For any business, marketing through email is a must-do. Despite the growth of social media marketing and the importance of digital marketing, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers and potential customers. Knowing how to choose the right email marketing service is essential if you want to send effective and profitable emails.
The importance of email marketing can’t be overstated. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 92% of consumers have subscribed to at least one email marketing list. Additionally, email marketing is cheaper than most other types of marketing. The results of a study conducted by the CMO Council and HubSpot on behalf of the ISAGuides board of directors found that email marketing is more than half as efficient as other types of marketing and three times cheaper.
ISAGuides research also found that 82% of consumers trust email marketing messages from brands compared to other types of marketing messages. Additionally, 59% of consumers agree that email marketing is more personal compared to other forms of marketing.
With all of this in mind, let’s discuss how to choose the right email marketing service.
How To Choose A Good Email Marketing Service
It’s important to understand how to choose a good email marketing service before you begin your search. First, make sure the company is a good fit for your business. The best email marketing services are usually those that are flexible and can tailor their services to your needs. Additionally, look for a service that is both affordable and easy to use.
The CMO Council and HubSpot’s ISAGuides research also found that consumers want to receive emails from brands they know and trust. So if you want to build a brand in the minds of your customers, make sure you choose a marketing service they’ll feel confident will keep their personal information private.
Choosing a marketing service isn’t as easy as it may seem. With so many options to choose between, how do you know which one to go for? Below, we’ll discuss a few key points that will help you find the right email marketing service for your needs.
Understand The Different Types Of Email Marketing
Not all forms of email marketing are created equal. You might think that all forms of email marketing are the same and that you can just choose any one to send your marketing emails. While this might be true for the most part, there are specific types of email marketing that are more appropriate for certain businesses than others.
The first and most important thing you need to do before selecting an email marketing platform is to understand the different types of email marketing. Below, we’ll discuss each type of email marketing in detail and how they can be used for successful marketing.
Traditional Email Marketing
Traditional email marketing is when you send out newsletters, brochures, and other informative documents via email. While this type of email marketing is still very effective, it’s not the only type. If your business is mainly product-based, you might want to consider doing most of your marketing through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter.
Why? Well, it’s all about the variety of devices and platforms your customers use to consume content. If you want to target the most people, your best bet is through social media channels. Also, using social media to promote your products is becoming more and more effective. According to HubSpot Blogs research, using social media to promote your business increased your ROI by 22%
If your business is more focused on marketing and growing your online presence, you might want to consider using traditional email marketing. Just make sure you update your emails with new content frequently as customers are more likely to remember an email that they’ve received frequently than one that they’ve only read once or twice.
Additionally, make sure you have a plan to continue to send out emails. If you’re thinking that once you’ve built up a list, you’ll just send them some boring ads or promotions, you might be surprised by how often your customers would want to receive these types of emails. So make sure you have a plan in place to continue to send out traditional emails.
Direct Email Marketing
With direct email marketing, you don’t need to use a third party platform to send out your emails. This type of email marketing is ideal for businesses that want to send out massive emails to thousands and thousands of customers. It’s also the best option for market researchers who want to get real-time responses from their customers.
Why? Well, third party platforms like MailChimp and AWeber can get pretty pricey. So if you’re looking to keep your email marketing costs low, direct email marketing is the way to go. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to have a decent sized list before you begin to see any significant results from your efforts.
Email List Newsletter Marketing
If your business is in the habit of sending out lots of emails with new content each week, you might want to consider trying your hand at email list newsletter marketing. Just like with traditional email marketing, you’ll want to make sure you build up a list of subscribers first before you begin to see any significant results. However, while with traditional email marketing, you’re mostly sending out one-off emails with new content, with email list newsletter marketing, you’re building up a relationship with your subscribers by sending them content that they might actually want or need.
Why? Well, it’s much more cost-effective to send out a weekly email than it is to send out one-off emails with new content. Additionally, customers like getting emails that they know will contain valuable information that will help them make better buying decisions. So make sure you choose this type of email marketing if you want to build a long-term relationship with your customers.
Email Marketing Automation
Email marketing automation is the use of software to create and send automated emails based on pre-set schedules or logic rules. Just like with direct email marketing, making use of email marketing automation can help you reach a wider audience with less effort. Plus, you can use automation to send out periodic emails with new content or to send promotional emails based on your customer’s behavior.
Why? Well, it’s all about saving you time and increasing your sales. If you’re looking for a way to continue doing business with customers you’ve already built relationships with, consider email marketing automation. Just make sure you’re careful when choosing a solution. Some providers of email marketing automation have a history of spamming and misusing customers’ data. Look for a brand that is both reputable and offers a free trial.
Email marketing automation can also help you put together pre-set emails to be sent to your target audience based on their behavior. So if you’re unsure of how to choose a good email marketing service, look into the types of email marketing available to you and how they can be used to grow your business.