If you’ve ever wondered how to find the right email marketing expert or what it really takes to hire one, this guide is for you. We’ve created a practical, step-by-step resource to help global companies understand the entire hiring process, from defining goals to managing campaign performance. Whether you’re hiring your first email marketer or expanding your digital marketing team, this guide will help you make confident, informed hiring decisions that drive real results.
Why hire an email marketing expert?[toc=Why Hire Email Marketer]
If your newsletters aren’t converting, your open rates are flat, or your email list feels disengaged, it might be time to hire an email marketing expert. Email remains one of the highest-performing marketing channels for ROI, but success depends on strategy, not just sending campaigns.
From our experience helping global companies hire top email marketing consultants, most businesses realize they need an expert when:
- Open and click-through rates stagnate despite regular sends.
- Email lists grow but engagement declines.
- There’s no defined email marketing strategy or automation workflow.
- Other marketing channels (like social or paid media) drive more leads than email.
An email marketing specialist brings structure and strategy to your customer communication. They help design effective drip campaigns, optimize subject lines, and align every email with your business goals, from lead generation to post-purchase engagement.
What does an email marketing expert actually do?[toc=Role Breakdown]
An email marketing expert turns your inbox outreach into a predictable, high-performing growth engine. They combine data, creativity, and automation to design personalized experiences that convert subscribers into loyal customers.
Here’s what an email marketing expert typically does:
- Develop email marketing strategies: Build end-to-end plans that align with your overall marketing strategy and business objectives.
- Create and execute campaigns: Design, write, and schedule impactful email marketing campaigns, from newsletters and promotions to drip campaigns and post-purchase follow-ups.
- Segment and personalize audiences: Use behavioral segmentation and customer data to deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
- Optimize performance: A/B test subject lines, layouts, and CTAs to improve open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
- Set up marketing automation: Implement and manage email marketing software like HubSpot, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign to streamline campaign delivery.
- Ensure deliverability and compliance: Maintain list hygiene, handle inactive subscribers, and ensure GDPR and CAN-SPAM compliance.
- Analyze and report results: Track engagement metrics, measure ROI, and continuously refine strategy for better performance.
They often collaborate with marketing teams, content strategists, and paid media specialists to create consistent messaging across all marketing channels, from email to social media marketing.
What skills should you look for in an email marketing expert?[toc=Essential Skills]
Hiring the right email marketing expert means finding someone who blends strategy, creativity, and data fluency. The best professionals understand how to craft campaigns that engage audiences, optimize conversions, and integrate seamlessly with your broader marketing strategy.
Here are the key skills to look for:
1. Technical and Tool Expertise
- Proficiency in email marketing tools like HubSpot, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, or Mailchimp.
- Experience setting up marketing automation workflows, segmentation rules, and A/B testing.
- Knowledge of email service providers (ESPs) and best practices for email deliverability.
2. Strategic Thinking
- Ability to design an email marketing strategy that aligns with business goals, customer journeys, and other marketing channels.
- Strong understanding of list building, lead capture, and drip campaigns that nurture leads effectively.
- Familiarity with growth marketing and data-driven decision-making.
3. Creative and Copywriting Skills
- Skilled in email copywriting with attention to detail, tone, and personalization.
- Ability to craft compelling subject lines that improve open rates and engagement.
- Understanding of content layout, visual hierarchy, and design for mobile optimization.
4. Analytical and Optimization Skills
- Competence in reading analytics dashboards and interpreting engagement metrics.
- Experience improving click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall campaign ROI.
- Ability to test and tweak campaigns continuously for better performance.
5. Soft Skills
- Strong communication and collaboration with marketing, design, and sales teams.
- Organized, deadline-oriented, and capable of managing multiple email marketing campaigns simultaneously.
- A proven track record of driving measurable business growth through email.
The best email marketing consultants are equal parts strategist, storyteller, and analyst, helping you connect with your audience and grow your business through personalized, high-performing emails.
How to hire an email marketing expert?[toc=How to Hire]
Hiring an email marketing expert isn’t just about finding someone who can write good emails. It’s about choosing a professional who understands data, automation, and strategy well enough to drive consistent business results.
Follow these steps to hire the right fit for your company:
Step 1: Define Your Email Goals
Start by clarifying what you want your email marketing campaigns to achieve.
- Are you looking to increase website traffic, boost lead generation, or re-engage inactive subscribers?
- Do you need a specialist for drip campaigns, post-purchase follow-ups, or product announcements?
Set clear goals so you know whether you need a strategist, a campaign executor, or a hybrid who can manage both.
Step 2: Choose Your Engagement Model
Decide how you want to hire.
- Full-time employee: Ideal if email is a major part of your marketing strategy and you run frequent campaigns.
- Freelance email marketing consultant: Great for short-term projects or one-time campaign audits.
- Agency or contractor via EOR: Best for global hiring or when you want flexibility without worrying about local compliance.
Many global businesses use the Employer of Record (EOR) model to compliantly hire full-time or contract-based marketing talent without setting up entities.
Step 3: Write a Clear Job Description
Your job description should attract highly skilled email marketing specialists who understand both creativity and data. Include:
- Role overview: Explain the goal of the role and how it fits into your marketing funnel.
- Key responsibilities: Campaign setup, segmentation, automation, and performance optimization.
- Required experience: Proven results improving click-through rates and conversion rates.
- Tools: Familiarity with email marketing software such as Klaviyo, HubSpot, or Mailchimp.
- KPIs: Open rate, click-through rate, list growth, and ROI.
Step 4: Source and Evaluate Candidates
Look in the right places:
- LinkedIn and marketing job boards: For experienced email marketing managers or consultants.
- Freelance platforms: Find vetted experts with portfolios and measurable performance data.
- Referrals: Ask your marketing teams or peers in digital marketing for recommendations.
When reviewing profiles:
- Check their campaign reports and sample emails for structure, personalization, and clarity.
- Ask about their experience with automation tools and A/B testing.
- Review their past marketing strategies and measurable outcomes.
Step 5: Interview for Strategy and Execution
Go beyond technical skills. Ask questions that reveal their strategic approach:
- How do you structure a lead generation email sequence?
- What’s your process for improving email deliverability?
- How do you approach testing subject lines and content formats?
- How do you handle underperforming campaigns?
Look for candidates who balance creativity with analytics and have experience driving measurable growth.
Step 6: Onboard and Align for Success
Once you’ve selected your expert:
- Set clear expectations on campaign cadence, goals, and reporting format.
- Give access to tools, CRM systems, and brand guidelines.
- Review performance monthly and adjust based on results.
The most efficient way to handle payroll, contracts, and compliance is through an Employer of Record (EOR) model. It ensures seamless onboarding and payments across borders.
How much does it cost to hire an email marketing expert?[toc=Cost to Hire]
The cost of hiring an email marketing expert depends on factors like experience, location, project complexity, and whether you’re hiring full-time or on a contract basis. While rates vary, investing in a skilled professional often pays for itself through improved engagement, conversions, and long-term business growth.
Here’s a look at average salary and rate benchmarks for 2025:
Cost Drivers to Consider:
- Experience level: Senior email strategists with automation and CRM integration experience charge more.
- Scope of work: Managing drip campaigns, A/B testing, and advanced email automation requires more expertise than simple newsletters.
- Industry specialization: Experts familiar with ecommerce, SaaS, or B2B markets typically charge premium rates.
- Tools used: Proficiency in enterprise platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce Marketing Cloud adds value and cost.
- Engagement type: Hiring full-time differs from engaging a freelance email marketing consultant or agency.
While costs vary, quality is what truly drives ROI. A skilled email marketer can increase your open rates, click-through rates, and overall campaign profitability far beyond their cost.
How to manage and measure performance of email marketing expert?[toc=Measure Performance]
Hiring an email marketing expert is only the first step. To get the best results, you need a clear framework for managing campaigns, tracking performance, and optimizing based on data. The best email marketers combine strategy with continuous testing to ensure every campaign contributes to your larger marketing strategy and business goals.
Here’s how to manage and measure performance effectively:
1. Define Measurable KPIs
Set clear performance metrics tied to your objectives. The most common include:
- Open rates and click-through rates to measure engagement.
- Conversion rates to assess campaign success.
- List growth and lead capture rates to track scalability.
- Email deliverability and bounce rates to maintain list quality.
These KPIs help determine whether your email marketing campaigns are driving real business growth or need fine-tuning.
2. Review Campaign Reports Regularly
Your email marketer should provide detailed performance reports using email marketing tools or dashboards. Track what’s working in your subject lines, timing, and design. Discuss results weekly or monthly with your marketing teams to spot trends and areas for improvement.
3. Focus on Continuous Optimization
Encourage your email marketing specialist to run regular A/B tests for subject lines, CTAs, or visuals. Test segmentation strategies, analyze behavioral data, and improve personalization to maximize results.
4. Automate and Integrate with Other Channels
Use marketing automation platforms to create connected experiences across marketing channels. Sync email with social media marketing, paid media, and content marketing to ensure consistent messaging throughout the customer journey.
5. Keep Your List Healthy
List hygiene is crucial for strong deliverability. Remove inactive subscribers, update contacts regularly, and ensure compliance with privacy laws. High deliverability rates and active lists lead to higher engagement and conversions.
6. Encourage Collaboration and Feedback
Your email marketing expert should collaborate closely with content strategists, digital marketing managers, and marketing consultants to align tone, visuals, and offers across campaigns.
When managed well, email becomes a growth engine, driving engagement, nurturing leads, and converting subscribers into long-term customers.
What mistakes should you avoid when hiring or managing email marketing experts?[toc=Hiring Mistakes]
Even though email marketing is one of the most reliable growth channels, many companies fail to get results because of avoidable mistakes during hiring or campaign management.
Based on our experience helping global businesses hire and manage email marketing experts, here are the most common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them:
- Hiring Without Clear Goals: Many companies jump into email marketing without defining what success looks like. Be specific about whether you want to improve lead generation, increase website traffic, or nurture inactive subscribers. Clear objectives help you hire the right specialist and track the right KPIs.
- Ignoring Strategy and Focusing Only on Execution: An email marketing consultant is not just a sender of newsletters. They create complete email marketing strategies that align with your brand’s business goals and other marketing channels. Hiring someone without strategic vision often results in inconsistent campaigns and wasted effort.
- Overlooking Technical and Analytical Skills: A creative eye is great, but technical skills are equally important. Your expert should understand marketing automation, A/B testing, behavioral segmentation, and analytics. Without this, optimizing email deliverability, conversion rates, and click-through rates becomes guesswork.
- Skipping Personalization and Audience Segmentation: Sending the same email to your entire list is one of the fastest ways to lose engagement. Ensure your email marketer segments audiences by behavior, location, and interest to improve engagement and conversion.
- Not Testing or Reviewing Campaign Data: Failure to analyze results can stunt your growth. Regularly test subject lines, timing, and layouts. Review data from email marketing tools and integrate learnings into future campaigns for continuous improvement.
- Disconnected Marketing Channels: Email shouldn’t exist in isolation. Align your email campaigns with social media marketing, paid media, and content marketing to create a unified customer experience.
Avoiding these mistakes ensures you hire skilled email marketing specialists who can build strategic, measurable, and impactful campaigns that support long-term business growth.
Conclusion
Hiring an email marketing expert is one of the smartest moves a growing business can make. The right professional doesn’t just send emails; they build automated systems that nurture leads, boost engagement, and turn customers into loyal fans. Focus on strategy, testing, and compliance to get the most out of your email channel. If you’re planning to hire globally, Wisemonk can help you hire, pay, and manage top email marketing consultants anywhere in the world without setting up a local entity.
Ready to hire email marketing expert? Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs!