The From Line
Sending, Managing & Monetizing Email
3 minutes reading time
(690 words)
Trend: Advanced Solutions are Lead Choice among Email Marketers
Impressive increase in ROI is attributed to advanced email features.
A recent study from Marketing Sherpa asked a thousand email marketers about the services they use to build their email campaigns. Over 40% of those polled said they take advantage of an “advanced web based system” that’s customizable and includes advanced reporting features and unique IP addresses. This is not surprising; marketers are finally realizing the potential of a sophisticated email marketing campaign and are unlocking emails ROI by using advanced features.I love reading studies like this, especially since email is often seen as the “cheap” way to market online. It would be easy to be insulted by the connotation; however, the meaning of “cheap” as it applies to email marketing has changed drastically. It is not cheap because it has the lowest initial cost compared to other mediums; it is cheap because it has the highest ROI, attributed directly to marketers making use of their ESP’s advanced features. It would appear that marketers are finally catching on to this shift and are altering their budgets accordingly. They have finally seen the value that a sophisticated and customizable email solution brings to their marketing program and are reaping the rewards it produces.
Takeaway: If you expect an exceptional return, create an exceptional campaign.
The idea here is simple: don’t expect a miraculous result to appear out of nowhere just by signing with a new ESP. If you want to see storybook “wow” results from your marketing, first you will need a targeted and sophisticated campaign. Once you’ve analyzed your marketing needs and developed a marketing program to address them, you’re ready to start the search for your fairy godmother of ESP’s. Now this doesn’t mean you should throw a check at the snazziest provider or the biggest brand name out there with the most impressive list of features. In fact, you’ll most likely be wasting your time and money. Selecting the perfect ESP and implementing it in your mix is a process and it’s about YOUR fit. It will require planning and research, but in the long run the benefits will be expansive. It is important to highlight your company’s’ needs and match them as best as possible to a provider. Not all ESP are created equal. There are literally hundreds out there with features ranging from the most basic to bleeding edge. The greatest success will come from a sophisticated campaign that is implemented by leveraging the sophisticated features of the perfect ESP. So what now? Start looking! Lucky for you, your very own email marketing fairy godmother doesn’t just exist in your dreams…
How to: Find your ESP fairy godmother
The Marketing Sherpa study referenced earlier is proof enough that among those who utilize email marketing, the majority are employing a comprehensive and sophisticated system to execute it. If you want excellent results, you need an excellent plan. A well balanced solution will fit seamlessly with your marketing model by offering advanced features, but will also rise to the challenge of offering customer service as needed. From start to finish, the technology of the perfect ESP is meant to augment the work your marketing plan has already done.
As with any change, finding the perfect ESP and using it effectively will be a journey. You need to know that the company who you trust your email to also has your back when you have questions. Here’s where your fairy godmother comes in. Assuming you choose wisely, your email solution can increase productivity, decrease wasted time spent blindly analyzing data, automate any number of actions so that customer interaction is up to the minute, as well as a host of other capabilities. It sounds cliché to say, but the sky (and your dreams) is the limit. If you want your email to function in a certain way, all you have to do is ask. If your solution doesn’t currently offer a specific integration or functionality, chances are it CAN or will eventually. Contact your vendor and inquire about their development timeline. The magical part about it is that with a sophisticated solution, email correspondence becomes simpler but at the same time, more targeted and cost effective.
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