Email marketing has started to become the latest trend in sending commercial messages where various industries like nonprofit organizations, real estate, marketing and advertising, internet, health, and wellness just to name a few have recently adopted. According to the vast majority of its users, email marketing has deeply enhanced their business communications; it points at specific significant markets and has proven to be more practical and eco-friendly. But what really is an effective and efficient email marketing service, how does it work, and why is it important in business? Is this even more efficient than the traditional methods of advertising like radio and television ads?
Overview of Email Marketing
Email marketing happens when a certain company sends commercial messages to different groups of people and other companies through the use of electronic mail, which is more commonly known as “e-mail ”. These messages could be advertisements, business requests, sales, or donation solicitation, or any type email communication is deemed as email marketing, which essentially facilitates developing customer loyalty, trust in a product or company, and brand recognition. This is also an effective method to make sure that companies are connected with their clients while at the same time having the opportunity to promote their business.
Using email marketing makes it easier and quicker to get to specific markets minus the need for a number of print spaces, radio and television, or increased production costs. This is the result of having efficient email marketing software, which gives you the capacity to keep email lists that were broken down according to various factors like the duration of time that addresses were on the list, client preferences, and other significant factors. With this, emails are made and sent to chosen members on the email list to offer them customized messages specifying information, which could be of their interest or something that they have pre-requested. This is how you build trust and loyalty among your customers and increase sales.
Now, what kind of email marketing campaigns can your business use? There are numerous types of campaigns that are potentially compatible with your business’ requirements like a welcome email that recognizes a client’s interest in choosing your company for a specific product or service. Not only does this example offer valuable information regarding your company, but it also gives you the opportunity to ask for significant information regarding a new client, which helps you identify the right category where you will put that client for future marketing efforts. Other email campaigns include sending out announcements on your latest products and services, a newsletter about your company, and coupons that could be used for future purchases, etc.
It is important to note that every sent email specifies significant company information to ensure that possible clients are provided with the opportunity to know more about your company and choose to receive emails from you in the future. Click for more information on how to choose an email marketing service.
How to Compare Existing Email Marketing Services in the Market
While it is imperative for businesses to have an effective and efficient email marketing services, it is important that you know what features and functions it offers. Here are some major factors and their importance that you need to take a look at before deciding to get a specific product:
1.Determine what your company exactly needs. Defining your objectives and requirements is vital in determining what kind of email marketing solution would best fit the needs of business.
If you are in the retail business, you may opt for an all-in-one email marketing solution that exceeds its ability to create, send, and monitor necessary emails and client surveys. Or if you are in the catering and events management business that cater to parties, meetings, seminars, and conferences, you may choose a provider that offers a service that integrates digital invitations, which helps you in disseminating information regarding future events.
2.What are the costs? Email marketing services providers typically bill their monthly charges according to the total number of clients that subscribes to you. Prices generally range from $8 and $14 per month for 500 contacts, $16 to $32 per month for 2,500 contacts, and $89 and $300 per month for 25,000 contacts.
You may also want to check out providers that let you send an unlimited number of emails per month. There are also providers that offer trial periods for free that last for 30–60 days. You may also opt for a no-cost solution that lets you send up to 12,000 emails per month for free if you have fewer than 2,000 subscribers. Likewise, if you have just a hundred subscribers, there are providers that let you send 600 emails per month for free.
3.What solution can help you encourage clients to sign up for your emails? The trick is to just directly ask them to sign up every time you get the chance to interact with them personally or via telephone.
A lot of providers who claim competency in the services they offer provide features that offer you the capacity to upload email lists directly from your existing databases. In order to gain more subscribers, you need to consider providers that let you customize sign up forms that you can integrate into your company website and social network accounts.
4.Template or paid custom design. Most popular services offer a broad range of options of free, professionally designed templates to choose from and do not need HTML to customize your desired colors and company logo.
Some providers can also facilitate in blending graphics and design themes using your current marketing materials into their own products if you use them. On the other hand, other EMS provides consulting for a premium.
5.Planning email campaign strategy. If you are starting your first email campaign and need professional help or if you are in the market who wants to create a comprehensive and long-term email campaign strategy, you may opt for EMS that provides professional consulting services. However, it is important to remember that these services do not come for free and are usually only shared when you communicate directly to the provider.
6.Display. Most of your potential subscribers are likely to check their emails from different handheld and portable devices like smartphones and laptops as well as from various other email services. In order to improve the probability of having images and text to appear properly, it is important to look out for EMS that lets you view how your campaigns look through a subscriber’s point of view using their most commonly used device. With this, EMS that offers mobile-optimized templates, which displays your emails properly on smartphones and tablets, is essential.
7.Social media integration. Recently, people have been really into social media that it has already become a way of life. When you send email messages to your subscriber, it is important that they deem it “shareable” on their social media accounts, which in essence furthers your brand reach.
This is why it is important that you get an EMS that can effectively embed linked buttons to your company’s own social media account like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media account so that you can amp up your company’s exposure to potential clients with almost the same interest and purchasing powers as your subscribers.
8.Choose images to use. With regard to the kind of images that you need to use, it is important that you choose crisp and eye-catching images that relay that story of your brand. You may likewise need to exhibit your company’s products and the services offered. You should look out for EMS providers that let you upload heaps of images and files for every email campaign on their respective servers for free.
9.Customer support. Some of the higher-end EMS providers that serve small businesses provide features that offer customer support through the telephone and online chat, email support, FAQs, and video product tutorials for free.
It is strongly advised that you choose a vendor that provides phone and web chat that has live, knowledgeable, and supportive customer care associates who are available 24/7 and not just a simple automated system.
10.Analytics. Analytics is the process where certain tool’s effectiveness is being evaluated. In this case, it is significant to analyze data regarding the number of your subscribers who open your emails, the links that they go to, as well as the number of email messages they forward to other people.
Most of the popular EMS providers offer self-service analytics and reporting tools for free. Also, you need to consider EMS that allows you to preview the number of people who have unsubscribed or discontinued their subscription, how many invalid addresses are present, as well as the number of unsent emails and the reason why they were not sent out.
With the help of an effective EMS, you will be able to monitor interesting emails and those that are usually shared, This will help you get a grasp of the kind of content that brings significant impact to your subscribers.
With the efficient use of EMS, you will be able to compare how you handle client retention and your return of investment as opposed to when you utilize traditional marketing campaigns. For the best email marketing services, read on client reviews at CrowdReviews.com to give you more insight on how they actually perform.
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