Some of the most common questions I get asked by both clients and prospects at The Orchard are:
- What email platform should I be using?
- Is MailChimp a good fit for my business?
- Do I really need all the Hubspot add-ons?
- Will the cost of Salesforce Marketing Cloud improve my email ROI?
- Can I combine my CRM, Email and eCommerce platforms?
These are all great questions to be asking but often require a full audit of business goals, marketing objectives, team skills, resource allocation and the ability to integrate with existing infrastructure in order to make an informed comment.
Marketing Automation a ‘Game Changer’
While MailChimp may be the go-to platform for many businesses in the early stages of digital marketing, it often becomes clear as the business needs grow that a more sophisticated solution is necessary to facilitate long-term growth.
Luckily, over the last 2 years or so, we’ve noticed that the gap between the functionality of entry-level and top-tier platforms is narrowing significantly. Many traditional email marketing platforms are developing at a rapid pace adding features such as landing pages, CRM’s, Social Media posting, Facebook and Google Ads integration, lead scoring and much more which is excellent news for businesses of all sizes.
Traditional Email Marketing platforms such as MailChimp and Campaign Monitor are now competing with highly sophisticated Marketing Automation platforms that offer advanced tools and functionality at price points that are now much more affordable and within reach of businesses of all sizes.
FACT: Email platform choice can increase ROI by 38%
Earlier this year we asked over 400 Australian businesses “How does email platform choice influences ROI?”.
The survey findings indicated a resounding ‘yes’ as we discovered businesses that invest only in a basic entry-level platform such as Mailchimp reported lower levels of engagement and overall return on investment.
Participants were asked to identify what kind of platform they were currently using to manage their email marketing from these three general categories:
- Entry-level Platforms = Email marketing platforms with no CRM or website integration.
- Mid-tier Platforms = Email marketing platforms with automation capabilities but limited integration with either a CRM, website or an external database.
- Top-tier Platforms = Marketing automation platforms with advanced trigger-based messaging based on behaviours and actions via an integrated CRM, website and database or eCommerce store.
The results were pretty conclusive as you can see in the table below:
*Source: The Australian Email Benchmark Report 2018
So what does this mean for your business as we head into 2019?
I strongly advise all businesses to regularly audit your platform’s functionality to ensure you are getting the best possible bang for the buck and maximising your business’s return on investment in your email program.
So whether you’re using Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Vision6, Salesforce, Marketo, Pardot, Hubspot, Infusionsoft or any other platform, take a moment to assess your 2019 business goals and ensure you have the best possible tools at hand to ensure they are realised.
(A 38% boost to your marketing ROI could be just the start you need).
If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to our team at (03) 8547 0003 or info@theorchardagency.com.au to help you narrow down your email platform choices and ensure you’re using the best tool for your business needs.
