When you partner with the right full-service email marketing agency, it can be a game changer. Use this guide to make the right choice.
A full-service email marketing agency is a company that specializes in providing comprehensive email marketing services to businesses. Unlike specialized agencies that focus on one aspect of email marketing, such as design or automation, full-service agencies offer a wide range of services to handle all aspects of your email marketing campaigns.
McKee Creative handles strategy development, campaign designs, coding, list management, automation and analytics for our email marketing clients.
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Partnering with a full-service email marketing agency offers several benefits for businesses seeking to optimize their email marketing strategy.
Firstly, these agencies bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the table. For instance, Jo McKee has been involved in email marketing since 2005 across industries including film distribution, marine tourism, ecommerce (more niches than we can list here), health, online courses, and events. We’ve generated millions of dollars in revenue via email marketing, and it never ceases to astonish us that, although everyone seems to say they “don’t read email”, somehow people still manage to spend a lot of money via email!
An email marketing agency understands the intricacies of effective email marketing and can guide you in developing a solid strategy.
Secondly, full-service agencies save you time and resources by handling all aspects of your email campaigns, from design to tracking and analysis. This allows you to focus on your core business activities. Additionally, these agencies often have access to advanced tools and technologies, enabling them to deliver highly targeted and personalized campaigns. For instance, at McKee Creative we have access to the resources of both Klaviyo and ActiveCampaign’s partner programs, as well as networks of high-profile marketers in paid communities where we stay up to date with developments.
Lastly, by leveraging an agency’s expertise, you can achieve better results, such as improved open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, leading to a higher return on investment (ROI).
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A full-service email marketing agency offers a comprehensive suite of services to ensure the success of your email campaigns. Let's delve into the key services typically provided by these agencies:
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A full-service agency assists in developing a robust email marketing strategy. They work closely with you to define goals, identify target audiences, and determine the best approach to engage subscribers effectively. Through strategic planning, they help you craft compelling messaging, content, and frequency to achieve your desired outcomes.
Examples?
For Chelsey Jean our email marketing strategy addressed three groups: one was retail buyers, another was women who wanted to go deeper in learning about their health, and the third group was industry professionals who want training in Chelsey Jean’s lymphatic health method.
For Cienna Designs we capitalized on the work done in our first month together with Nat Angel, an influencer who at the time of the “shout out” had over 40,000 women in her Facebook Group. Our strategy included scooping up all of the women who added products to their cart but didn’t check out, and sending messages directly to that segment to have them complete their purchase. If Nat had done the promotion without us having the email marketing in place, Cienna Designs would have missed out on over $100000 revenue in thirty days!
Designing and creating captivating email campaigns is a core service offered by full-service agencies. They understand the importance of visually appealing emails and impactful copywriting. By aligning the campaign with your brand and target audience, they create customized email templates that grab attention and drive engagement. The agency's expertise in copywriting ensures that your message is compelling and resonates with your subscribers, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
At McKee Creative we ensure that every email is “on brand”, and we get to know each of our clients’ brands so well that our clients barely need to glance at the campaigns. Yes, some of our clients quite rightly want to approve everything that goes out, but we have at least 5 brands under email marketing management at the moment whose owners prefer we just “write it and send it”. They simply send us footage when they do a photo shoot, let us know what products or services they want to promote, and we do the rest.
Aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly emails are crucial for success in email marketing. Full-service agencies excel in designing and coding emails that are not only visually appealing but also responsive across different devices and email clients. They have the technical know-how to create HTML templates that render seamlessly, ensuring a consistent experience for your subscribers. By optimizing the design and coding, they enhance the deliverability and functionality of your emails.
McKee Creative’s team finds just the right touch regarding how heavily-designed each brand’s email campaigns should be, in keeping with each clients’ brand guidelines.
We also take deliverability into account, having found that sometimes it’s highly effective send a plain text email, say, at the close of a product launch, which lands more easily in the recipient’s inbox + conveys a personal touch.
Managing your email list effectively is essential for targeted and personalized campaigns. Full-service agencies handle list management tasks, including segmentation, which involves categorizing your subscribers based on various criteria such as demographics or customer behavior. This segmentation allows for tailored messaging and higher engagement. Additionally, they manage subscriber preferences, handle unsubscribe requests, and ensure email hygiene by removing inactive or invalid email addresses.
Our strategy at McKee Creative is to split your list into “Working” (people who joined within the past two weeks), Engaged, and “Did not open 15 days” (or whichever time frame is appropriate for the brand). This allows us to segment our campaigns as well as our flows, monitoring open and click through rates, as well as revenue, on each.
Full-service agencies help you leverage the power of email automation to streamline your campaigns and nurture customer relationships. They assist in setting up automated workflows and drip campaigns triggered by specific user actions or events. By delivering timely and relevant emails, automation enhances the user experience and drives conversions. Whether it's welcoming new subscribers, sending abandoned cart reminders, or re-engaging inactive customers, full-service agencies ensure that your automated campaigns are effective and personalized.
Automations are extremely powerful in terms of ROI. On the email marketing accounts we manage at McKee Creative, we find the automated flows bring 15-20% of revenue.
This is a big one. You want to be able to measure performance of email campaigns not just in terms of opens and clicks, but also in terms of revenue.
We use the email platforms’ data and cross-check with Google Analytics to balance things out.
Key metrics include open rates, click rates and conversions (purchases or leads).
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Running successful email campaigns requires meticulous management. Full-service agencies take care of campaign scheduling, deployment, and monitoring. They conduct A/B testing to optimize subject lines, email content, and calls-to-action. Additionally, they handle bounce management, spam compliance, and deliverability monitoring to ensure your emails reach the intended recipients' inboxes. By managing all aspects of your campaigns, these agencies allow you to focus on other important aspects of your business.
Some brands find it is sufficient to use the email platform’s built-in email authentication. For others, we manage the deliverability directly via the client’s email marketing account, setting up DKIM and SPF authentication. DKIM authentication, in particular, helps a brand build their reputation as an email sender.
Selecting the right full-service email marketing agency is crucial for the success of your campaigns - and your revenue. Here are some key considerations to help you make an informed decision.
Before evaluating agencies, clearly define your email marketing goals and the specific services you require. Are you looking for assistance with strategy development, campaign creation, automation, or all of the above? Understanding your needs will help you find an agency that aligns with your objectives.
Assess the expertise and experience of the agency. Look for their track record in delivering successful email campaigns. Do they have experience working with businesses similar to yours? A knowledgeable agency with a proven track record is more likely to deliver effective results.
For an overview of how McKee Creative works, when it comes to email marketing, see our process here.
Consider whether the agency has experience in your industry. While not mandatory, industry-specific knowledge can bring valuable insights and understanding of your target audience, leading to more effective campaigns.
More so than industry, when your email marketing team understands what motivates your customers and how to persuade them to buy, you’ll find your campaigns bring a healthy ROI.
Review the agency's case studies and client testimonials to gain insights into their past work. Look for success stories that align with your goals and requirements.
Effective communication and collaboration are essential for a successful partnership with a full-service email marketing agency. Evaluate their responsiveness, clarity in communication, and willingness to listen to your ideas and input. A collaborative agency will work closely with you to understand your brand and goals, ensuring that your vision is translated into impactful email campaigns.
Consider your budget and the agency's pricing structure. While cost shouldn't be the sole determining factor, it's important to find an agency that provides value for your investment.
When your agency can demonstrate the revenue generated from the email marketing campaigns, it makes the job easier of comparing their fees with your business’s ROI.
Consider the scalability and flexibility of the agency. As your business grows, you may require additional services or increased email volume. Ensure that the agency has the capacity and resources to scale their services accordingly. Additionally, evaluate their ability to adapt to your changing needs and accommodate any future requirements that may arise.
Partnering with a full-service email marketing agency can revolutionize your email campaigns and drive exceptional results. By leveraging their expertise in strategy development, campaign creation, design and coding, list management, automation, tracking and analytics, and overall campaign management, you can optimize your email marketing efforts and achieve your business objectives. When choosing an agency, consider factors such as their expertise, industry specialization, communication, and pricing. By making an informed decision, you'll establish a fruitful partnership that elevates your email marketing and helps you build stronger connections with your audience.
A full-service email marketing agency offers a comprehensive range of services designed to enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns. By finding and working with an effective full-service email marketing agency, you can benefit from their expertise, experience, and holistic approach.
At McKee Creative we set ourselves a KPI of bringing 30% of your revenue via email, as part of our Economy and Retail Therapy marketing packages. This creates a nice balance of new customer acquisition via paid social and Google campaigns, and the revenue generated from email marketing and blog publishing.
If you prefer the single-service email marketing, our fee is USD $2000/month.
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