Tips for Moving to a New ESP
Whether you’re searching for a new ESP or you’ve already found one, you’re going to be making the Big Move at some point: the move from one ESP to another. I have two words to help you with what can be a challenging transition: patience and preparation.
If you’re patient and you’re prepared, the move to a new ESP will go faster and smoother than if you’re in a hurry and not really ready.
Be patient.
Transitioning to a new ESP takes time. It can take a lot of time. This move often involves setting up new domains, ramping up IP addresses, moving your in-house email lists and more. Give yourself enough time to do these things internally. On average it can take about 10 days to start sending and at least a month or two before your processes are completely set up. The more complex your integrations and campaigns, the longer it will take. Be realistic in your expectations for data movement. Some marketers expect to be sending the day after they transition to a new ESP, and while that may be possible, it’s often not easy. Give yourself enough time in the planning stages, and in the transition phase too. Also be patient with the ESP. They want you set up right from the very start. As someone once said to me about a marketing project, it’s better to do it right than right now!
Be prepared.
The more prepared you are with your strategy, the faster and cleaner the process will be when you move to a new ESP. If you aren’t sure about some processes that you have in place with your existing ESP, speak to your new ESP (or talk to ClickMail) about the best ways to implement your existing strategies. This might be a good time to evaluate and improve your processes and email marketing best practices too. If you do, definitely seek the input of your new ESP or ClickMail. You can also tackle training early on and get up and running that much faster with your new ESP. Watch demos or video tutorials on how to set things up and use the new platform, or hire a consultant like ClickMail to guide you through the process.
Moving to a new ESP that will improve email deliverability and email marketing effectiveness is a smart business decision. Yet it comes with some short-term pain. Take these tips to heart and you’ll quickly convert that short-term pain into long-term gain!
About the Author: Sharon
