Why Outsourcing Email Makes Sense
Over time, however, the ability of the email marketing program was not adapting at the required pace. The need for more targeted dynamic content in email programs was immediate. Therefore, investing the resources - both time and financial - in getting the in-house solution up to date was no longer cost-efficient or smart.
Outside email marketing vendors, however, have tremendous incentive to build, adapt, and refine their software solutions to meet the ever-changing demands of the consumer. It is not simply a "need-to" for vendors, it is crucial to their growth and survival in an increasingly competitive space.
So as the email marketing industry comes full circle - from outsource to in-house to a hybrid model - the reasons for tipping the balance to an outsourced email marketing partner have never been more clear.
There are a few strong reasons, too many for the limited space here, for outsourcing, or at least shifting the balance to email vendors.
Reason #1: Marketers, the age of consolidation is upon us. The entire direct digital marketing ecosystem is highly fragmented, giving marketing organizations more incentive than ever to consolidate vendors and seek out efficiencies. The key is finding the right vendor that facilitates consolidation by centralizing all useful marketing data in the same software platform that delivers the emails.
Reason #2: Access to leading edge email software that's managed by experts. Okay, I'm no fan of buzzwords like "leading edge," but email marketing companies must maintain the most recent, sophisticated capabilities - from dynamic content features to up-to-the-second delivery assurance tools.
Reason #3: It's cheaper to outsource than continue building in-house solution. It's not just investment in the technology infrastructure, it's the need to constantly upgrade combined with the very real need lean on professional services for the latest and greatest in design and campaign execution.
Reason #4: Reliability is paramount. Besides deliverability, reliability is the most important feature of a good email marketing company. Triggered emails need to go out on time, dynamic content modules needs to be delivered to the right audience segments, etc. Email vendors that concentrate heavily on deliverability and reliability separate themselves from the pack.
