Choosing an Email Marketing Agency: Tips for In-House Marketers

In-house marketing is the ultimate juggling act. Marketing managers are typically responsible for every aspect of marketing activity, from social media to SEO, print media, and email marketing. When you’re spreading yourself so thin, it’s easy to let certain tasks fall by the wayside – especially if each discipline is not achieving its full potential and, as a result, is not necessarily prioritised in the marketing mix. 

Working with the right email marketing agency can transform how you work. Adding more time, expertise and strategic knowledge to your toolkit will not only boost efficiency, but it can also improve performance and help you achieve your goals. 

The debate of in-housing vs agency support is a well-trodden one. Many brands will look to build in-house teams with full strategic and deliverable capabilities, while others benefit from the flexible and reliable support of an agency.

In this guide, we’ll explore how the landscape of in-house marketing has changed, and what in-house marketers need to consider when appointing an email marketing agency in 2024. 

2023 brought with it an industry-wide discussion about in-housing. A WFA and The Observatory International study found that 66% of brands now have what they call, ‘in-house agencies’ - up 16% from 2020. But it’s not as simple as bringing all marketing activity under one roof.

One study of 250 chief marketing officers found that 43% of brands see in-housing as an ‘operational headache.’ 33% of respondents said that it was too difficult to implement an in-house model. 

The main issue for CMOs building a reliable and skilled in-house team is finding and retaining the best talent, while cost-effectiveness was also a consideration for those who responded to the survey.

In terms of what brands are outsourcing, this differs for everyone, but there are a few common threads. Email marketing is the third most popular outsourced marketing discipline, after digital marketing and social media. 

As a specialist email marketing agency, our own client experience has taught us that brands are outsourcing email because they know it has huge potential, but they lack the time, expertise, or strategy to make it work in-house. 

The right email marketing partner not only helps a business send regular emails but also get more from their subscriber base through the introduction of creative content, deliverability best practice and automation.

We’ve seen this time and time again with our clients, including in our work with global power tool manufacturer MILWAUKEE®. 

Learn more about how Jarrang works with MILWAUKEE® in our case study.

So, how does the email marketing agency partnership work? From identifying skills gaps in your team, to evaluating the agency expertise and building a relationship based on trust, we’ll explore all of that and more in this guide. Let’s get started.

Finding the right email marketing agency

Now you’ve got a better idea of what you need, it’s time to put the feelers out for an email marketing partner that meets your requirements. Here’s the process for finding an agency:

Full service vs. specialist marketing agency

No two marketing agencies are the same. Some are full-service agencies, which means they may offer email marketing as part of their wider offering. Full-service agencies will often have large teams covering everything from social media to email marketing.

At the other end of the spectrum, specialist agencies will dedicate their offering to one or two specific services. Of course, there are benefits to both approaches. A full-service agency gives you access to a wider skillset, but that expertise might not be as up-to-date or technical as you will get from a specialist agency. You’ll also find a specialist agency is typically more efficient, and has access to highly specialised practitioners within their discipline, such as audience management, data reporting and strategy.

A specialist agency is more likely to be aware of industry changes, new technologies, and common pitfalls as it is living and breathing the discipline. So, while a full-service agency might help with your overall marketing needs, their email marketing offering, for example, might not be anywhere near as developed or skilled as that of a specialist agency.

Evaluate their expertise

Even specialist agencies will have different levels of expertise. Ask the agency about their team:

• Does the agency have demonstrable examples of work in similar fields they can share with you?
• Who will be your point of contact and how can you communicate with the agency? For example, does the agency offer both in-person and online calls? How frequent are the updates, and how are they delivered?
• What experience does the core team have and which technical skills are they competent in?
• If you have specific goals or problems, make sure you share these with the agency before you hire them to ensure they are comfortable tackling the issue. 

Explore the agency’s approach

By doing your SWOT analysis, you’ll already know where you need the most support. Some agencies will take a service-driven approach, where they look to deliver the work as efficiently as possible but don’t necessarily have strategic input, while others will provide an email marketing strategy but require your team to deliver.

One of the biggest blockers facing in-house marketers from appointing agencies is the worry that managing the agency will be more time-consuming than simply doing the work themselves. This is exactly the sort of budget juggling that in-house marketers are doing every day. 

A specialist email marketing agency should be able to slot into your team and require minimum effort on your part. Of course, there will be a settling-in period, but once the partnership is formed, the agency will work to achieve your goals by fitting into the gaps in your team. 

Get a feel for how an agency works by reading case studies and testimonials on their website. Don’t rely solely on public-facing reviews from sites like TrustPilot or Google My Business, as these can be manipulated or obfuscated. 

Instead, try and ask industry peers if they have had any experience with this particular agency – it’s always better to hear from genuine contacts who have worked with the agency in the past. 

Discuss reporting, metrics, and KPIs

Some agencies will provide any and all data or even access to live data dashboards, while others will assemble reports that display information ready to share with the wider team. This all depends on the needs of both the in-house team and the company stakeholders. Remember, data without analysis is useless, as it must be explained and interpreted to identify success and failings and ultimately inform future activity. 

To ensure the agency can provide the data you need, and support with analysis if required, make sure this is clear from initial discussions. You could even ask for a white-labeled example of their email reporting, or speak to a data expert on the team about how they gather and present the data.

If the agency knows your KPIs, and targets, they can help determine where best to channel their efforts and ensure your goals are hit. 

Learn more about email marketing reporting in our dedicated guide to measuring email success. 

Compare contracts and pricing

Don’t be afraid to ask the agency how they work, including their typical contract length and pricing structure. A managed email marketing agency should be able to both save you time, and improve your marketing capabilities - both of which help improve profitability. 

Before signing on the dotted line, make sure you are clear on the contract’s terms, including payment terms and exit fees.

Choose an agency that acts as a partner and not just a supplier. Email marketing is a critical part of any marketer’s strategy, so any arrangement is likely to be a long-term one  that can grow and develop with the company’s overall goals. With that in mind, here are some key things to look for when speaking with email marketing agencies:

Existing client base

Who has the agency worked with before? Are they specialists in your industry or have experience with similar brands? Check their website for case studies, and ask them to tell you about their proven success working with marketing teams like yours.

Agency reputation

In marketing, reputation is everything. Ask around about how the agency is perceived from the outside. This can be very telling, especially if multiple independent sources speak highly of an agency.

Software expertise

One of the key benefits of working with a specialist agency over a full-service one is that they often have a stronger knowledge of the technology on offer. At Jarrang, for example, we have unparalleled knowledge of email marketing tools like SalesForce Marketing Cloud, Mapp, and Validity. So, we can help marketers make the most out of these platforms. 

Company philosophy

While an agency is a separate entity from your company, it still needs to match your company philosophy. Don’t be nervous to ask your agencies about their values and priorities, as this will help to paint a better picture of how they work and what matters to them.