Is Your ESP Forcing You to Fly Blind? Know What’s Out There!
DM News recently reported on a Return Path study that finds over half (55 percent) of email marketers are essentially flying blind, because they lack the tools to be able to analyze their email data, segment their lists, or perform competitive analysis.
55 percent is a startlingly high percentage, given all the improvements in email marketing technology over the past few years. But many marketers may not be aware of the tools available in other ESP solutions, or they are unaware of (or do not know how to use) the tools existing in their current system.
The solution is to 1.) know what tools you need, 2.) know if you have those tools, and 3.) know how to find a solution that does have the tools you need if yours doesn’t.
There are hundreds of email service providers out there. All differ in capabilities and offerings. Some will fit your organization and its needs and goals better than others. The trick is finding the best email provider without going through an expensive and time-consuming RFP process, or waiting for the one who has the most charming or persistent sales manager talk you into a solution that (almost) fits your needs.
We can offer some help via our online evaluation tool, the Espinator. It’s free to use, and will jumpstart your search for the best email provider, or at least see how your current ESP stacks up against what you really need. All you do is answer the questions asked (taking only 5 to 30 minutes of your time, depending on how detailed you want to delve into the specifics of each category. The Espinator will automatically compare your answers to its feature-score database of nearly 30 ESPs and suggest the top three for your consideration.
Think about it. If 55 percent of email marketers are essentially flying blind, undoubtedly some of those marketers are your competitors. If you can align your company with the best email provider for you, and firmly place yourself within the 45 percent of email marketers who do have the data, analytics and strategy needed to succeed, you’ll have a competitive edge—big, huge competitive edge, like 20/20 vision plus radar.
About the Author: Sharon
