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B2BM
April 2009
38
Technology
≤
Go to www.b2bm.biz/technology
Enabling the email revolution
Choosing the right email marketing platform or service provider is likely to be a critical decision
for any B2B brand, given the increasing importance of email as a business marketing channel.
Dave Howell examines the options available, and suggests some factors for consideration
F
or any B2B company taking a
serious look at email technology
for the first time, what will become
clear very quickly is that this
business service sector has seen
rapid growth and development. No matter
what your marketing needs are, there is an
email service provider (ESP) that can
provide the service you are looking for.
The current email marketing landscape
has clear demarcation lines that divide the
online hosted services and the more
traditional in-house installed systems,
which are often a component of a larger
CRM platform. Also, the developers of
email technology will have a bearing on
how they support and manage the service
they offer.
Some ESPs are technology companies
with little insight into the customer-facing
components of their businesses. Their
services are often characterised by the
‘batch-and-blast’ approach to email their time, as well as the monetary services clearly divides between: fully
marketing. In contrast, ESPs that have been investment in the technology, as the key to managed services, in-house applications,
developed by specialised marketing success,” she says. “Marketers must take and web-based platforms
agencies – or full-service agencies – tend to the time to build a strong database, test The volumes of email sent and how
be more rounded products with their before sending, analyse metrics and then segmented and focused these messages are
vendors able to understand and react to segment and target based on the findings.” will determine the overall price of each
their service customers. service. With fully-managed services, costs
The third way are usually calculated on a per-thousand
Keep it close For all B2B enterprises, cost still plays a emails sent basis, with a set-up fee charged
B2B enterprises have also begun to pay major role in choosing how to approach for each campaign.
close attention to the security risks they email marketing. The market for email The market has also recently seen the
face when using outside ESPs. To this end, development of pay-as-you-go services,
a trend has developed towards more in- which enable smaller enterprises to enter
house email marketing campaigns with a this marketing landscape for low start-up
focus on better list generation, costs. Fully-managed services also usually
personalisation of recipient messages and have additional ‘bolt-on’ services that allow
even greater segmentation. customisation of email campaigns, tracking
Marketers are seeing the value of and analysis, with some more
handling all their email marketing activity comprehensive platforms also offering
themselves. Vendors within full-service creative services – all at an additional cost,
agencies will still have the lion’s share of of course.
email marketing activity, as integrated Off-the-shelf email marketing
campaigns are now an industry standard. applications are still available and can give
However, small enterprises with highly the ultimate in control over any campaign.
focused marketing activity may lead to “What email should do is They do, though, have an impact on the IT
more in-house email marketing in some
build a relationship with
provision that is required to make these
sectors. applications feasible to use. Many B2B
According to Denise Cox, newsletter clients that ultimately leads companies in particular have moved away
specialist at Newsweaver, it is no longer
enough for B2B companies to just ‘do’
to high conversion rates”
from these platforms in favour of web-
based systems of outsourcing their
email marketing. requirements to full-service agencies.
“Marketers must see the investment of Edward Weatherall, MD of Concep The criteria that your business uses to
B2BM APRIL 09 – www.b2bm.biz
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