politicians this year is broadcast TV, with $3.5 billion in spend. Email marketing experts at Site Impact say this is exciting news, and further proof that the best way to reach people is, increasingly, email marketing.

While it may seem a bit hokey, there's value in directing a little gratitude to consumers every now and then, especially in a personal channel like email marketing. A recent study conducted by Cheetah Digital found that email subject lines that express gratitude in some way tend to outperform those that do not; this is an important finding that – if brands use it correctly – can really bring a bounce to click and open rates. At Site Impact, we're always looking for new ways to give our clients an edge, and improve campaign performance – so understanding this finding will make a big difference.