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An email is a powerful tool in assisting customers. According to financesonline.com, 62% of consumers choose email assistance over the phone or other customer service channels.
Resolving complaints using email allows for more time to find a suitable answer than chat or phone support, making it a flexible and cost-effective method of reaching out to your customers. However, businesses must provide prompt assistance to all email inquiries to ensure the highest customer satisfaction.
Thus, many companies consider email outsourcing as a strategy to manage email messages and deliver the best customer experience. But what exactly is email outsourcing?
What Is Email Outsourcing?
Email outsourcing refers to how a business assigns its email support services to a third-party provider specializing in this area. Outside of regular business hours and peak periods, a service provider will respond to your customer’s email, but it can also include 24/7 support.
One of the primary benefits of outsourcing email support services is that it is a convenient method to communicate with customers but less costly than phone support or other channels as it requires less infrastructure. It allows for a speedy response without relying on an automated email sender. For businesses with an international presence, email support enable them to assist their customers regardless of their location and timezone.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, many businesses are forced to implement a work-from-home setup. Some companies don’t have the proper infrastructure to support phone operations early on, such as cloud-based phone systems. Thus, email, chat, and social media channels became an avenue to provide 24/7 assistance.
Outsourcing Email Support Vs. Phone Support
Both email and phone support have their share of pros and cons. Depending on your customer service goal, you can opt to outsource one function or both.
If you are after a quick and immediate response, phone support is a sure winner. Handling phone calls is much faster than writing emails, after all.
Complaints and inquiries are managed in real-time, and your customers are sure to receive the answer they need after a few minutes.
Email support, on the other hand, can be an advantage in terms of handling complex situations. Writing allows for more detailed instructions and is beneficial for customers who don’t have the time to wait in line for the next available agent.
When to Outsource Email Support?
Email outsourcing is contingent upon the brand’s preparedness. Outsourcing is a complex process involving several variables. If you are thinking of outsourcing your email support activities, these are some questions you have to consider.
- How many email inquiries do you receive in an hour? Are you getting bulk emails from your customers?
- Do you have a website?
- Have many in-house support agents handled your current email support activities?
Consider email outsourcing if you are a new firm with an internet presence and a high volume of client emails. Enhancing customer happiness by outsourcing email support services will result in a more engaged client base and increased customer loyalty.
What Companies Uses Email Outsourcing and How Do They Use It?
The companies mentioned below have recognized a key reality: concentrating their efforts internally on core competencies while outsourcing non-essential services can be more successful and expand quicker while saving money.
Outsourcing occurs globally and with organizations of all sizes, the majority of which you may know. Several firms that outsource email include:
Google began as a basic search engine but has grown into a vast business providing hardware and software services in addition to advertising, with its workers located around the globe. Today, Google has nearly become a replacement term for the internet, and its name has become a verb used by everyone when discussing online searching.
Although Google’s motto “Do not be evil” is no longer part of its code of conduct, the corporation continues to have excellent business practices and policies. Google is a technological corporation; this is its strength and heart. For years, it has been one of the largest outsourcing corporations and outsourcing non-core tasks such as administration and IT labor.
However, Google recognizes that, despite its scale, it cannot accomplish everything. Additionally, the company has outsourced development labor and email support for programs like AdWords. Google is now pushing this even further, giving phone in addition to email support to people outsourcing firms around the globe.
The personnel is effortlessly integrated into their in-house support staff, resulting in faster response times at a lower cost to the customer. All of these factors combine to make Google an ideal outsourcing case study for illustrating the benefits of outsourcing.
Outsourcing is used for various reasons, including gaining access to a pool of people and expertise, resolving capacity challenges, enhancing quality, and lowering prices.
When it comes to communication, WhatsApp is a household name. Millions of people use the app worldwide, and it has lately expanded into online payments to help consumers even more. However, WhatsApp did not begin as the business that it is today.
When considering firms that outsource, WhatsApp is an excellent example since it has been doing so since its inception. WhatsApp was a modest firm in 2012, with just 30 full-time workers and five part-time employees.
Based in Mountain View, California, they recognized that they needed to keep prices low to expand. Russia was the solution for WhatsApp, and they acquired development resources from Russia for a fraction of the cost they would have paid in the United States.
Reasons for outsourcing include cost savings and a greater emphasis on core business.
Basecamp
Basecamp is a well-known application for project managers and those looking for a way to keep assignments on track. Basecamp began tiny, and despite its prominence in the project management area, it maintained a limited in-house resource footprint.
Basecamp recognized early on that attempting to handle everything alone was not the best plan for the firm. Although others were using their platform to manage projects and tasks, they encountered issues with workflow and client support on an internal level. Basecamp chose to outsource certain critical operations to free up its staff for other work to address this situation.
Basecamp recognized that although enhancing the software was a necessary activity, it understood that others could also accomplish that work. In this outsourcing case, Basecamp was able to continue pushing product innovations via remote workers, which aided in the company’s growth. Simultaneously, internal workers could concentrate on internal procedures and structure, ensuring the company’s continued success.
Outsourcing allows for a better concentration on the core business.
Skype
Skype was a pioneer and market leader in the area of internet video. With software clients compatible with cell phones and desktop computers, practically everyone has used or heard of Skype. Skype, like WhatsApp, recognized that product development alone was insufficient to ensure its success.
Instead, Skype needed to locate the proper expertise and abilities at an affordable price to continue developing the program while keeping expenses down.
Skype is another large firm that outsources, and they chose Estonia (East Europe) as a source of talent for the product, bringing on multiple engineers. As time passed and these developers exhibited success, Skype added them as partners, solidifying the connection even further. Skype’s plan succeeded, as Microsoft acquired the company for $8.5 billion in 2011.
Outsourcing is used for various reasons, including cost savings, capacity expansion, and access to a pool of people and expertise.
Apple
Apple’s name should be at the top of everyone’s list of groundbreaking technological businesses. This corporation, which began with the simple desktop computer, quickly became a crucial inventor and subsequently transformed the worlds of music and mobile phone technology. Apple is nothing if not inventive, and millions of users vouch for its products and ecosystem.
Although Apple creates incredible items, it does not do so entirely on its own. Apple is another example of a corporation that outsources. The company produces hardware and services via a network of partners in the United States and Asia.
These partnerships may last decades in certain circumstances. By outsourcing its supply chain and production facilities, Apple can concentrate on its core area of competence — inventing excellent products that people enjoy using.
However, this partnership benefits both sides. Apple obtains the opportunity to concentrate on its core competencies. The partners benefit since they know that Apple is constantly inventing and evolving. These firms are aware that Apple will regularly introduce new items. Consumers will want to acquire these products.
Slack
Slack has transformed the way businesses operate and changed collaboration as we know it. Slack may have improved communication too much in many circumstances since colleagues sitting next to one another often Slack instead of speaking in person!
Slack was founded in 2013 and has swiftly become the de facto standard for internal communication in high-tech firms. It is a sure winner due to its easy-to-use interface and integration possibilities, but its success did not occur accidentally.
Slack was founded and launched by a core team of just four engineers. However, this group recognized that it needed to look attractive and function smoothly for its product to be successful. Slack accomplished this by contracting beta testing to an external design company. This input on what did and did not work with the product aided Slack in developing a solution company the world over welcomed.
Email Marketing and Outsourcing
Another way to connect with your customers, sell your products, and at the same time expand your brand is through email marketing.
Email marketing is a form of digital marketing that uses email as its primary tool to send messages to educate, promote products or services, and encourage a prospective lead to take action.
When done correctly, email marketing is a powerful tool to reach out to potential clients and keep your current customer based by offering services with a personalized approach.
Should I Outsource My Email Marketing?
As a small or large company, increasing your exposure and ensuring that your goods and services reach the broadest potential audience is probably a top goal. Email marketing is a gift that keeps on giving, from fostering solid and long-lasting client connections to cementing your brand’s image and identity.
However, before you can begin enjoying the advantages of email marketing services, you must answer one question:
Should you outsource email marketing?
The quick answer is: yes. There is a strong possibility that your marketing department already outsources tasks. If you work with external companies for site design, content marketing, paid search, social media advertising, and SEO, enlisting their assistance with email marketing makes sense.
Additionally, some BPO firms might serve as strategic partners and consultants. But before outsourcing an email marketing strategy, you will need to show your executive team that you understand your present email marketing successes.
Four Key Marketing Tasks That Are Often Outsourced:
1. Market Analysis
Market research is an in-depth investigation of your company’s market, competitors, and customers. It supports you in defining your brand’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition), comprehending your customers’ needs, and evaluating your competitors’ actions. It may assist you in determining the geographical location of your target audience and how to communicate with them through email in email marketing.
However, since market analysis requires extensive study and research, it may be very arduous and time-consuming when performed in-house. You may get data from agencies and utilize it to simplify your email marketing approach.
2. Strategy and Planning
You can construct or restore your brand image by building an effective email marketing strategy. Additionally, market analysis assists in selecting how and when to present your brand to the market.
Marketing companies establish their market image and generate prospects through strategy and preparation through email.
A digital marketing firm may assist you in developing the marketing strategy for your business by taking care of the following tasks:
- Placement of your brand
- Creating distinctive value propositions
- Preparing development strategies
- Identify the most successful marketing channels for your business and may even conduct keyword research for SEO reasons.
You may then employ this data when designing effective email campaigns consistent with your original branding and strategy.
3. Creative Projects
Creative endeavors include marketing materials that convey your brand’s story and image to your target market through the web, social media, and email campaigns.
These include logos, websites, apps, emails, newsletters, and marketing campaigns for branding, promotion, communication, awareness, and lead generation. You can outsource the complete email design to an agency with skilled designers who can bring your campaigns to life!
4. Sales and Marketing Operations
Email marketing operations include managing and improving your whole marketing process, from strategy and execution to measurement, report production, and attribution.
Outsourcing email marketing is substantially more advantageous than managing operations in-house. Even though you are choosing complete outsourcing of your email marketing, you should constantly watch for the patterns you want to see in your newsletters.
Types of Outsourcing Services
1. Professional Outsourcing
Accounting, purchasing, administrative, legal, CAD, and digital marketing are all examples of professional outsourcing. Many professional outsourcing services need a license or years of training.
With competent outsourcing, you only pay for the services you need. This is useful for both business expansion and one-off services. For example, you may need legal help to start a business.
2. Diverse Sourcing
Multi-sourcing is another way to combine services. Multi-sourcing generally combines IT and non-IT business services. It is frequently a better option for large companies wishing to outsource a variety of IT services and infrastructure. Multi-sourcing is an excellent option for any firm wanting top talent, a focused strategy, and transparency.
Remember that multi-sourcing requires a plan. For example, identify essential KPIs for your firm and build a governance system.
3. IT Outsourcing
You might also hire a business that solely concerns itself with IT for other companies. This is a good option if you have particular IT needs or are a small business. Startups need IT expertise to maintain security, licensing, and networks. This is a cost-effective way to acquire it. IT outsourcing helps with everything from infrastructure to application development.
4. Process Specific Outsourcing
Process-specific outsourcing involves engaging a provider to perform a particular service. Outsourcing is divided into three categories.
Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). This outsourcing involves hiring third-party providers for knowledge-intensive activities, delivering data value insights to a business.
Legal process outsourcing (LPO) includes regulatory compliance, litigation, and other legal obligations.
Finally, RPO incorporates all facets of recruiting. Companies offer this kind of service to help with job postings, applications, and candidate assessments.
5. Business Processes Outsourcing
Business processes outsourcing (BPO) is quite common. BPO takes care of many everyday tasks, including administration, communication, and scheduling. It also includes customer service and lead generation.
6. Manufacturing Outsourcing
Making products in-house might be too costly for small businesses. Outsourcing allows small firms to compete with large organizations with more resources to afford to hire large teams and frequently upgrade equipment.
Even large corporations like Apple outsource manufacturing to avoid the enormous costs of operating a plant, hiring staff, acquiring equipment, maintaining infrastructure, and obtaining raw materials. As product life cycles decrease in specific industries, manufacturing outsourcing is becoming more important.
The good news is that you can easily find a specialist in your sector, thanks to widespread industrial outsourcing. The outsourcing process is crucial for speeding up production while preserving quality.
7. Project Outsourcing
It is possible to outsource complete projects or simply sections of them. This is often used when a company lacks the time, resources, or funds to complete a project. Redesigning websites, creating large volumes of content, and marketing campaigns are examples of often outsourced tasks.
8. Operational Outsourcing
Manufacturing companies use operational outsourcing to outsource services like equipment maintenance. However, service-based organizations may benefit from functional outsourcing for tasks like gardening and delivery.
What Is the Difference Between Offshore and Onshore Outsourcing for Emails?
Offshore outsourcing works best when the cost is a primary consideration. Real-time cooperation is limited. You have done it previously, your internal procedures are mature, and the anticipated outputs are straightforward.
Customer support, data input, development of essential apps and websites, and infrastructure maintenance activities such as server patching and troubleshooting are examples of projects that may be completed from offshore locations.
On the other hand, nearshoring assists organizations in overcoming a few of the disadvantages associated with offshore outsourcing while preserving the majority of the benefits – it strives to provide the best of both worlds.
Onshore Outsourcing
While some businesses find employing overseas workers cost-efficient, others find that it is not so and relocate outsourcing tasks domestically. Onshoring (or reshoring) is a term that refers to outsourcing company activities in the same nation as your headquarters.
Onshoring has several benefits, one of which is easily maintaining the same or a comparable work culture and time zone. One negative is that it results in little to no cost savings since salaries will be comparable to those paid to in-house workers.
Offshore Outsourcing
Offshoring or offshore outsourcing is a term that refers to contracting out a portion of your company’s process to another nation to reduce labor costs. Other countries demand lower expenses to do work than do it locally.
Offshoring takes advantage of the global capabilities available in other nations to expand into new markets to become an international company. Offshoring has also become a popular strategy for circumventing local rules that ban certain operations.
Outsourcing marketing efforts is inexpensive and straightforward, making it accessible to small firms. Begin by offering a sign-up option for your newsletter on your app and website. This might be used to send newsletters to your list of subscribers.
Through your social media profiles, customers might be guided to the newsletter. The primary benefits of email marketing are its cheap cost and simplicity of usage.
The Bottom Line
Outsourcing is the optimal method for maximizing the advantages of email customer service. But finding which email outsourcing option is best for you is highly dependent on your budget and the nature of the project. While deciding between nearshore and offshore outsourcing, defining your expectations in terms of money, complexity, and real-time communication is critical.
