The great thing about being ClickZ columnists is we get to pick the brains of other business-to-business (B2B) email marketers and ask all the questions we (and our clients) are itching to know about what's working and what's not.

E-newsletters are a lot like dating. Remember dating? If you're really interested in someone, you want to gain that person's trust so that you will continue to engage with each other and you can progress to the next date... and beyond.

With any marketing campaign, the key to success is capturing the attention of your prospects -- if only for a moment. You want them to pause just long enough to get a sense of whether what you are offering meets their needs or, better yet, satisfies their wants.

If you have a web site and are thinking about adding an email newsletter: Use a survey to find out who is visiting your web site and learn what type of information they'd like to receive via email. Creating a good survey and getting statistically significant results requires some thought and planning.

I love targeted email. When I check my email, I look forward to receiving messages that are timely, interesting and help me save money. Businesses I know and trust that send me the right marketing messages are often rewarded with a sale -- or at least some of my attention, which always seems to be in short supply.

A record low number of registrants and exhibitors, prompted no doubt by the dot-com downturn, dampened whatever excitement there is about the continued growth -- and success -- of online marketing.

Suggests 5 essential principles of web marketing: (1) The Law of the Dead End Street, (2) The Law of Giving and Selling, (3) The Law of Trust, (4) The Law of Pull and Push, and (5) The Law of the Niche.