The types of email advertising software typically consist of several tools that help a firm identify potential leads and distribute electronic advertising messages. Some of these programs come preloaded with templates to customize communications. A few types of email advertising software focus specifically on verifying email addresses and the management of contact lists. Some programs analyze the effectiveness of email campaigns that are in progress, while others attempt to ensure that campaigns are compliant with anti-spam rules.
Several companies specialize in the creation of email advertising software packages. They sell and support them as full feature options. The packages perform several operations, including creating email messages, storing content lists, delivery confirmation, and report analytics. Support and training is usually provided with these packages, which are sold on a subscription basis.
A few of these email advertising software service providers host in-person training and seminars, in addition to online training that gives companies an idea of how to use the package's various tools. Mass or bulk email sending is one of the capabilities that email advertising software can provide. Text message advertisements and coupons can also be sent in bulk with some forms of email marketing software.
Some of the more common variations of email marketing software start with the basics. One popular feature of such software includes tools to manage the process of acquiring contacts and organizing them with the use of web-based forms. The software can update email mailing lists when subscribe and unsubscribe requests are sent to the company through online links. These add and remove requests may be for newsletters or email promotions that subscribers receive as a result of signing up with an affiliate website. They may also be direct requests that a company's website receives or may be in response to emails that the recipient may perceive as spam.
There are also email marketing software tools that specifically attempt to make a company's email advertising campaigns spam compliant. In other words, a company's unsolicited emails may be automatically routed to the spam folders of many of Internet service providers' email programs. Part of the process involves verifying email addresses to make sure that they are authentic and the potential subscriber actually initiated the sign-up request. A link to unsubscribe to the newsletter or advertisements is always provided on each communication so that subscribers are able to opt-out at any time.
Another tool available to firms is the ability to capture potential email addresses from external website databases and social networking sites. Besides verification email messages that are sent to potential subscribers, other tools can sort and check lists for accuracy. The program scans its list for duplicate email addresses and removes them.
