Email marketing experts: Who they are, what they do, and how to hire one

But what exactly do they do? And how do you actually go about hiring one? Here’s everything you need to know about email marketing consultants, plus all the nitty-gritty details on working with them.

Short answer: Yes!

Whether you run an e-commerce store, a SaaS company, or a local brick-and-mortar business, email marketing is ideal for customer engagement, lead generation and, of course, sales.

Here’s why:

• 93% of e-commerce orders come via email marketing efforts.

• Email list signups are increasing; more people want to stay in touch with their favorite brands.

• With email marketing channels, you can expect to get a $36 ROI on every dollar you spend.

• Email is the digital marketing channel with the highest ROI overall.

However, building a successful email marketing strategy can be challenging.

You might not have 8+ years of experience running campaigns, nor do you necessarily have the time to spend hours researching email strategy.

And that’s where email marketing strategists come in.

A skilled email marketing expert does much more than send emails. They’re the ones mapping out the full customer journey, making sure each message fits into a larger strategy rather than getting lost in the noise.

Here’s a breakdown of their main email marketing services.

1. Strategy and campaign planning

Experts create an overarching email marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals. This includes setting KPIs, defining your target audience, and planning high-quality campaign calendars.

2. List segmentation and automation

Not all subscribers should get the same emails. Experts can segment your email lists based on behavior, demographics, and click-through rates, ensuring personalized, high-performing campaigns. They can also implement email marketing automation to send the right message at the right time.

3. Deliverability optimization

Your emails are no good to anyone if they land in spam. Email marketing pros can optimize your email deliverability by managing sender reputation, maintaining clean lists, and crafting subject lines that boost open rates.

4. Copywriting and A/B testing

Writing engaging subject lines, persuasive email copy, and compelling CTAs is a fine art. Experts can continuously A/B test different elements of your email to improve performance. Over time, this can help you to refine and optimize your email content based on what works and what doesn’t.

5. Performance analysis and reporting

Numbers don’t lie. Experts can track your email open rates, unsubscribe rates, CTRs, conversion rates, and other metrics through MailerLite’s performance reports. This will help you to make data-driven decisions (rather than just winging it)!

If your email marketing campaigns aren’t delivering results, or you simply don’t have the time to manage them properly, then it might be time to hire an email marketing expert. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.

Choose the right type of email marketing expert

First off, should you hire an in-house email marketer, an agency, or a freelancer? Here are your options, with some hints as to which one might be the best fit for you.

1. In-house email marketer

Hiring an in-house email marketer is a great option if you have a high email volume or need constant campaign management. A full-time expert can dedicate all their resources to your campaigns, ensuring you get the best possible results.

Here’s an example job posting (inspired by MailerLite’s hiring approach):

Job Title: Email Marketing Specialist

What you will work on:

• Develop and execute email marketing strategies.

• Optimize email campaigns based on A/B testing results.

• Maintain and segment email lists for personalization.

• Track, measure, and report on campaign performance.

What we expect from you:

• Experience with email marketing tools like MailerLite, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot.

• Strong analytical skills and knowledge of email metrics.

• Proficiency in email copywriting and conversion-focused design.

However, hiring an in-house email marketer might not work if you don’t have the budget for a full-time salary or only run occasional email campaigns. If this sounds like you, then you might end up paying for more firepower than you actually need.

2. Agency

Email marketing agencies provide a team of experts who handle everything from email strategy to execution. They’re ideal for businesses looking for end-to-end email management.

Agencies usually bring in a mix of skills, such as copywriting, content marketing, email design, analytics, and automation. They might also include add-ons like social media marketing to give you a well-rounded service.

That said, agencies can come with a higher price tag and sometimes a bit of red tape. If you prefer a hands-on, day-to-day relationship or need ultra-fast turnaround times, then agency workflows might feel a little slow or impersonal. They also might not match niche audiences or complex internal systems.

3. Consultant

Consultants can guide your in-house team, helping you improve your email marketing strategy without taking over execution.

They’re perfect for businesses that already have someone sending emails but want to have smarter targeting, better automation, or clearer analytics. A consultant can audit your current setup, highlight gaps, and create a roadmap that genuinely works.

However, they typically won’t manage your campaigns for you. So, if you don’t have anyone in-house to do the hands-on work, you might find yourself stuck with great advice and no one to implement it.

Consultants are more like the GPS rather than the driver. 😉

4. Freelancer

Freelancers offer flexibility and affordability. Spaces like MailerLite Experts, Upwork, and Fiverr make it easy to find specialists for exactly what you need.

Just bear in mind that you’ll need to vet candidates carefully. Plus, if your campaigns are complex or require ongoing collaboration with other teams, coordinating everything across multiple freelancers can get a bit messy.

Nonetheless, having a freelance email marketing expert is a flexible way to get help with your campaigns. They can support small teams, short-term projects, or anyone else who wants a little extra support (without a full commitment).

Decide how much you want to spend

How long is a piece of string? Generally, pricing will vary depending on the person’s experience and services. It will also depend on your region and the budget of your own business.

But here’s a suggested pricing breakdown to give you an idea.

• In-house hires: $55,000–$90,000/year

• Agencies: $1,000–$10,000/month

• Consultants: $175–$200/hour

• Freelancers: $50–$150/hour

Look in the right places

Once you’ve decided what type of email marketing expert to hire, the next step is finding the right person (or team) for the job.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to start your search.

1. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is perfect for sourcing in-house hires or consultants. You can browse profiles, see recommendations, and even check out shared connections. It’s also a great space to get a sense of someone’s communication style and experience before reaching out.

2. Upwork and Fiverr: Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are ideal for short-term projects, one-off campaigns, or finding a specialist with a specific skill. These platforms give you access to reviews, ratings, hourly rates, and work samples, making it easier to check candidates before committing.

3. Industry-specific directories: Some platforms maintain curated directories of email marketing pros who’ve been vetted for their skills, certifications, and results. These can save you time on background checks and offer peace of mind that you’re working with someone reputable.

And if you're using MailerLite (an affordable, all-in-one email service provider), then we've made your search even easier. We’ve partnered with Upwork to showcase the very best professionals experienced with MailerLite solutions.

Whether you need help setting up automations, designing email templates, or you just want a pro to fine-tune your campaigns, check out our experts’ page and find the right match for your MailerLite project.

Once you’ve got a shortlist of promising candidates, it’s time to figure out who’s really the right fit for your business. Here’s what to look for, plus a few smart ways to test the waters.

1. Skills and experience

Start by scanning for the essentials. A solid expert should be confident working with email marketing platforms like MailerLite, HubSpot, or whatever your tool of choice may be.

Bonus points if they’re fluent in more than one, because switching platforms or syncing across tools is more common than you’d think.

Look for experience with:

• Segmentation and personalization: Can they break your list into targeted groups and tailor messages to each one?

• Deliverability best practices: Do they know how to keep your emails out of the spam folder?

• A/B testing: Can they test subject lines, content blocks, and CTAs to optimize results?

• Performance tracking: Are they data-driven, and can they turn numbers into next steps?

For example, a strong profile might say something like, “Helped an e-commerce brand improve cart abandonment emails, increasing recovery rate by 18% over three months.”

That’s the kind of specific win you’re looking for.

2. Certifications

Certifications aren’t everything, but they do show initiative and credibility, especially if you’re not confident vetting someone’s technical skills yourself.

Look for certifications from platforms such as:

• MailerLite Academy (yep, we offer one!)

• HubSpot Email Marketing

• Google Analytics

These can give you peace of mind that the person knows their stuff and has likely completed structured training.

3. Case studies and testimonials

Ask for case studies, campaign snapshots, or metrics they’ve helped move. These examples can help you separate confident talkers from proven doers.

For example, a strong expert might say that they “Redesigned a nonprofit’s welcome email series, leading to a 40% increase in donor sign-ups over 6 weeks.”

And don’t skip the testimonials. Reviews and recommendations from past clients can give you insight into communication style, reliability, and general vibe, which is just as important as skill.

Finding someone with the right experience is one thing. Making sure they’re a fit for your team, your goals, and your budget? That’s where these tips come in.

1. Set clear goals

Before reaching out, define what you want to achieve. Are you trying to grow retention? Improve list building? Revamp your abandoned cart series? Clear goals help you evaluate whether a candidate has the right experience. It also gives them something concrete to respond to.

2. Ask the right questions

Go beyond “Have you worked in my industry?” and ask:

• “What’s the most successful email campaign you’ve worked on, and why do you think it worked?”

• “How do you approach segmentation for different customer types?”

• “Which tools do you use to measure success, and how do you report on results?”

3. Test with a small project first

Think of it like a first date. Don’t commit to a long-term retainer until you’ve seen how they work. Start with a welcome series revamp or a one-off newsletter to get a feel for their process, communication, and creativity.

Want to take out the guesswork? Here are three top email marketing experts recommended by MailerLite.

YNK Media

YNK Media is a MailerLite Certified Expert based in Slovakia, offering strong marketing and design skills with a focus on original content creation and email automation. 95% of their client work is focused on email marketing. 

• Email marketing specialties: YNK Media specializes in email, and also harnesses SMS, push notifications, chatbots, and more. It’s a full-service agency, handling everything from strategy and content to tech and data.

• Other relevant skills (and tools): YNK Media can handle landing pages, marketing automation, ebooks, webinars, subdomains, API solutions, personalized content, and more. It also uses MailerLite integrations such as Coupon Carrier, along with MailerCheck to maintain deliverability.

• Industry/ sector experience: YNK Media has experience in B2B, B2C, real estate, home improvement, e-commerce, webinars, digital products, nutritional supplements, technical services, communications, sales enablement, and HR.

• Cost: YNK Media charges €70/ hour for clients based in Europe.

Marta Lumeras

Marta Lumeras is a MailerLite Certified Expert based in Spain, specializing in email marketing, segmentation, and automation. Fluent in English and Spanish, she’s well-suited for businesses targeting bilingual or international audiences.

• Email marketing specialties: Marta’s services include setup, automation, segmentation, campaign strategy, domain authentication, sales funnel creation, lead magnet automation, and subscriber list cleanup.

• Other relevant skills and tools: Marta also works with e-commerce integrations, WordPress, MailerCheck, and automations using tools like Zapier, Make, and chatbots.

• Industry/ sector experience: Marta has experience with clients in digital businesses, personal growth and coaching, psychology, scientific research, and marketing mentorship.

• Cost: Marta’s pricing is usually per project, but she also offers technical support on an hourly basis at €90/ hour. Discounts can apply to clients who require more hours.

• Additional services: Marta also provides invoice automation, support for online schools, website assistance, and electronic invoicing ("factura electrónica") for clients based in Spain.

Klaudia Łapa

Klaudia Łapa is a MailerLite Certified Expert based in Poland who offers an all-in-one service, from strategy and account setup to template and website creation. Fluent in English and Polish, she brings both technical skill and creative flair to every project.

• Email marketing specialties: Klaudia specializes in campaign planning and execution, advanced automations, segmentation and personalization strategies, deliverability, sales funnel integrations, and more.

• Other relevant skills and tools: Klaudia also offers copywriting, newsletter design, technical setup and system integrations, email strategy consulting, lead magnet development, and tools including Figma, Canva, WordPress, and WooCommerce.

• Industry/sector experience: Klaudia has worked with female entrepreneurs and educators, digital product sellers, and online course creators. She also has experience with e-commerce, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands.

• Cost: Klaudia offers an hourly rate of 300 PLN net/hour, or she can offer project-based pricing, depending on the scope and complexity of the work.

By combining smart vetting with a bit of gut instinct, you’ll be in a strong position to find an email marketing expert who gets your brand (and gets results).

And if you're using MailerLite, don't forget: we've partnered with Upwork to help you skip the search and head straight to people who already know the ins and outs of MailerLite.

Think of it this way: You can follow the recipe yourself, or you can hire a chef who already knows how to make it unforgettable!