When using email marketing as an advertising medium, you may want to use an email marketing company for your campaigns. But, do you really need one, and if you do, how do you choose one? when you seek out an email marketing company, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you creating effective emails while using the proper amount of resources?
- What is your response rate and are you able to track all your email campaign data, including click-through and open rates?
- Are you familiar with federal spam regulations and do you follow the proper procedures to avoid breaking the law?
- Does your ISP provide enough facilities to tackle an email marketing campaign head on?
- Can you spare the time to make your campaign a worthwhile read?
If you’re not sure about most of these answers, it’s time to find an email marketing
company. The best full-time email marketing companies for hire not only help you send out your campaigns, but they often design good layouts and write copy, and even manage your email lists and campaign data. If you find an email marketing service that can do all these things, they’re probably a safe bet to handle your campaigns.
Here’s a breakdown of what a good full-service email marketing service will do for you:
Establish and nurture relationships with ISPs
The very best email marketing services establish good relationships with Internet Service Providers to help you with your delivery. Because of this, they can deliver your emails on your behalf and then speak directly to ISPs if there are any problems with delivery.
Fine tune the content of your emails
Not only will many email marketing company edit and proofread your copy, but they may go as far as write your copy for you and even point you in the right direction if you get stuck over what you want to say in your email.
Manage your customer email preferences
Suppose half your customers want their emails sent in all text format, the other half HTML. Your email marketing service team will not only keep track of your customer preferences, but make sure all emails are sent in the proper format, every single time.
Manage your reports and email delivery data
Since many email marketing companies feature the tools to track your email marketing campaigns, you’re already one step ahead when it comes to good data. However, many great email marketing companies will also read that data and let you know what it means, and help you make positive improvements based on those reports.
Email list management
Your email marketing company will not only manage your email lists, but help you grow them in an ethical way. This may be through using ListBuilders, contests and other means.
Regular updates on spam regulations
One of the most important duties of an email marketing service is to follow regulations on email and make certain your campaigns adhere by those rules. Since these rules change all the time, it is imperative that your email marketing service stay on top of those laws and adjust campaign techniques accordingly.
An email marketing service checklist
Once you find one or several email marketing services that you like, ask them to provide the following for you:
- A complete services list
- A timetable of estimated campaign completion
- An example of campaign data and when and how you can view it
- References from other companies that have used their services, including phone numbers of the appropriate contact people
When speaking with those references, here are the questions to ask:
- Was the email marketing service timely about getting campaigns out?
- Did they deliver on what they promised?
- Were they quick to answer questions and easy to reach?
- Were you able to at least get close to what you set out to do when you hired the company (grow your list by 1000 people, boost sales by 15%, etc.)
- Would you hire this company all over again?
Follow these tips and guidelines to pick out an email marketing provider that’s perfect for you.
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