SMTP & IMAP are the two main protocols that allow you to send and receive emails.
What is SMTP? How does it work?
Simple Message Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is what your email client (e.g. Gmail, Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.) uses to send your email messages to your email server.
The email server is often hosted by your email service provider, for instance Google, but it can be also hosted by your Internet service provider (most often by the same one that hosts your domain) (most often by the same one that hosts your domain).
What is IMAP? How does it work?
The recipient’s email client then uses Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) to retrieve your message from the email server and position it in their inbox.
SMTP & email automation
If you use email at work, there’s a good chance you’re probably using some kind of email automation. You may be using a marketing automation platform like MailChimp, FreshMail, or GetResponse to submit marketing emails or newsletters. You may also use Woodpecker or similar software to automate cold email sequences with sales email automation.
In terms of SMTP – that is, how they actually deliver the emails – email marketing software and sales email automation tools vary. And I really want you to understand the difference because it will help you understand why you should use the right method for those types of email campaigns.
When you use an email marketing tool, how does it deliver your emails?
If you use email at work, there’s a good chance you’re probably using some kind of email automation. You may be using a marketing automation platform like MailChimp, FreshMail, or GetResponse to submit marketing emails or newsletters. You may also use Woodpecker or similar software to automate cold email sequences with sales email automation.
In terms of SMTP – that is, how they actually deliver the emails – email marketing software and sales email automation tools vary. And I really want you to understand the difference because it will help you understand why you should use the right method for those types of email campaigns.
Finally, email marketing software such as MailChimp was created to deliver emails, promotional information, and updates. As a result, the messages received by such tools will end up in your recipients’ Promotions or Updates files.
Furthermore, even if you use the drip campaign option to send any follow-ups, your prospects’ responses will not be identified, so even if they respond to one of your previous emails, the following messages will be sent to them. And that’s a total letdown.
Why not send cold emails using email marketing tools?
You should use email marketing tools like MailChimp, ConvertKit, or FreshMail if you want to send an email with a beautiful HTML template, promoting your new service, or encouraging people to click a link to your new landing page, and you want to send it quickly to hundreds or thousands of subscribers (people who have previously opted in to receive information via email from you).
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