Drawing on over a decade of experience, respected independent email marketing journalist Mark Brownlow shares invaluable insights on selecting the right email vendor, adapting to industry shifts, and securing essential budget for marketing tools.
Navigating the Email Vendor Selection Process
Laying the Foundation: Understanding the “Insider Language”
For those new to email marketing, the industry’s specialized jargon can be a significant hurdle. To effectively evaluate vendors and tools, it’s crucial to first learn the insider language. Immersion in core concepts will not only clarify vendor offerings but also help you anticipate your future needs as your email efforts expand.
Recommended Reading for New Email Marketers
To help newcomers get up to speed quickly, Mark Brownlow suggests several foundational texts:
- Jeanne Jennings’ Email Marketing Kit: An excellent resource covering all key aspects for beginners.
- John Arnold’s E-Mail Marketing For Dummies: Another highly recommended read for those starting out.
- Simms Jenkins’ The Truth About Email Marketing: Ideal for marketers with a bit more experience.
- Mathew Patterson’s Create Stunning HTML Email That Just Works!: A valuable guide for those focused on email design.
- Mark Brownlow’s extensive articles on SmartInsights: A comprehensive resource for ongoing learning and insights.
Realistic Self-Assessment: Aligning Tools with Future Vision
When selecting an email service provider (ESP), be rigorously honest and realistic about your current and long-term email marketing objectives. It’s easy to get sidetracked by features you “might use someday” but never actually implement. This often leads to paying for capabilities that don’t align with the practical realities of your business or workload, a common pitfall even for seasoned marketers.
Finding Independent Advice for Experienced ESP Selection
For those with more experience, switching ESPs can be a challenging process, often made harder by the scarcity of truly independent vendor information. While many comparison sites exist, their rankings can sometimes be influenced by referral fees rather than service quality. Instead, seek out unbiased sources.
Trusted Independent Information Sources
Look to communities and forums where fellow email marketers share genuine experiences and recommendations:
- Email Geeks
- OnlyInfluencers
- Specialist forums focused on email marketing.
Adapting to the Evolving Email Marketing Landscape
For many years, email usage remained relatively constant, allowing marketers to rely on established strategies. However, this stability has changed dramatically, and many email marketers haven’t fully adjusted to the new realities. A mobile mindset is essential, extending beyond just design implications.
Critical Shifts in Email Usage Patterns
Recent years have brought significant transformations in how people interact with email:
- Personal Communications Shifting to Social Networks: One-to-one, personal messages are increasingly handled through social platforms.
- Major Webmail Interface Transformations: Leading webmail services are evolving into “intelligent” and “social” inboxes, integrating chat, social, and other channels. Examples include Gmail’s Priority Inboxes and Hotmail’s Active Views, which offer new email management and display features.
- Explosive Growth in Mobile Devices: The proliferation of smartphones and other email-friendly mobile devices means more people are opening and interacting with emails on the go.
Embracing a Mobile-First Mindset
While mobile’s impact on email design is widely discussed, the deeper implications for email marketing opportunities, tactics, and strategies are often overlooked. Marketers must adopt a comprehensive “mobile mindset” that considers how these fundamental shifts in usage patterns influence the entire marketing funnel, from engagement to conversion.
Building a Strong Business Case for Email Marketing Investment
Prioritizing Business Metrics Over Technical Stats
When seeking budget for new email marketing tools, communicating benefits clearly is key. However, the focus often goes awry. While technical metrics like delivery rates, opens, and clicks are useful operationally, senior stakeholders are more interested in meaningful business metrics such as profits and conversions. A 50% increase in open rates is impressive, but how did that translate to actual sales or revenue? Likewise, if revenues jumped, what was the cost to produce those extra sales?
Essential Resources for Budget Justification Data
To build a compelling case, leverage available data that connects email performance to tangible business outcomes:
- The Email Stat Center: A valuable resource for industry statistics and benchmarks.
- Strategic Google searches for case studies: A quick search can reveal numerous examples of how even simple tests have led to significant improvements in conversions or ROI.
Navigating Common ESP Questions
When faced with specific questions about ESPs, remember that the landscape is vast and constantly changing. The most reliable approach is to consult independent information sources and expert consultants who have broad, unbiased experience across many platforms. This ensures you receive advice tailored to your needs, free from vendor influence.
By applying these expert insights, email marketers can make more informed decisions, navigate industry changes, and build stronger cases for their strategic investments, ultimately driving greater success in their campaigns.