Mailing service (ESP)

Choosing the perfect email marketing service for your business can be a real challenge. How to choose among many options when each promises mountains of gold? Let's figure out together what critical criteria will help you not only save money, but also increase your profits!

Glossary

• 📧 ESP (Email Service Provider) – A mailing service that allows you to send emails letters to subscribers' addresses.
• ✉️ Newsletter – The process of sending emails to a group of subscribers.
• 📊 Segmentation – Dividing the subscriber base into groups for more precise targeting of messages.
• 🎨 Personalization – Customize emails for a specific recipient, including using their name and other details.
• 📱 Responsive design – Especially the email format that displays correctly on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets.
• 📈 Analytics – Collection and analysis of statistics on email opens, clicks and conversions.
• 🔄 Automation – Ability to configure automatic sending of letters according to specified scenarios, for example, trigger actions of a subscriber.
• 🛠️ Integration – Linking ESP with other services such as CRM to streamline processes.
• 💻 Interface – Appearance and ease of use of the service, including navigation and functionality availability.
• 📉 Cost – Costs for using the mailing service, which may include various tariff plans.
• 🎯 Mailing efficiency – The level of success of campaigns, measured through the open rate and click-through rate of letters.
• ✍️ Subscription form – A tool for collecting user contact information that can be embedded into a website or application.
• 🔧 Additional features – Special features that the service offers, such as A/B testing, CRM integration and etc.
• 🌐 Cross-Functionality – ESP's ability to work with different platforms and technologies to ensure compatibility.

How to choose the perfect email marketing service for your business

In the process of choosing the ideal email service (ESP) for my business, I was faced with a myriad of options and unforeseen circumstances. Let me share my experience to help you avoid the same mistakes.

It's important to ask yourself a few questions first: "What are the key features for me?" , “What is my financial situation?”, “How important is technical support?”. Thinking about this, I remembered the moment when I had to choose between two popular services. At first glance, they both looked great, but I knew it wasn't worth skimping on.

Looking at the functionality, it turned out that one of the platforms offered many templates and process automation that would greatly simplify my work. At the same time, I paid attention to the prices. One of the services offered a low cost, but upon closer examination it turned out that the user-friendliness of the interface was far from ideal and it was necessary to spend a lot of time learning the functionality.

An important aspect is customer support. One day, while trying to send out emails to continue the course, I encountered a technical problem. One ESP's support team responded quickly and helpfully, providing real-time assistance. In contrast, another company left me without a response for several weeks, which caused a lot of stress.

🔍 Key aspects of choosing an ESP:

• Functionality: What features are critical for you? Automation, templates, market segmentation?
• Cost: A low price does not always mean a benefit.
• Support: How quickly will they answer you and how well will they solve the problem?

This experience made me think about the optimal selection criteria. If someone had told me earlier which aspects were important, it would have saved time and nerves. Remember that choosing the right email marketing service can have a significant impact on your business and its success.

To help you make a more informed choice, I offer you a quick outline that can help you in the process:

Quick Outline for Selecting an ESP

With the right approach to choosing an ESP, you can avoid many difficulties and establish effective communication with your clients. In this world where information is our main asset, the right newsletter service is your faithful assistant.

Why do you need a mailing service

When the choice was Between simple mailing tools and multifunctional services, memories of the first steps in the world of email marketing surfaced in my head. One particular case that still makes me smile is my first attempt at creating a newsletter for a startup. Having sent letters through a regular mailbox, I encountered unexpected consequences.

It seemed that I did everything right: I collected a database of contacts, composed texts and clicked "send". However, none of the recipients received my message. Later it turned out that such actions were on the verge of receiving the status of “spammer”. The shock and bewilderment that I experienced, especially when I learned about the delivery rules. Imagine: 500 emails were sent and not a single one was received. And when you do this through Gmail, it's easy to get hit by spam filters.

Since then, a critical aspect for me has been the understanding that choosing the right mailing service is not only convenient, but also life-saving. Comparing the functionality of different platforms, it became obvious to me that I no longer had any reason to rely on a regular box. A smart and profitable approach is to use a reliable ESP (Email Service Provider).

Important criteria for choosing an ESP, based on my experience:

• Delivery and reliability.
• Quality and base area.
• Tools for analysis and statistics.
• Availability and cost.

Each of these points is not just important, but critical. For example, delivery reliability is directly related to the reputation of the provider. 📊 Finding a quality database isn't just about choosing random addresses, it's your chance to create genuine connections with customers.

Emails actually reach clients

When I started use a specialized ESP, I was amazed by the high expected deliverability: 98% and above. These are not just numbers, but real confidence that the letters will not end up in the spam folder.

How does it work? For example, Sendpulse, with whom I collaborated at the time, had really honed the art of sender reputation management for years. Once was enough - the study showed that 100% of recipients read the message containing an interesting offer. This is a fact that cannot be overstated.

Unfortunately, if you use a regular mailbox, you can not only become a spammer, but also expose your future messages to the same risk. To avoid this, it's important to make sure you have unsubscribe functions - it's like a lifeline in a stormy sea. 🛟

Quantity restrictions increase risks

When next While working on the project, I realized the uselessness of the limits of conventional services. Gmail allows you to send a maximum of 500 emails per day, but this amount is extremely insufficient for business. Therefore, you need to find something that gives you freedom in sending.

Using ESP made it possible to send an unlimited number of letters to any number of recipients almost instantly. If your business is growing, then your subscriber base should grow along with it. Every time I saw the results of my mailings instantly reflected in sales, I remembered the moment when more than a million letters were sent per day. ⏳

It is important to clarify now whether the company has a free version, in which case the number of mailings may be a significant limitation.

Mailing effectiveness under control

Findings related to analysis of the results became a real discovery for me when I used ESP. This became possible thanks to statistics collection: how many users received the letter, opened it, and followed the links.

I remember once doing a large-scale analysis: they found out that 60% of subscribers were interested in one specific product. The idea was simple - to increase the number of such mailings. When all the information is presented on one screen, the moment when all key indicators become transparent truly begins. 📈

It may sound cliche, but even the simple "Request to Read" feature in standard email programs soon becomes a cause of chaos with how easy it is to lose valuable information.

Creating a beautiful letter - quickly and easily

With Whenever I need to create eye-catching content, I've found that many ESPs offer pre-made email templates. This feature is not just convenient, but necessary in order to stand out from the rest.

I remember accidentally coming across responsive templates that looked great on both mobile devices and desktops. Simplicity of design is a huge plus! 💻

Creating a beautiful email with pictures and stylish texts turned out to be easier than I could have imagined. At the same time, the need to use complex HTML codes has faded into the background. With templates, you can get creative and test new things to meet the diverse needs of your target audience.

Let me remind you that choosing a mailing service is not just a formality, but creating the foundation for sustainable business. Let your business shine and your sales grow! ✨

What mailing services can do

Load databases contacts

Some time ago I had a need to optimize the e-mail marketing process for my project. I already had a relatively large contact database consisting of various formats: csv, txt and xls. It was a pity to lose each new subscriber and I was faced with the task of loading this database into a new mailing service. Do you know what turned out to be the most wonderful?

The site I chose offered an intuitive interface for importing data. The support was excellent: they offered an assistant who not only suggested which fields were important to import, but also how to add tags for convenient subsequent segmentation. And when I finally waited for the download to complete, I felt a real surge of euphoria. The social network to which I was going to drive traffic only had 20% of the contacts from this base and now all the work was a success.

Tip: Try to prepare your contact database in advance. This will help avoid confusion during the import process and will make your work with the service much faster.

Segment subscribers

So how can segmentation change the whole picture? One case comes to mind here. I was working with one project and we decided to segment our base according to key parameters: age, city, preferences. Yes, at the initial stage many people thought it was difficult and time-consuming. But the consequences were obviously positive.

Research has proven that sending personalized emails increases open rates by 39% and reduces unsubscribes by 28%. Why not take advantage of this opportunity? Thanks to segmentation, each group received what was really interesting and a 24% increase in sales was not long in coming. I will definitely repeat this in the next project.

Note: Use statistics and achieve results by playing on the preferences of your audience.

Personalize emails

Once upon a time I sent emails using general appeals. I won't hide the fact that the results were disappointing. After that, I came up with the idea of personalization... And lo and behold, when I started including the recipient's name in the subject line and content of emails, open rates increased by 22%!

The sound of the notification that a new order has arrived began to sound more often. As I learned to use the wildcard tools in various services, I noticed that simply adding a name or product recommendation made the emails more attractive. Think about it: when you see your name in the header of the letter, won’t you feel a little excitement?

"Money is great, but it's important to do business with passion!" - Stephen Anthony Ballmer, billionaire CEO of Microsoft Corporation from January 2000 to February 2014. Owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.

Create responsive emails without programmers

While working with one brand, I discovered the possibilities of email designers. When you see how quickly and easily you can put together your newsletter, it's truly exciting. Not having to contact developers and designers made the process not only cheaper, but also much faster.

Filling ready-made blocks with content was so easy that everyone could create their own newsletter in a matter of minutes. I was particularly impressed with the ability to include video and GIF animations to create more interactive emails. After all, how sometimes you want to attract attention using emotional messages!

Tech Tip: Always choose blocks that best fit your corporate identity. This will raise the level of your business card among competitors.

Collect statistics

Statistics are my favorite part of the job! By studying how many people opened the letters and what links they clicked, it was possible to find insights. By comparing the successful emails with the unsuccessful ones, I was able to create more targeted campaigns. One of the most interesting things is that many people do not value the use of statistics.

I was afraid at the beginning that not everyone would click on additional links, but Having discovered that many times more people were clicking on “Get a discount”, I took note of this. It's so simple, but so effective!

By the way: Analyze your email campaigns regularly to identify consistent patterns and patterns.

Automatically send emails using scripts

A few years ago, I noticed that manual mailing management - this is not only long, but also fraught with errors. Oh, how nice it was to set up automatic email chains! By setting up a few simple rules, it became possible to send welcome emails, reminders or offers, depending on the subscriber's actions.

Every time someone signed up for the webinar, they immediately received a welcome email. Notification the day before the event has helped more than once so that these people do not forget. The effectiveness of automated scripts has proven invaluable.

Automation tip: Use events to trigger emails - this way you won't have problems with “forgetful” subscribers.

Create beautiful subscription forms

Creating subscription forms has always been one of my passions. I've found that the more unique the form design, the more likely people are to submit their contact information. By using templates, I didn't have to spend hours on development.

After implementing the form on the site, conversions increased significantly. Petals of simplicity and beauty made the subscription process not only easy, but also fun for a new client. It has also become easier to collect open email addresses for subsequent campaigns.

Note: Test different shape variations to discover what works best for you your audience.

Stage overview

Working with mailing services — it's not just about technical aspects. This process requires a creative and strategic approach. By studying all its secrets, you can significantly improve both customer interaction and business financial results.

How much does the mailing service cost

When I started looking various mailing services for my business, I had a lot of questions, especially regarding the cost. I remember how one day, sitting in a cafe with a cup of coffee, I made an important conclusion for myself: “How much does it cost to communicate with clients?” As it turns out, the price of ESP can range from 500 to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month! At first glance, this difference seems absurd, but I soon realized that this figure hides not only basic functions, but also huge significance for the future of my business.

Number of contacts in the database and its impact on the price

What should you pay attention to? One of the key factors is the number of contacts in the database. The more recipients, the higher your price will be. Early in my career I encountered this problem. I chose a service that seemed to offer a lot of features, but then I discovered that at the start I was already limited to a database of 1000 contacts. 🤯

At one of the webinars where I attended, the speaker said: “How many clients you have, that’s how much your mailing service costs.” This moment resonated with me and I began to ask myself questions: “What is my audience? How is it growing?” During my search, I came across free versions of most ESPs. At first it was just a salvation for my budget. Many services offered limited features that were ideal for small mailings. I remember a friend telling me that he used the free plan of one of the platforms and was able to successfully launch a newsletter for his startup.

Functionality and cost

When I finally chose the service, I noticed that in the starting tariffs the functionality can be significantly limited . From personal experience I can say: if you are planning to grow, it is better to immediately choose a more expensive tariff that offers advanced features such as automation and segmentation. It hinted at more advanced features that I found invaluable when it came to increasing conversions. 📈

As a result of my research, I have compiled a short summary:

• Free versions: Great way to test functionality, but may limit your growth.
• Base cost: Determined by the number of contacts. The more, the more you need to pay.
• Functionality: Determines how effectively you can interact with your audience. However, it is worth remembering that in lower tariffs the possibilities may be limited.

This approach to choosing an ESP helped me not only save money, but also anticipate possible costs in the future when my customer base grows.

"Your newsletter is the face of your business. Make sure that face is attractive and professional!" - Neil Patel, entrepreneur and online marketing guru. Co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, creator of KISSmetrics, Quick Sprout, Crazy Egg and Hello Bar. The Wall Street Journal named Patel one of the most influential people on the Internet, and Forbes placed him among the top ten marketers.

Summary

Thus, I came to the conclusion that the cost of a mailing service should primarily depend on your needs and expectations. Don't be afraid to try a few options as this will help you figure out what your business really needs! 💪

How to Choose the Perfect ESP: A Quick Guide

Criteria for choosing a mailing service

Interface convenience

When I registered with one of the popular email services for mailing lists, I was immediately struck by the interface. "Where is everyone?" - I thought when I tried to set up the first send. 🕵️♂️ The fact is that many platforms have complex settings and confusing designs, which can not only be annoying, but also potentially destructive for business.

Personally, I loaded my contact database and tried to create the first letter, but the interface turned out to be so uncomfortable that I was confused. On one of the platforms, according to reviews from other users, it was said that “if you yourself are looking for how to send a letter, you will quickly get lost in this forest.” Therefore, before setting up the service, it is worth spending time studying it. If the interface is confusing, it's probably not worth your time and money on the product. It's best when using the platform is fun and not stressful.

Compare several platforms, customize them, and then make a decision based on your experience with them. Nothing speaks volumes about ease of use like your own experience.

Important steps for testing the interface:

• Register and explore the interface.
• Try loading your contacts.
• Create and send a test email.
• Pay attention to the ease of navigation.

Additional functions

Over time, I noticed that mailing services are increasingly becoming multifunctional marketing platforms. 💡 Instead of simple email newsletters, many of them now offer the ability to send SMS, messenger integration, creation of landing pages and chatbot settings. So, one day I decided to test a service that promised integration with the messenger.

To my surprise, after just a couple of clicks, I was able to send WhatsApp messages using the same contact list. This has really simplified communication with clients. However, it is worth considering that not all additional functions may be necessary for you. A cafe owner I know once overpaid for functionality that she never used.

Before paying for a subscription, it is important to analyze what exactly you need and what can be turned off. Pay attention to the cost of additional options and be sure to test them.

How to avoid overpayments:

• Determine what features you need for your business.
• Compare rates for different options in different services.
• Test additional features before activating them.

Integration with other services

More than once I came across a situation where the ability to integrate changed the game . 🤝 At one of the early stages of working with mailings, I discovered that the service could not integrate with the CRM I was using. This created a lot of problems and required additional efforts. Therefore, before choosing a service, be sure to check out its integrations.

Once, when I urgently needed to connect an online cash register to an email service, I was a “defender” of integration capabilities. I have found that platforms that support integration with CRM and other tools make life much easier. Analyzing the integrations between different services really paid off: I didn't have to import or duplicate the database afterwards.

What is important to consider when integrating:

• See what integrations the service already has.
• Check out how easy it is to set up integrations.
• Make sure the required tools are already connected.

Support

On my way, I have more than once encountered a situation where services were provided on verge of inaccessibility. 😟 When you have a problem and need to urgently contact support, it is important to understand how easy it will be for you to do this. One of the services I used only had support in English and this was a real challenge.

I remember one night I urgently needed to send a newsletter - It turned out like in a horror movie: silence, I wrote to support, but the answer came only a few hours later, when the problem had already been resolved. After that incident, I made sure to pay attention to customer support reviews. Support is critical, especially if your business requires fast response times.

Before you start using any platform, be sure to read user reviews about the support team. Customer service is your lifeline in the sea of marketing. 📞

How to rate the support service:

• Study user reviews about service support.
• Check the language settings of the service.
• Make sure you can quickly contact support.

Thanks for reading and for becoming more experienced! 🎉

Now you have the knowledge that will give your business new strength. You know that the right choice of mailing service can change the rules of the game. My personal experience with different ESPs has allowed me to see how detailed mapping of critical parameters such as profitability and CRM integration can determine the success of a campaign. Remember, customer support and analytics are key. I sincerely hope that my advice will help you achieve your goals! I look forward to your comments on what you think about this! 😊