Email Marketing within SharePoint CRM

Table of Contents SharePoint CRM Email Marketing Options... 3 SharePoint Email Web Part Solutions... 3 Online SaaS Email Services... 3 Email Restrictions... 4 Email Message... 4 Tracking Results... 4 Planning Considerations... 4 Updating the CRM with Email Results... 5 Bottom Line... 5 2 P a g e Copyright 2012, LookOut Software, Inc.

SharePoint CRM Email Marketing Options We are often asked whether SharePoint CRM can provide bulk / blast Emailing. The answer to this question is both yes and no. It s an easy question to ask but a rather more complex and comprehensive answer that is required in order to fully understand the options available along with the pros and cons to each option. Also, this is an evolving area in both SharePoint CRM and in the industry generally. New web parts and options are entering the market on a regular basis. Additionally SharePoint CRM is weighting up options based on customer requests for marketing generally, and Email marketing specifically. Generally there are two types of Email marketing software options to consider: 1. SharePoint-Based an internally managed Web Part Email system 2. Service Offering a Pay as You Go SaaS (Software as a Service) solution SharePoint Email Web Part Solutions There are several web part products that work with SharePoint to perform the task of bulk Emailing. You can find them located on SharePoint Reviews. However, our favorite contender is a product called Jungle Mail. Although we are considering integrating our CRM with Jungle Mail over the long term for now we are recommending that customers download it and try it for 30 days. Jungle Mail can currently be set up and utilized with your CRM Contact or Lead list, or any list that has an Email address available to it. It will not be available from the Advanced Search results page or the CRM Campaign list until integration is offered. As with all approved third party recommended products we offer our customers a 10% discount off any posted fees on Software Partner websites when purchased from us. This applies only to Jungle Mail. Note: Support and configuration support of Approved third party products is available within a LookOut Software Help Desk or Implementation support plan. Online SaaS Email Services There are many Email services available that have a variety of different offerings such as Mail Chimp, Constant Contact and Simplycast. Each of these services has slightly different offerings, pay options and add on features. Most services provide some free access so if your Email lists are smallish you may find using a service is the most cost effective way to go. As time goes on and the lists grow you may find you outgrow the free account so be sure to evaluate what the paid accounts offer. Additionally, many services hold back some functionality from the free accounts. Before going to the extent of setting up lists and campaigns you will want to see how far you can go with the free account. Also, the SaaS Email services have been long in development and can be complex to use for inexperienced users. Some companies have internal processes whereby their sales people are responsible for sending mass 3 P a g e Copyright 2012, LookOut Software, Inc.

communications to their own set of Accounts. In this type of situation it may be preferred to have a SharePoint Web Part available with pre-defined templates ready to do. Email Restrictions Some services, such as Mail Chimp, are very strict with their Email rules when it comes to Emailing unsubscribed individuals. Other services are a little more lax; however you will find that most services will require you to approve the list you upload to their servers as being approved. Using an in-house SMTP server will give you control over the Email process however this may result in complaints if you are blasting to a purchased list. Try smaller sets of Emails rather than one big blast to test for results. Email Message All Email capable systems, including Windows based, SharePoint Web Parts and Online Services, utilize HTML Editors for the creation of the Email message. Most can still be considered somewhat rudimentary Editors when compared to a product like Word and can be challenging for non-marketing people to use. Mail Chimp has a unique method for enabling a web address to be used in the sending of an Email blast instead of creating an HTML within their Editor. Using this method a web designer can create an HTML Email and enable it for you to add to the Mail Chimp process thus eliminating the need to use their Editor. HTML vs. Text There has been a lot of research over the years on whether HTML or plain text has a higher open result. The research varies depending on who is reviewing this topic but a good Email service will enable both HTML and text. However the evidence is that HTML is generally more likely read than text. Online systems are smart enough to deal with these situations, thus enabling a higher chance that the Email will be received if the user is set to text only. Tracking Results This is one of the important areas when considering which Email system/service to use. Knowing who opens and clicks on links inside your Email is paramount to understanding the results/effect of Email marketing. All Email systems today have this functionality however some may be more robust than others as well as have slightly different ways of presenting the feedback data. Some systems offer additional features for managing the results of Email blasts over time such as social rating. Email services wish to engage paying customers and will certainly offer additional benefits to those maintaining their lists within their systems. Using this additional functionality can be useful to serious marketers but the Contact list ending up in two places must be considered CRM and the online service. Planning Considerations 1. If you are planning to use the SharePoint Email Web Part for sending communication to customers or other approved/subscribed recipients then the purchase and use of a built-in product will potentially save money - depending on the regularity and quantity of Emails sent. 2. If there are a number of users you want to access lists for Emailing with standard templates then having a built-in solution will ensure that users are following corporate standards and staying within the 4 P a g e Copyright 2012, LookOut Software, Inc.

SharePoint infrastructure rather than going onto the web and dealing with list building and other complexities inherent with service solutions. 3. If you have a number of non-technical and non-marketing type individuals with mass Emailing requirements having a system within SharePoint will reduce support requirements. Online solutions can be quite technical and involved. 4. Email blasts are a sensitive business, and there is always the chance that the recipients of an Email will flag the Email as spam, which will reflect back on IP addresses. If Emails generated via your own IP infrastructure ever get blacklisted for spam, it might adversely affect a large number of customers. That s not good. If you plan to do a lot of blasting to purchased lists or other non-subscribed users you may want to utilize a service. Although they will insist that the list be subscribed there are online systems that are not so stringent. 5. When you send an Email blast, you also want to ensure deliverability. Email service companies spend a great deal of time and resources ensuring deliverability for Emails sent via their IP addresses. Managing their IP addresses to make sure Emails reach their destination is a key part of their business. In this regard you may wish to test both an in-house sent Email vs. an online service to compare results. Updating the CRM with Email Results Currently there is no automated way to add the results of an Email campaign using either a SharePoint Web Part or an online system to the Contact record or the CRM Campaigns list. Note: LookOut Software is evaluating Email services in order to offer a connection point to the one offering the best overall user experience with features/functions and powerful API. Additionally enhanced integration with Jungle Mail is planned for 2013. Bottom Line Email marketing is a personal decision of each business and is based on a number of factors that are pertinent to their situation. There is no one size fits all answer/solution to the questions. However, if you are unaware of the best place to start and you just want to get going you could use the following as a baseline to make the best decision for your needs. 1. If you have multiple people sending smaller batches of Emails (in the 100 s) to customers and warm prospects on a regular basis, an in-house SharePoint solution may be preferred. Templates can be set up for users and they can be taught how to build a list and send their Email at, as and when they want, to their own lists. 2. If you have a marketing person or two that knows how to work the service technologies and you want to blast out thousands of unsolicited Emails on a less frequent basis (or even a frequent basis) then a service may be the preferred route. With this option you may have to check around on the opt-in policies. Although they all have them, some are more stringent than others. 5 P a g e Copyright 2012, LookOut Software, Inc.