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Connecting with your customers to build solid, transparent business relationships is of the utmost importance for any business looking to increase its revenue. Therefore, email marketing has become a powerful tool for achieving these goals effectively and quickly. If you are interested in email marketing, you must be informed that there are two main types: self-hosted email marketing and external email marketing.
While external email marketing seems less of a headache, the advantages of self-hosted email marketing should not be overlooked. Some benefits that your business can enjoy in constructing a more personalized and effective email marketing strategies are:
- Freedom to customize the email design
- Complete control over your email list
- Cost-effective solutions for email marketing
Even if you are not knowledgeable or trained in self-hosted email marketing, you can enjoy all its advantages, as there are several reliable and affordable self-hosted email marketing software options explicitly designed to make the entire process easier and quicker.
Next, we will discuss how to effectively use such software to achieve your overall email marketing and business goals. So, keep reading!
7 Essential Steps for Using Self-Hosted Email Marketing Software
Step 1: Choosing the Right Software
For the success of your email marketing campaign, choosing the right self-hosted email marketing software is necessary. When choosing one, consider your business and email marketing needs, budget, and technical expertise.
Look for software options with advantageous advanced features, easy integration with your specific email delivery service, and better support.
Step 2: Setting up the Server
Your next step should involve setting up your email server. You can either use your existing server or create a brand-new one. When creating or setting up a new server, choose a popular hosting provider specializing in email hosting, as they offer high deliverability, reliable infrastructure, and easy scalability, among other advantages.
Step 3: Configuring your DNS Records
To accurately direct your email traffic to your newly set-up email server, you must configure your Domain Name System (DNS) records. You should not overlook this step, as it enhances your email deliverability and safeguards your (sender’s) reputation.
Start by setting up a Mail Exchange (MX) record that effectively points to the IP address of your email server. You can take a step further and set up a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record, as it can prevent spam and help authenticate your emails.
Step 4: Create and Customize Your Email List
Create your email list by considering your specific email campaign or customer types and interests. Customizing or organizing this list is necessary for successful email marketing. It can assist you in sending relevant and targeted content/emails to your chosen customers or audience, allowing higher engagement rates in the process. Take steps to ensure your email list is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Step 5: Creating the Templates
An important component of your email marketing strategy is creating valuable or attractive email templates for the campaign in question. The software will either have ready-to-use templates or provide you with the option to create or customize your own templates using your brand’s fonts, colors, and logo.
Step 6: Choosing the Method for Sending Emails
After you have completed steps 1 to 5, you can start sending emails. The software’s automation feature allows you to schedule emails according to your customers’ specific behavior and triggers. You can also send the emails manually; however, the automation feature can help your business maintain consistency while saving you time and effort.
Step 7: Monitoring the Email Campaigns
To check the effectiveness of your email marketing campaign or to identify areas for improvement, you must monitor the performance of your email campaign conducted by the self-hosted email marketing software. Consider the bounce rates, click-through rates, and open rates. You can take on this task or use the software’s analyzing, reviewing, or monitoring features for a more effective and quicker result.
Conclusion
Email marketing offers many advantages, from creating personalized content to sending timely campaigns and increasing leads and/or revenue. Thus, seeking the assistance of reliable and effective self-hosted email marketing software is necessary for all businesses today. If you follow the 7 steps mentioned above, using self-hosted email marketing software effectively and accurately becomes easy. So, don’t waste any more time—take the required steps to find the right software for your email marketing and business needs today!