You have several options when it comes to marketing. In terms of digital marketing, social media has become a ‘get out of jail free card’ due to its reputation for reaching large audiences.
While social media has its advantages, conversions and engagement can be poor relative to reach. Email marketing, one of the oldest types of digital marketing, still works today, delivering high click-through rates.
- What is email marketing?
- No-cost marketing
- Paid marketing
- Understanding free vs paid email marketing services
- Intimacy
- Compatibility and integration
- Usability
- Logo and design
- Cost
What is email marketing?
When trying to establish an email marketing campaign, you will be met with dozens of competitors. Before deciding on free vs paid, determine if you need an email service provider or a marketing solution.
An email service provider (ESP) lets you create and save templates for sending to lists of subscribers. This is probably what you envision when sending mass emails.
An email marketing service believes ‘I can do better than you’. It builds on top of ESPs’ robust foundations, adding layers of integration and automation. Costlier, it requires less human input and provides better personalized communications.
No-cost marketing
Many people starting out in email marketing may want a free account. It allows you to familiarize yourself with marketing tools and test them out to see what works best for your company.
Free accounts often have limited storage to urge you to subscribe, but it can frequently be plenty for small enterprises and non-profits.
The absence of commitment to a free marketing service provider allows business owners to try out numerous options before choosing on one. The cost of branding and eliminating watermarks from your email marketing will likely exceed the cost of testing.
Paid marketing
Services normally come in tiers, allowing business owners to pick a package that fits their needs and scale with them. One size fits all marketing is a warning sign when looking for a marketing agency.
A paid service often allows for more customisation, including branding and domain integration for sending from a company email address.
Understanding free vs paid email marketing services
Finding an email marketing business or email service provider can be difficult, especially for beginners. A successful marketing tool should have certain features, but finding the proper balance between power and cost can be difficult. When comparing free and paid marketing services, consider the following:
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Intimacy
When it comes to monetizing a business, you are the product if you can’t identify it. The corporation is likely profiting from you if you do not pay for a product. Sold to other parties, data such as demographics or usage patterns are usually involved.
With a premium service, you can expect privacy, but it’s good to know what data is being handled.
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Compatibility and integration
Pay for a service and expect basic tools. But if you fund it, you may see a return. As a business owner, you probably use a variety of systems to manage your company and collect analytics. The ability to link various systems will help reduce back-end clutter and confusion, lowering operational expenses.
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Usability
You may use a variety of devices to access your email marketing services, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones, if you’re on the road or have various locations.
Paid systems usually include hosting, though setting up your domain can be difficult for beginners, so having a support team might be useful.
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Logo and design
Sending plain text emails from a generic email account (like Gmail or iCloud) can look unprofessional and reduce conversions. Adding your company’s email address adds authenticity.
Consumers increasingly want emails to be as appealing as websites and social media pages, thus HTML is a must. Our HTML newsletter design guide explains certain design features to help you stand out.
Above all, your branding should be apparent through logos, slogans, fonts, and colors. Calls to action are crucial since they connect your email to the product or service you’re promoting. A paid marketing provider gives you more control over your newsletter design.
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Cost
Paying for a service is the most evident difference. Plan ahead of time for your company’s future. One provider may be cheap in year one, but pricing increases imply a ten-year plan may be much more expensive. A plan with a fixed price could save you money. Expect to upgrade tiers and subscriptions as you need more functionality.