It’s been six years since Netsuite acquired Bronto Software, but recently they sent an email to customers with the news that the company has assigned the core product suite, Bronto Marketing Platform, to “end of life” status with final termination in May; what this means is all clients currently working with Bronto will have a year or so to migrate onto other platforms. In the following blog post, we discuss the recent announcement, what this means for brands, and share our expert next steps for migrating to the correct ESP.
Oracle offered to “migrate your marketing automation and resources to the Oracle Customer Experience Cloud” to “create an overall superior customer experience.” But, this is not a free service. Bronto clients have to pay for it themselves, and Oracle will charge them $500 per user or more depending on the complexity of their marketing automation needs – which could be pretty expensive! And that’s just one part they need to make sure everything runs smoothly with migrating data over older platforms.
So, if you are on the Bronto Platform, what are your alternatives now that Bronto is approaching the end of life? We can migrate your online email marketing to an ESP platform that suits your needs now and as you grow.
What does this mean for brands currently working with Bronto? Email Marketing Experts Talk Next Steps for Brands
Brands should have a sense of urgency in vetting out a new ESP for migration. Because of the timing, Q4 2021 presents a vast hole and challenge in the middle of the timeline. Brands need to be aware that safely onboarding subscribers to a new ESP could take 4-6 weeks (dependent on list size) and that most development teams have a code-freeze heading into the holiday. Plan your migration timeline to take place between now and September 2021 or January to April 2022.
There are a few options for you to consider. If your company has been using Bronto Marketing Platform, but not the other components in their suite (iTunes Connect or Webinar), it may make sense just to migrate over those pieces and keep what’s working well already!
Another option would be looking at another vendor that offers similar functionality – such as HubSpot who offer marketing automation software with CRM capabilities all-inclusive on one platform; this could save some time when trying out new media because they have everything under control from start through the finish without having multiple toolsets running simultaneously like many companies do today.
Our in-house email marketing experts weigh how brands should approach and navigate Bronto’s end of service offering. We also outline specific steps on what to expect in the migration process.
Can you provide specific examples of “next steps” for brands seeking ESP migration?
At Optimum7, we often help our clients navigate the complex process of selecting a new email service provider (ESP). The landscape of ESPs has changed considerably in the past few years. Many young companies have challenged the existing players with new and innovative ideas and are changing the value proposition.
With all the options available, it is vital to make sure the ESPs you’re considering are evaluated thoroughly to ensure that they meet your email program’s needs or your broader marketing program.
Here’s what we consider when migrating your Email Service Provider:
- User Experience – Most ESPs have some features in common, but they differ in the level of sophistication at which you can execute email. We don’t want you to have more than you need, so we would work with you to find the level that fits your business.
- Email Building – Building emails through HTML is available with any ESP and will provide you with the most flexibility and compatibility with various email clients. But now, creating emails has become even easier with the introduction of drag-and-drop editors. Migrating from Bronto will be a perfect opportunity to modernize how you develop mails.
- Segmentation – Segmentation is email marketing strategy 101. It helps avoid over-sending emails, ensuring the right audience receives the appropriate messaging and helps understand your audience by filtering them by their demographics and activities.
- Integrations – Custom integration capabilities can provide a significant advantage to your marketing program. Also, integrating your eCommerce platform with your ESP is a complex process that is best left to the professionals to ensure nothing is lost.
- Automation – Email Marketing Automation with A/b testing capabilities for sending different messages to your audience based on their engagement level or segmented by location can be done in an automated fashion as well, so you don’t have to send out emails every day manually. For example, you can set up “drip campaigns,” which means they will automatically schedule future follow-up sequences without any manual input from yourself.
- Cross-Channel Capabilities – In today’s marketing environment, the number of digital channels are constantly evolving. Many ESPs have responded by expanding their channel offerings, sharing data with other channels like social media to support remarketing efforts and audience targeting via look-alikes. We go even further and allow for complete execution within SMS and mobile push channels.
- Technical Support – We want everything to run smoothly, but that’s not always the case when you’re learning a new platform. We’re here for you whenever you need us, and often, we are the ones that catch any errors before they affect your business. You can chat with us on the phone or via email.
- Budget – Pricing and proposals can vary widely but are certainly a significant factor in the ESP selection process. The estimate that you will receive is usually be determined on factors like the following, but contingency costs often arise due to exceeding projections:
- Number of contacts
- Email volume
- Any value-add custom options
How do you know which ESP (Email Service Provider) is suitable for your company?
Understanding your must-haves and nice-to-haves beforehand undertaking an ESP review will inform your decision-making process and ensure that the option you select will support minimum viability for your marketing needs. Picking the correct ESP will give your email marketing program the tools to grow and succeed.
At Optimum7, we have done many ESP migrations for clients ranging from startups to enterprise-level and help build and manage email programs.
Why should eCommerce brands consider Optimum7 as their Email Marketing Provider?
Before making any decisions about which Platform to migrate to from Bronto, you should review all of your nurture emails, funnels, and calls to action. You should also define all of your lead magnets for increased opt-ins and conversions.
Brands should carefully consider providers who have a wealth of experience in managing the day-to-day and providers who have intimate knowledge of many ESPs to ensure they utilize technology to their fullest potential.
This is an excellent opportunity for your company to re-evaluate the way you are currently marketing and make some changes that will help take advantage of all new features ESPs offer, like nurturing emails funnels, calls to action, lead magnets, increased opt-ins, conversion rates, and drip campaigns.
Optimum7 has managed many migration projects from ESP selection to ensure that our client’s first send reaches their contact’s inboxes.
To learn more about how to navigate the migration process, contact us today!
