Planning a larger than usual email campaign? Are you ready to start taking greater advantage of cold emailing techniques to drum up new business? These could be great moves, but only if you have a good email service provider.
Choosing the right email service provider for your cold email marketing needs can be quite a daunting task. There’s a lot to consider when choosing a platform that will deliver on all your email marketing goals. So how do you make an informed decision, and what features should you keep an eye out for? Here are key questions to ask yourself as you go through the research and decision process.
How Easy Is the Platform to Use?
Ease of use should be top on your list when searching for the right cold email marketing service. A simple platform with an easy to use graphical interface ensures quick and agile use. Simple and easy to use platforms also improve the overall efficiency and reliability of your email campaigns while decreasing the resources required for troubleshooting.
Have a go at all the features the panel can provide, and also have different members in your organization – if such people exist – try out the platform too. Some ESPs provide trial versions which will give you an opportunity to test the features of the platform and find out the limitations it suffers from as well (because they all do, to a certain extent.)
How Easily Can I Incorporate Automation?
Automation – to some level or another – is key to many email campaigns and plays a vital role in the effectiveness of your drip and triggered campaigns; therefore, don’t opt for an email marketing platform that cannot handle automation.
Tailor-made campaigns that reach out to the audience at appropriate times will generate greater ROI in the future than regular bulk mailers.
An API (Application Program Interface) will help pave the road to smarter and intelligent automation; most email systems should have APIs to facilitate easier automation. In addition, the ESP should have enabling tools that funnel back into its automation program.
How Many Levels of Integrations Can I Implement?
Check out the ESP’s ability to implement seamless integrations. Does it offer web analytics? Can you integrate your CRM for better customer data management? What tools can facilitate the integration of your CMS (Content Management System)?
Integration ultimately benefits by improving the flexibility and efficiency of automation. As social media channels play a significant role in branding and customer engagement, find out if the email service provider can incorporate multichannel marketing through emails.
What is Deliverability Rate?
Investigate the deliverability rate of the service provider; this is crucial to understand the agility and efficiency of the platform. If a provider has many handy tools and automation capabilities but a low deliverability rate, you might want to reconsider your options.
Can I Create Segments and Target Audiences With Ease?
As more and more data pours into your hands from your email programs, ask yourself: is my email marketing technology capable of using complex relational data to create targeted campaigns? Does my ESP allow for automated A/B split testing? Can I create well-defined segments with data fed back from earlier campaigns?
How Secure is My Data?
Most ESPs run on cloud-based technologies, and while usually secure, it is important to understand the tiers of security provisions that your email marketing service can provide. Good and robust systems keep your data safe and manageable.
What About Reporting and Analytics?
Your email campaigns need to be analyzed thoroughly to get a good feel for your audience’s varying needs. Easily interpretable reports with provisions for customizing reports and exporting data will make life easier for you. Data analytics also helps smooth out your campaigns across various levels, increasing your leverage on prospects and/or customers. Check if the service provider has its own data analytics team who can interpret data that you don’t want to miss out on.
How Reliable Is Customer Support?
It can be difficult to find reliable and good customer support for technological devices and platforms. Customer support should play a pivotal role in choosing the right email marketing service. Does the ESP have a dedicated customer support line? Will the support team help you get more out of your campaigns, and foster healthy and friendly relations with your team? Answers to these questions should influence your decision.
Nevertheless, the best advice is to try and test as many ESPs you can and choose an email marketing solution that will help you achieve your objectives and goals now, and provides the tools that will allow you to grow.
