The Value of Investing in Email Marketing Services
Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of marketing. It was a convenient and effective approach of marketing to a target audience. Although additional channels came up over the years, email marketing has remained relevant. Not everyone believes that, though. Some businesses don't see the need to hire email marketing services as part of their advertising and branding strategy. Email marketing has evolved, and some marketers view it as one of the most effective means of marketing. In fact, 85% of retail businesses in the U.S. feel it's crucial to invest in this option. It is why email marketing services are a big part of doing business. So, what do they entail?
What is an Email Marketing Service?
Email marketing services are designed to help companies automate their email marketing strategy. The services involve the use of special software that handles several functions to drive marketing efforts. With the right service, you can send automated emails to your customers and track the progress of your marketing plan. The specific features that you have access to will vary from one service to the next. For example, an email marketing service can offer social media integrations, allowing you to expand your reach. You can find email marketing solutions for any type and size of company from large retailers to small distributors.
Benefits of Email Marketing Services
Measurability is everything in marketing. If a brand is to know if marketing efforts are making any difference, it needs to be able to measure them. Email marketing software provides this. The application lets you send emails then gives you the option to track them and the interaction that recipients have with them. You can tell how many people on your contact list received a newsletter, how many opened it and if anyone clicked on the linked site. These statistics make it easy for businesses to measure ROI. You can tell if your marketing strategy is working or if it needs adjustment and where.
Email marketing services allow you to target specific customers, and that boosts the effectiveness of your marketing message. Once you have the contact list, the software sends your messages to those people directly. Remember, the service will only be sending emails to people who have their consent through subscription or other means. This solution improves your targeting.
Having a professional service handle your email marketing saves you significant time. Imagine if you had to manage contact lists, email them manually, and then analyze the engagement of that campaign. A business would spend numerous resources to get what it needs. Now you can complete a campaign in a fraction of the time and allocate those extra hours to other critical tasks.
Some Features to Expect
The range of features from email marketing services can vary widely, depending on the vendor and price. Here are a some of the features you should expect to see from an email marketing service:
Email templates - They make structuring emails simple, particularly for beginners in email marketing. The pre-written emails on these templates give you professional content that you can personalize to your needs.
Metrics - Applications have different metrics that you can use to check the performance of a campaign. An email marketing service will track, evaluate and report a campaign, which is essential in any marketing strategy.
A/B testing - Split testing is where you test different versions of a marketing campaign to see the most effective one. Email platforms make this easy by automating A/B testing.
Email designer - With this feature, you can customize your emails to match the image of the brand. Some services offer images that you can add to your emails to make them more appealing.
Custom responders - An email marketing service can make sure you have responses waiting when your contacts make certain requests like getting off the mailing list.
Social media integration - Incorporating your email marketing with social media is one way to reach more customers. An email marketing service allows you to integrate different channels.
Picking the Right Email Marketing Service
The host of solutions out there can make the selection process daunting. To minimize the risks of hiring the wrong service, know what your company needs. Look at its size, the customers it caters to, and the objectives for the campaign. Understanding that will make it easier to settle on a service.
Know the features that are important to your campaign. Elements like A/B testing, templates and email layout are standard, but others are not. For example, if your campaign needs timed sending, then you have to find a service that offers it.
Consider how much the company has budgeted for email marketing. Don't hire an expensive service then have to compromise on other equally critical aspects of the campaign. Shop patiently until you can find an email marketing service that meets your budget.
An email marketing service can drive your campaign to great heights by doing most of the work. These services offer many tools that can help target your audience better than before. Ensure that you find a service that aligns with your email marketing goals.