One of the biggest challenges in email marketing is choosing and using an appropriate database for proper management of your client and lead base.
After all, if your company already has a robust in-house database solution, why create another one outside the company?
In fact, high levels of efficiency and automation can be gained by connecting your in-house database with an outsourced Email Service Provider (ESP) that offers database connectivity.
Gone are the days of manually updating and refreshing your data just before every email send. With a database connection, the data synchronization is automatic and seamless, and runs at predetermined scheduled intervals (hourly, daily, weekly, etc.).
The challenge: IT Managers want to manage and oversee their in-house database, and they should. Yet Marketing Managers want to use external ESP marketing tools to create and deliver effective email campaigns to the freshest list of clients and prospects that the company has. The synchronized automated import and export of database to ESP accomplishes just that.
This data synch can occur using API (application programming interface) integration, where the ESP pushes your data out to you, the way you want it. It can be done through ODBC (open database connectivity) where your database member information (name, email address, etc.) gets imported into the ESP platform and synchronized automatically. And other tasks can be accomplished with custom reporting, giving you exactly the kind of highly detailed and relevant information you need when you need it.
ESP database synchronization saves a tremendous amount of time over manual methods, increases accuracy, and allows the marketing team to proceed whenever ready with important email communications, knowing that the subscriber data is always up to date. All the marketing team needs to do is create and send their campaigns. The rest is automatic.
If you need help running your email operations more efficiently by adding automation to your enterprise, contact Sales at Net Atlantic to speak directly with an engineer who can help solve your database marketing and connectivity challenges. Net Atlantic flagship products ListManager and StrongView both offer powerful and extensive database synchronization, automation and API capability.
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