There’s a Reason Why Some Platforms Host Their Own Email/SMTP Server Infrastructure for Delivery, and Others Do Not and Never Will.

Navigating the email strategy maze and balancing between volumes and personalization, Google has even sent us 5k limits in 2024. Why?

Because the volume of emails sent daily is staggering.

Leaders in various industries often operate under the assumption that more emails equate to better results. This misconception can lead to diminished open rates, deliverability challenges, and, ultimately, a higher likelihood of being marked as spam.

This strategic pitfall underlines the importance of understanding why and how different platforms choose their email delivery infrastructure. Let’s delve into this crucial balance, highlighting specific platforms and the implications of their chosen strategies.

The Misconception of Volume Equals Success

The logic seems straightforward at first glance: the more emails you send, the higher your chances of engagement. However, this overlooks critical factors such as audience fatigue, relevance, and email service providers’ increasing sophistication in filtering spam. Platforms that recognize and address these concerns tend to opt for strategies emphasizing quality and relevance over sheer volume.

The Strategic Choice: Control vs. Integration

Marketing giants like Adobe, Hubspot, and Eloqua have made a clear choice to host their own email/SMTP servers. This decision stems from a need for control — control over delivery times, email customization, and most importantly, data analytics and compliance. These capabilities are crucial for managing large-scale marketing campaigns where volume is significant, as well as the precision of targeting and message personalization.

On the flip side, sales engagement platforms such as Outreach and SalesLoft pivot towards integration with existing email services. This choice prioritizes personalization and direct engagement over volume, leveraging the infrastructure of established email providers to ensure deliverability and maintain the personal touch essential in sales communications.

Salesforce and Zoho: Bridging the Divide

Salesforce and Zoho present interesting case studies as they operate across both domains — balancing the need for marketing volume with the personalization required in sales. Their dual approach allows them to tailor their email strategy based on the specific needs of their diverse user base, offering a blend of hosted and integrated email solutions.

You asked about Outreach.

Outreach stands out as a prime example of a platform that champions personalization over volume in the realm of email strategy. Opting for integration with existing email services rather than hosting its own SMTP servers, Outreach focuses on enabling sales teams to craft and send highly personalized emails directly from the tools they already use and trust.

This strategic choice emphasizes the quality of interactions and the importance of building genuine connections with prospects. By leveraging the infrastructure of established email providers, Outreach ensures that its users can benefit from high deliverability rates while avoiding the pitfalls associated with bulk email campaigns, such as increased spam flags and decreased open rates. This approach underlines the platform’s dedication to enhancing sales efficiency and effectiveness through thoughtful, targeted communication rather than an indiscriminate increase in email volume.

The Core Insight

The choice between hosting an email/SMTP server or leveraging integration is not just a technical decision; it’s a strategic one, deeply influenced by the intended balance between volume and personalization. The misconception that more emails automatically lead to better results can lead platforms down a path fraught with deliverability issues and declining user engagement.

Understanding this, platforms opt for strategies that align with their operational ethos — whether that’s controlling every aspect of the email experience to manage large-scale campaigns or integrating with established providers to ensure each message is as personalized and impactful as possible.

To Sum Up

This strategic navigation through email infrastructure is more than a behind-the-scenes technicality; it’s a fundamental aspect of how platforms connect with their audience. By choosing either a volume-oriented approach or a personalization-focused strategy, platforms make a statement about their priorities and their understanding of effective digital communication. In doing so, they remind us that in the quest for engagement, balance and strategy are key.

Thank you