How to decide on the proper electronic mail advertising and marketing company
Nothing converts like email.
Email beats all other marketing channels and can generate $ 37 for every dollar invested.
While email marketing can generate a ton of revenue, it's still not easy.
You need to know which email tools are best, how to use them so you don't end up in spam folders, and how to compose converting emails.
Even for full marketing teams, this can be overwhelming.
Email marketing agencies are perfect for overcoming these challenges.
They know how to use the tools and run fully scaled email campaigns. You can also distill your brand and have great campaigns that generate revenue.
Today I'm going to show you how to choose an email marketing agency that will unblock all business email values.
Well?
Let's start with the basics.
Know your goals and desired results
Before you go straight to the top email marketing companies and choose one to work with, it's a good idea to take a break first.
Why?
You will get much better results.
Famous email agencies, like the ones I recommend, usually have a track record of overseeing successful email marketing strategies and campaigns.
However, it is never a unitary situation.
Some agencies are only characterized by working on specific projects or campaigns. Others get better results working with certain types of companies.
When you know your goals and desired results with email marketing, you have the right lens to evaluate different agencies and know which one is best for your needs.
Not to mention, your agency can get started much faster. The clearer the goal, the better the result.
Let's look at some examples.
Example 1: create and expand your email list
You cannot do any email marketing without an email list.
And if you have a small list of, say, 33 email addresses, you will never get the full benefits of email marketing either.
The first step is to build your email list.
You can do this by choosing an agency with experience running list creation campaigns to get your first 100, 1,000, or 10,000 email subscribers.
Take yourself for example.
You're not going to give your email address to a company for free, are you?
Absolutely not! We all get enough spam as it is.
Likewise, most people would subscribe to your email list only in exchange for something of value.
In the digital marketing world, this could be an e-book, checklist, or other form of relevant content that is being promoted to the audience whose emails you are targeting. Choose an email marketing agency with experience creating and promoting amazing content. The better the content, the faster your list will grow.
Example 2: Increase your email open and click rates
Low open and click rates destroy your list.
When your open and click rates are low, you will encounter a number of problems:
- Your audience doesn't see your offers. That's less sales.
- Email service providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo will be seeing your slow performance. Then you will be marked as spam or your emails will no longer be delivered.
- Now your open and click rates are getting even worse.
- Even if you improve your campaigns later, they won't produce nearly the same results.
- Improving your email reputation is REALLY difficult.
Instead of risking this email cycle of doom, it's a good idea to work with an agency that knows what it's doing.
You can check early for signs that something is wrong, fix course, and protect your email reputation.
If so, look for an email marketing agency that develops exceptional strategies and tactics to increase your open and click rates.
The above two examples should show that your goals and desired outcome in email marketing go a long way in determining which agency to use.
You should also show that no agency is one size fits all email marketing problems.
First, set your goals and then find an agency that specializes in those goals.
6 Characteristics That Make a Great Email Marketing Agency
There are hundreds of email agencies out there. Maybe thousands.
And when you visit these agencies' websites, every one of them claims to be the best.
But what are the qualities that make an email marketing company great? And how can you review and choose an agency to work with?
1. Great content creation
Think about all the emails you get from other companies.
Do you know why you can't wait to open some and look into them, but ignore, delete, or unsubscribe others from the start?
Most of the time, this is because you don't appreciate the content of those emails.
Amazing content makes people open up and read. Then when you send a quote, they'll be ready to look into it.
Great content is at the core of any serious email strategy.
Verify that they are focused on one process of creating engaging email content. The best always do.
2. An impressive customer portfolio
Excellent email marketing agencies didn't achieve this status overnight.
You have worked with dozens or hundreds of brands to run successful email campaigns.
For this reason, you should have many top brands in your portfolio. And case studies to show you exactly what was done.
Not everything can be shared publicly. However, when considering options with agencies, ask for examples the first time you call. The agency should have many examples to point out. If you're having trouble finding something, look elsewhere.
This is a great way to quickly review agencies of all types.
3. Guidance
Exceptional email marketing agencies are always up to date with the latest email trends. It's constantly evolving and you don't want to be working with someone using tactics from 5 years ago.
An easy way to check is through the agency's blog, YouTube channel, or their own email list. You should learn a lot within 20 to 30 minutes of consuming the contents. And everything should be up to date.
This is a good sign that they can use the same tactic on your email campaigns.
4. In-depth expertise with e-mail tools
Big agencies will have used them all.
If you ask them which tools are best, you'll quickly learn:
- Which are the most popular
- Strengths and weaknesses of everyone
- Avoid the handful of tools
But don't worry about which tool they recommend. Pay attention to their depth of knowledge when you speak to them. You will likely recommend a single tool first. Once you start asking more questions, they should have numerous qualifications, nuances, and details about their answers.
You should feel like the agency knows this stuff coldly. If not, find someone to do so.
5. Has special rules to avoid spam
If you've been hit hard by spam flags, you may need an agency that specializes solely in reviving domains with negative email reputations.
Most of us don't have to go that far.
However, you really want to work with an agency that knows how to stay out of the spam box.
Also, ask new agencies how they stay away from spam, how they keep things clean, and what early warnings they like to seek.
You should be overwhelmed by the thoroughness of their answers.
If not, keep looking.
6. A great corporate culture
When you choose an email marketing agency to work with, you are entering into a business relationship with another business unit.
Before you go any further, check that the company culture suits yours.
Without a good adaptation to the culture, you will end up with email campaigns that don't fit your brand. You could piss off your audience and turn them away. Or go too safe and leave money on the table.
There is no right answer to culture. Just make sure your culture and yours are a good match.
Ask for examples of the last few campaigns they ran. They will likely do similar work for you.
How to work with an email marketing agency
Working with an amazing email marketing agency doesn't mean rushing into a grocery store, filling your shopping cart, and storming out in minutes.
You need to take steps to ensure that your partnership with a company through email marketing results in business growth.
1. Align your internal team
Most email marketing agencies don't work in isolation, but rather as an extension of your in-house digital marketing team.
Therefore, to ensure a smooth partnership between you and them, you should:
- Meet with stakeholders in your company to align relevant teams on the need to work with an email agency.
- Communicate how the agency's work would affect your company and why it is needed.
- If necessary, name employees who will work directly with the email marketing agency.
This will ensure team alignment between the agency and your company. In addition, the agency remains in line with your values, your corporate culture and the goals for cooperation.
2nd investigation session
The first time you contact an email marketing agency, they won't immediately send you a proposal or contract.
The best email marketing agencies act like doctors who only prescribe after a diagnosis.
To diagnose your challenges and goals with email marketing, you need to fill out an inquiry form followed by a discovery session.
3. Research & Strategic Recommendations
Before making a specific proposal, any good email marketing agency will do extensive research on your current campaigns. This includes things like:
- Sign up for your lists and see your current campaigns
- Allocation of your registration flows
- Review landing pages and sign up offers
- Searching social profiles and email funnels from other channels
Once you have a complete picture of where you are today, they can put together a proposal.
4. An employment contract with project results
A typical length of work at an email marketing agency is several months.
To accommodate this scope, the agencies usually prefer to send a formal proposal and a contract for you to sign.
Take your time and this stage and go through the proposal in detail. You should feel great with every piece. If you have any concerns, work through them now. It's now easy to change your scope, budget, or goals.
Once you pay a good fee for it, get the contract signed.
5. Onboarding
After signing the contract, expect an onboarding process tailored to your team.
During this step, the agency will usually ask for all of your internal document and tool access. The expert sends you invitations for your Google Analytics and email tools. Also, compile any internal documentation you have in your email campaigns. The more information you have, the better.
The agency starts work from here and should check in regularly along the way.
How To Find The Right Email Marketing Agency For You
To choose an email marketing agency that suits your needs, I recommend the following steps:
- Make sure you know your business goals and desired results from email marketing.
- Consider agencies with the above characteristics.
- Choose an agency with expertise in the area where you need help. And if possible, also prioritize those who have worked with reputable brands.
- Finally, you should know that email is part of your digital and therefore also your content marketing strategy. Hence, it is best to choose a company with bandwidth for this.
To help, we reviewed hundreds of agencies and found these to be the best.
The 5 Best Email Marketing Agencies
Neil Patel Digital # 1 – Best for email content
Every time you send an email, people get signed out.
That hurts the long-term prospects of your email list.
Since every email has a real cost and makes your list smaller, it's best to keep them counted.
The best way to do this is with great content. Your unsubscribes will decrease, your list will become more engaged, and you will generate more sales in the long run.
Content, including email, is one of the core competencies of my Neil Patel Digital agency.
# 2. InboxArmy – Best for full service email management
InboxArmy is highly recommended as a full service email marketing and administration company.
The services of this agency include email strategy development, template design, email automation and others.
InboxArmyserves companies like Airbnb, LandCentral and Jockey. If you are looking for serious email professionals for your B2C business, this is what I will turn to.
# 3 Fix My Churn – Best for SaaS onboarding emails and churn
Fix My Churn works with SaaS companies.
User onboarding emails are a unique skill. Content, CTAs, sending logic and tools are completely different. If you want to improve your SaaS email, you need experts in the field.
Fix My Churn applies world-class SaaS copywriting skills to create email onboarding and churn elimination sequences that turn free users and trial users into happy, long-term customers.
Fix My Churn is run by its founder and SaaS email expert Val Geisler and has made a name for itself as an email marketing agency for SaaS companies such as Buffer, Aweber, Podia, InVision and others.
I would also consider them if you have a subscription offer.
# 4 Action Rocket – Best for corporate email
Action Rocket doesn't need to be imagined as a corporate email marketing agency.
This agency even works with leading email software companies like Campaign Monitor, MailChimp, Litmus, and others to shape the email marketing space.
With years of experience, Action Rocket strategizes and develops custom email and CRM programs for companies like Marks & Spencer, the BBC, and others.
If you want serious muscle behind your email strategy, turn to this one.
# 5 SmartMail – Best for e-commerce emails
SmarMail is our recommended email marketing agency for ecommerce businesses.
Every business model has its own set of challenges with email and e-commerce is no exception.
You need shopping cart exit emails, promotional emails, lifecycle emails for buybacks, and receipts with guaranteed email deliverability.
This agency supports online shops in acquiring, converting and retaining customers by strategically planning and starting email marketing campaigns based on automated triggers over the entire life cycle of the buyer:
SmartMail has an excellent track record of helping e-commerce companies generate approximately $ 187 million in revenue. Her clients include French Connection, Skechers and others.
Get email rights to help drive growth
Email marketing won't be available anytime soon. It's here to stay
And it generates a lot of money. If you choose the right agency, you will get that growth much sooner.
Set your goals and find the right agency for you.
Even if you plan to send email internally, the right agency can set everything up right from the start. This will save your team a ton of time and prevent catastrophic mistakes like getting all of your emails stuck in the spam folder.