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When it comes to email marketing, you need to make sure your message is delivered to the right people in an effective way.  If you’re considering hiring an email marketing agency, there are a few questions to ask before you commit to the business partnership.  These questions will allow you to get an idea of the email services they’ll be able to provide your business and how they’ll help your business achieve its goals.

How will their strategy align with your goals?

As with all digital marketing services, you need to make sure an agency clearly understands your business goals.  An agency that doesn’t ask about your goals typically only wants the money you’ll be dishing out each month.  A great agency will ask about your goals before you even hire them.  This way, they’ll be sure that their email services can help your business achieve (and hopefully crush) these goals.  From there, a strategy can be developed that is aligned with your business goals so you can be sure your money is being well spent.

What CRM software are they comfortable with?

Different businesses require different marketing needs, and email marketing is no different.  There are bunch of great CRM systems out there that will effectively be able to segment lists, automate emails, and streamline the email process but make sure the agency is able to work with the one your business uses. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking to outsource for your marketing emails, keep an open mind to CRM suggestions.  Chances are the agency has been around the block a few times and knows the difference between good and bad CRMs.  If you’ve been stuck by the limitations of your current system, it might be time to update.

How will they segment your contact list?

This question is a must ask question for any email marketing agency.  Your email list is only as good as how you segment it.  Proper segmentation allows your emails to be relevant and will give your messages context.  Contextual marketing is an important email tactic that will boost inbox engagement and allow your email campaigns to flourish.

What does their email creation process look like?

Email marketing continually provides companies with a massive roi.  To make sure you can make the best impact on your bottom line make sure an agency’s email creation process is efficient.  What does their process look like?  Do they use templates?  If they’re charging you by the hour, make sure one email isn’t eating up the majority of your budget due to an inefficient process.

How will they grow and manage your list?

To help your overall campaign success it’s important to make sure you get a steady flow of new emails to send your messages to.  Will they include a simple subscription form on your pages or use a pop-up?  Do they offer inbound marketing that entice your users to give up their information for valuable information in return?  Make sure it’s aligned with your business and works for the users your site is attracting. 

Are their emails responsive?

It’s 2017 and about 53% of emails are opened on mobile devices.  Your emails need to be easily digestible on whatever device your audience is viewing them.  Many CRMs have responsiveness built in to their email creation process, but if not make sure the agency has the capability to code responsive emails.

When it comes to choosing the right email marketing agency, make sure you ask them these questions.  They’ll be able to give you a sense of their process and the results they’ll be able to provide your business.  Ultimately, go with the agency that will best suit your business needs and help you achieve your goals.  This way you can make sure you’re setting your email campaigns for long-term success.