Using email marketing tools is the best way to manage a huge subscribers list. You can log into a email hosting service without downloading anything or you can purchase software to be installed on your computer’s hard drive and manage your email lists directly.
Email marketing software services are relatively easy to use, but there are many to choose from.
One-time Fees vs. Monthly Fees
Online services often charge a monthly fee, as opposed to one-time installation fee for most software you download. The benefit here is that you don’t have to install anything to your computer, as most of the information will be saved on a cloud-like server online. You’ll be required to login each time you want to access your saved files and account information.
Sometimes, recurring chargers base the price you pay on the total number of subscribers you have. The fee may also change if you increase or decrease the amount of emails you’re sending each month.
In contrast email marketing software is purchased for a flat fee. It doesn’t really matter what you send, or how often you send it, because you’ve already paid one fee up-front for the software. The software is installed on your system and it’s up to you how often you use it.
Small businesses may prefer the relatively low monthly fees of email services, versus the higher, flat rate you pay for email marketing software. Just remember it’s not all about price, you may want to consider both costs and support and choose the one that best fits. For large businesses that send large amounts of email, the monthly fees can be very high compared to the cost of software, but, there’s also greater access to help and support when you use an online email service.
Local Storage vs. Remote Storage
Email marketing services that charge a monthly fee, store your information on their servers. All of your transmissions are sent out from their servers remotely. This definitely saves your company space on your personal servers, and it means you have a backup in the cloud, but if something goes wrong with your marketing company, you are at their mercy. No matter what, ti’s always good practice to back up everything you send and all of your lists.
When you buy email marketing software for a flat fee, it is downloaded and installed to your servers. In addition, all of your data (email addresses, newsletters, etc.) is saved locally. Again, it’s good practice to back up all of your information and store it someplace offsite, in case of a fire or a natural disaster.
The other threat you need to protect against, whether you store your data remotely and locally, is the threat of hackers. Make sure you use security software and keep the private data of your customers safe.
The Spam Factor
Spam is a huge problem when it comes to email marketing. You do not want to be labeled as a spammer. When you send bulk email, it’s easy to be mistaken for garbage, a threat or a security risk. Some people are afraid of email they don’t recognize, and they have the power to mark your message as spam. Even subscribers may forget subscribing to your list and mark you as spam.
Both ways to managing email, online services and self-hosted software you download, have built-in protections to help you deal with and manage spam. Self-hosted programs are more likely to be branded as spam, which can doom your emails to purgatory, unless your readers whitelist your email address.
Of course, simply having an installed email marketing program won’t result in your messages being filtered as spam. It just happens more often when a self-hosted program is used. The best way to combat this is to track your emails. Tracking your emails allows you to see their results on social media platforms, as well as which emails are resulting in a higher click-through rate.
The best way not to be labelled a spammer is to follow the rules of bulk email, educate your readers, and provide them with quality information. The easiest way to combat the spam factor, whether you’re using a self-hosted or online program, is to send personalized, useful emails that your readers actually want to receive.
Ease of Use
Both online and flat fee email services are designed to be easy to use.
Online services are the simplest and they can get you started quickly. Most email services are designed to work with templates and point-and-click ease. You can usually begin using the service immediately, with little learning curve.