With simple tools to automate and track campaigns, email marketing services boost effectiveness while saving time.
You figured out that email marketing offers a great way to stretch your advertising dollars and nurture relationships with your customers. You may have also realized that managing email campaigns can prove a daunting task for a small to midsize business with competing priorities.
From building and managing your contact list, to designing content and creating strategy, to bypassing spam filters and analyzing campaign success, effective email marketing requires expertise and tools beyond those available in-house for most organizations.
Fortunately, the industry offers a host of email marketing services to make your life easier. With a little research, you can find the service that offers the best fit for you.
Features to Look for in Email Marketing Services
Most email marketing services promise the same basic functionality: templates, reporting tools, scalable pricing plans. With nearly 100 options available, the nuances make the difference. Looking carefully at the details can save you the costly mistake of paying more money for fewer features.
Here are a few things to look for:
- Hands-off email automation—Deliver your blog content to subscribers, send date-specific promotions, drip campaigns and workflow triggered emails, all without manual intervention.
- Highly customizable templates—Increase your brand loyalty with emails that engage the reader. Effective designs also complement your web site and other elements of your digital footprint.
- A/B testing—Test customer preference for one email over another to help you continually refine your approach.
- Comprehensive analytics—Track social media sharing, open and click rates, and other valuable data that shape your strategy.
- Social media integration—Connect every campaign directly to your social media accounts to increase visibility and facilitate sharing. Build your contact list with signup forms and link back to your digital presence with social media buttons.
- Mobile optimization—Create emails with responsive design that fits every screen, from smartphones to laptops.
- Expert advice—In addition to the tools, look for email marketing services that offer assistance with developing campaign strategy and a content calendar.
- Ease of use—Creating and delivering an effective email campaign should not require extensive technical expertise. Focus on products that combine a simple user interface with powerful features.
- Contact management—Import your existing subscriber list and integrate with third-party CRM systems to further personalize your campaigns.
Build Compelling Campaigns
Industry average open rates are hovering around 20% and click-through rates at 3-4%. You need an email marketing service that helps you build integrated, compelling campaigns that inspire customers to action. The best service requires minimal effort on your part to deliver the right content at the right time to a specifically-targeted audience.
