(Laura, Word to the Wise Blog) In 2010 e mail marketing is going to get much more challenging for everyone. Recipients, and their ISPs, are expecting more and better things from email marketing. Senders who are currently meeting expectations may struggle to meet those increasing standards within their current marketing frameworks. Successful marketers will be able to make the switch from sending mail that doesn’t annoy customers to sending mail that recipients truly want.

Authentication
While people will probably continue to publish SPF records, its relevance will continue to decrease. As less people pay attention to SPF, records may be unmaintained and become stale further decreasing their use and relevance.

Domain based reputation
Domain based reputation is on the upswing and that will continue through 2010.[...]Domain based reputation will augment but not replace IP based reputation. It is easy and efficient to check the reputation of a connecting IP address and a receiver can make a preliminary delivery decision without having to accept the full email.

Engagement
The buzzword for 2010 is engagement. ISPs will be measuring engagement and making delivery decisions based on how much their users want particular email.

Social Networking
While social networking will not replace email marketing at any time, the latter might give recipients opportunities to share information with social networks. Smart senders will provide easy links so that recipients can share information with their social networks.