Many new email marketers attempt to send out their newsletters, special offers and other marketing materials using the free SMTP servers built into many popular services like Hotmail and Google.
What those newbies often do not realize is that those free SMTP services have strict limits on usage, and very low delivery rates to boot. Those limitations can mean that the vast majority of your carefully crafted messages never reach their intended recipients.
Professional SMTP Services = higher delivery rates
When it comes to SMTP services, email marketers are much better off choosing a quality professional provider. Professional SMTP service provides email marketers with a variety of advantages, from higher delivery rates and faster throughput to the availability of real-time statistics and the flexibility and scalability that comes with having dedicated servers at your disposal.
One of the biggest advantages of having a professional SMTP service on your side is that it helps marketers avoid having their messages blocked by spam filters and similar technology. Internet service providers routinely employ technology to block spam and malicious email messages, but those filters can also catch legitimate email, particularly if those messages originate with a free SMTP service.
Email marketers can also greatly reduce the chances that their messages will be hijacked by phishing schemes and similar malicious programs. Free SMTP services are a frequent target of scam artists, and having your legitimate messages fall victim to such a scheme could do severe – and even irreparable – damage to your company, your brand and your identity. A professional SMTP service will have the expertise needed to avoid potential problems, and the technology to spot potential fraud before it happens.
Scalability and flexibility are two more reasons to choose a professional SMTP service over a free alternative. Free SMTP services offered by internet service providers and free email services like Gmail and Google impose strict limits on the number of messages an individual user or a business can send, and it is all too easy to exceed those limitations as your business begins to grow. That could quickly leave you without any SMTP service at all, and leave you scrambling to find a more suitable alternative.
A professional SMTP service allows your business to grow seamlessly, without interrupting the stream of marketing messages that has made your firm so successful. With a professional SMTP service, you can easily scale up as your list of customers and potential clients continues to grow. Having a professional SMTP service at your disposal also gives you the flexibility you need to change your email marketing on the fly as you perform real-time analysis and determine which marketing messages provide the biggest bang for your buck.
Speaking of analysis, professional SMTP services also provide email marketers with the ability to quickly and easily find a wealth of information about the effectiveness of your email marketing messages and your marketing campaigns. Professional SMTP services provide email marketers with information about everything from bounce rates and read rates to delivery statistics and response rates.
It can be tempting to choose a free SMTP service, especially when you are just getting started and still building your business, but that kind of decision can be penny wise and pound foolish. Sometimes you get what you pay for – and professional SMTP service is a prime example.
SendBlaster works with any SMTP server
As for SendBlaster, once more, we underline that you can use any SMTP server you prefer, free or professional, given by your ISP or your hosting company. It’s up to you.
Simply, specify the name of the SMTP server, the port number (usually port 25) and flag the SSL checkbox for enabling SSL encryption, required by some SMTP servers (for example Gmail’s SMTP server).
In case a user authentication is required, select ‘Authentication required’ and specify Username and Password.
That’s all! Now you are ready to send out your email with SendBlaster. To make sure your SMTP server’s configuration is fine, click on the “Connection test button”.
Even if you manage small lists, our recommendation is to avoid using free SMTP services because of all issues we mentioned above. There are some very good dedicated SMTP services out there that will deliver your email hassle-free.
One pretty reliable dedicated SMTP service is turboSMTP (we’ve been their business partners since last year). Why do we suggest it? Simply because it works great in combination with SendBlaster.
New SendBlaster users can also “taste” the difference between a free SMTP server and turboSMTP service for free, without need for registration, simply running the turboSMTP Wizard that is placed in the Send panel. It takes just a few seconds to configure SendBlaster automatically with turboSMTP configuration and to enjoy 100 email credits for free.