While some may believe that email marketing is becoming a thing of the past, it is still very much a critical part of any successful marketing strategy.
Social media is indeed a great way to expand your reach and experiment with new marketing tactics. However, once those platforms change their algorithm or discontinue services, your marketing plans take a hit and you may very well lose your followers.
Your goal should always be to convert those loyal social media followers to subscribers on your mailing list. Using this strategy, your business will have another way to contact those who are interested in your products or services regardless of changes on social media platforms.
So, if you have not yet implemented email marketing as part of your marketing plans, now is the time to do so.
Here are some tips to help you select the best email marketing software for your business needs.
Budget
Of course, before you invest in new email marketing software, you should make sure it aligns with your current budget. It is worthwhile to spend some time shopping around comparing different platforms before settling on just one. You may find that one platform meets all your needs without putting a huge dent in your pockets.
To give you an idea of what to expect in terms of pricing, we have included a chart of current pricing for Aweber – a popular email marketing service provider. Please note: pricing varies greatly across different platforms and can change at any point in time. However, subscriber count and billing frequency typically have an effect on the price.
Useability
If you will be working with a digital marketing agency to produce your email blasts, this may not be much of an issue. However, if you are planning to handle your email marketing campaigns on your own, you will want to find a platform that you can easily use.
Some platforms are a bit more complicated than others.
Your selected service provider should make it easy to adhere to CAN-SPAM guidelines and should also include key list management features such as: the ability to add and remove subscribers, list segmentation, and tags. It is also beneficial to choose a platform that comes complete with list building tools to help you capture new contacts.
Make sure you do your research before moving forward. Additionally, many email marketing service providers include tutorials to assist you with learning their platform.
Strategy
Another factor to consider before selecting email marketing software, is how you will be using it.
Do you plan to send thousands of emails out during the month? Will you need landing pages, sign up forms, or eCommerce solutions? Will you be integrating it with another platform?
Make sure you have all this information on hand before you begin shopping around.
Subscriber Count
As you may have noticed from the image above, your subscriber count can indeed influence the cost of an email marketing service. However, another important thing to consider is if a provider can even accommodate your current subscriber count.
More subscribers mean more emails being sent out, and you need a service that can handle that volume. Again, doing proper research is highly recommended.
Knowing how to select the best email marketing service for your business can save you a ton of stress.
If you are in need of assistance with your email marketing campaigns, contact Smart Link Solutions today!