Transitioning email marketing service providers can be a valuable skillset as a Tech VA. Whether you’re the Tech VA whose spearheading the transfer for your client, or you’re trying to DIY it yourself, this blog post will cover the exact steps to go through to ensure you have a seamless transition to your new email marketing platform.

Step One: Identify What You Need to Transfer Over

Before making the move, clearly outline what you want to transfer or build in the new platform. This gives you a clear project plan to move through. Make a list of any of the following elements you need to build in your new email marketing platform. This includes:

a. Tags/Groups:

Ensure your new provider supports the same tagging system or plan how to migrate your existing tags to the new system. I strongly recommend either doing research on best practices for tagging, segmenting or grouping in your new email marketing platform.

b. Funnels/Sequences:

Identify which email sequences or funnels that need to be recreated in the new platform. Map out the flow and content of these sequences beforehand. If you have the time or capacity, now is also a great time to audit which funnels you want to keep, or scrap the ones you know you don’t want anymore.

c. Landing Pages/Forms:

Determine which landing pages and forms you need to replace in your new email marketing platform. You’ll need to replace every single opt-in to make sure you don’t miss out on any new subscribers!

d. Integrations

The final piece to the equation. Go through your tech stack and identify what integrations will need updating as you move over to your new platform. This includes platforms like checkout carts (like ThriveCart or SamCart), course platforms (like Teachable, Thinkific, or Podia), quiz platforms like TryInteract, and automation platforms like Zapier.

Step Two: Building Out Essential Elements

Once you’ve identified what needs to be transferred, now it’s time to start building out these elements! But we want to be strategic about it as possible. So here’s my recommended order for building out elements.

a. Tags + Segments

First off, please make sure you’re using naming conventions in your email marketing platform.

It helps keep your tagging system organized and clean. Otherwise, it can be a right mess.

A few naming conventions to consider:

• Buyer – *Insert Product Name*
• Freebie – *Insert Lead Magnet Name*
• Bundle – *Insert Name of Funnel*

You get the idea!

Once you’ve got your naming conventions set up, start building out your tags + segments. They start the foundation for a lot of the other automations later on.

b. Opt-In Forms + Landing Pages

Another important foundational piece for automations in your email marketing platform. And potentially a time consuming task, depending on how intricate your landing pages are within your previous email marketing provider.

One suggestion if you’re not 100% if you’ll stay with this new email marketing provider – build the landing pages within your website and embed the opt-in code. This way, if you decide to switch again later on, it won’t be as time consuming of a process.

c. Email Sequences

Now it’s time to build out your email funnels. This part involves transferring over all of your nurture sequences, post-buyer sequences, and welcome sequences.

Step Three: Setting Up Automations Using Elements

Once all of the elements are built out, now you can start putting everything together. Depending on which platform your transferring to, this may be part of building out the email funnels.

And please note – this is NOT when it’s time to start replacing landing page links and opt-in form codes. That comes later on.

Step Four: Quality Assurance Testing

Before you officially make the switch and import your subscribers, nows a great chance to perform quality assurance tests. Double check each piece you’ve built out. At this stage, we’re primarily checking links in email funnels and steps in automations.

Remember, we haven’t replaced our landing pages or forms yet, so we can’t completely test everything yet. But you can get started and if you’re crazy like me and want to check everything is working constantly, now’s your chance lol.

Step Five: Update Website Opt-In Forms and Landing Page Links

To avoid any subscribers falling through the cracks, try to update your opt-in form codes and landing page links when you import your subscribers to your new platform.

Step Six: Import Subscribers

Now, here’s where the fun starts happening. Ideally, you’ll complete this step the same day as step six to ensure you don’t miss any subscribers in the transfer. So you may want to block off an afternoon in your calendar to complete this.

Each email marketing platform is structured a bit differently. Often times, in order to ensure the tagging is transferred over, you’ll import your subscribers by each individual tag. I highly recommend checking your email marketing platforms help sites for best practices in importing subscribers, as it does vary.

And there you have it!

Transitioning between email marketing service providers can be intricate, but with thorough planning and execution, you can seamlessly migrate while preserving your communication channels.

Ensure a smooth transfer of essential elements, robust testing, and updating external links to maintain a consistent user experience.

By following these steps, you can minimize disruptions and maximize the benefits of your new email marketing platform.