Email marketing teams often find themselves under-resourced, leading many companies to rely partly or entirely on third parties for essential services. When selecting an email marketing vendor, the quality and scope of these services are a critical component of the decision-making process.
The Agency Approach to Services
Agencies approach services from a fundamentally different perspective compared to Email Service Providers (ESPs). While ESPs might view services as a necessary adjunct to their technology, for agencies, services are their core offering. More accurately, the client relationship itself is paramount.
An agency’s primary goal is to ensure your marketing objectives are met, delighting both you and your superiors. When you succeed, they succeed. When you are satisfied, they are satisfied. They understand that clients are not locked into an agency relationship in the same way they are with a technology platform, compelling them to work diligently to retain your business.
Agencies Excel in Strategy and Creativity
Agencies are, first and foremost, marketers who stay abreast of the latest trends, tactics, and nuances of the industry. A proficient agency will offer an outstanding cross-channel strategy, bringing exceptional thinking that transcends various platforms and technologies. They are typically proactive in introducing new channels, platforms, and innovative ideas to their clients.
Full-service agencies often aspire to manage all aspects of a client’s marketing, including creative and content creation. They frequently pride themselves on these capabilities, areas that many ESPs are only beginning to explore. It’s common for successful agencies to have a collection of awards showcasing their creative prowess.
The Challenge of Email Platform Execution
So, what could be a drawback? For many agencies, the “necessary evil” can be platform execution. While executing marketing campaigns is central to an agency’s role, the actual hands-on platform work is often perceived as less glamorous.
Execution tends to be a low-margin activity, demands highly specialized platform expertise, and any errors are immediately noticeable by the client. Many marketing agencies would prefer to operate like strategic consultants—developing grand plans and strategies for substantial fees, then delegating the execution to others. This highlights a common shortcoming when relying solely on an agency.
Most digital agencies are not optimally equipped to run your email marketing platform. Unlike ESPs, they often lack the deep, long-standing experience with specific platforms or a truly profound understanding of email marketing intricacies. Consequently, their ability to maximize the day-to-day potential of your platform might be below par.
Agency Platform Knowledge: A Closer Look
The reason agencies might not get the most out of an email platform is fairly straightforward. There’s a vast number of email platforms available, and most agencies serve a relatively small number of clients. As mentioned, execution is low-margin work, making it incredibly challenging for agencies to hire and retain a pool of talent with deep expertise across a wide array of platforms (assuming they even retain dedicated platform experts).
Agencies typically adopt one of two strategies to address this challenge:
- They claim to be “platform agnostic,” which often translates to “we’ll learn whatever you need us to” or “we know a few platforms well and have a basic understanding of others.”
- They claim “platform specialty,” which usually means “we have extensive knowledge of one particular platform.”
It’s not uncommon to hear stories of agencies winning multi-million dollar engagements based on platforms they don’t truly know, then scrambling to acquire expertise (or hire specialists) before their clients become aware.
Diligent Evaluation of Agency Capabilities
When evaluating a prospective agency, it’s crucial to thoroughly investigate their actual capabilities. They will likely present impressive testimonials from high-profile companies, but it’s vital to inquire precisely what they accomplished for those clients, when the work was done, and which individuals within the agency were responsible. Those key personnel may no longer be with the agency, or they might not be available to work on your specific account.
Diving deep into their technical skills and hands-on experience will yield significant dividends. You might frequently discover that the agency oversaw and managed the business relationship, but did not directly operate the platform itself, potentially underestimating the practical difficulties involved.
Key Strengths and Weaknesses of Agencies
When considering an agency for your email marketing needs, their typical strengths generally include:
Agency Strengths:
- Account management
- Marketing strategy
- Creative development
Conversely, their Achilles’ heels often relate to:
Agency Weaknesses (Achilles’ Heels):
- Depth of platform knowledge
- Channel-specific expertise
- Technical implementation expertise
In a future discussion, we will explore how to effectively mix and match the capabilities of ESPs, agencies, and your internal team.