The right email marketer can turn a neglected subscriber list into a dependable revenue channel. By improving customer retention, increasing repeat purchases, and delivering more relevant messages, they help businesses get more value from an audience they've already worked hard to build. They also help maximize the return on your email platform by improving campaign performance, automation, and subscriber engagement.ย
What does an email marketer do?
An email marketer plans and runs the email programs that keep customers engaged and coming back. They manage the full campaign life cycle, from strategy through the metrics that prove what worked. The strongest email marketers blend creative instincts with technical know-how and a close eye on the data.
Typical responsibilities for email marketers include:
- Setting campaign strategy that maps goals, audiences, and the send calendar
- Writing copy and designing templates that match your brand and earn clicks
- Configuring and managing email service providers (ESPs) like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, HubSpot, and ActiveCampaign
- Building segments and personalization so the right message reaches the right subscriber
- Creating automation workflows such as welcome, reengagement, and postpurchase series
- Running split tests and optimizing subject lines, timing, and content
- Protecting deliverability and staying compliant with GDPR and CAN-SPAM rules
- Tracking analytics and reporting on opens, clicks, conversions, and revenue
How to hire an email marketer on Upwork
Ready to bring an email marketer onto your team? Here's how to find, vet, and start working with the right consultant on Upwork. Four straightforward steps keep the process organized, from your first post to your first email send.
Step 1: Craft a targeted job post
A clear job post attracts the right email marketers and screens out mismatches from the start. Be specific about your email platform, audience, and business goals so candidates can tailor their proposals.
- Specify your email service provider, such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, HubSpot, or ActiveCampaign
- Describe your audience, campaign goals, and the types of emails you need, such as newsletters, lifecycle campaigns, promotions, or automated flows
- Identify the skills you need, such as segmentation, personalization, A/B testing, deliverability, or email copywriting
- Share your budget, timeline, and any brand guidelines or design assets you'll provide
- Adapt ideas from this email marketer job description template
For a fast start, the Job Post Generator, powered by Umaโข, Upwork's Mindful AI, can help. Describe your needs in a few sentences, and it will draft a job post for email marketers that you can review, customize, and post. On Upwork, the average time from job post to first proposal is only three hours.ย
Step 2: Filter and evaluate candidates
Look beyond polished emails to the results behind them. Strong candidates should demonstrate measurable business outcomes as well as technical expertise.
- Review portfolios for campaigns with measurable improvements in open rates, click-through rates, conversions, or revenue
- Confirm experience with your email service provider, CRM, and marketing automation tools
- Evaluate experience with audience segmentation, lifecycle marketing, and automated email flows
- Review client feedback for communication, reliability, and campaign performance
Uma can run instant video interviews and give you a shortlist with side-by-side comparisons, so you can weigh candidates quickly. Use it to narrow a long list before you spend time on live conversations.
Step 3: Interview your top choices
Use interviews to understand how candidates develop strategy, optimize campaigns, and measure success.
- Browse these marketing manager interview questions for ideas you can adapt
- Ask how they approach audience segmentation, personalization, and life cycle marketing
- Discuss how they use A/B testing, analytics, and reporting to improve campaign performance
- Review their process for balancing deliverability, compliance, and subscriber engagement
- Consider a small paid audit or campaign review before committing to a longer engagement
You can schedule and hold interviews within Upwork Messages, with instant transcripts and summaries so nothing slips through.ย
Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work
Before work begins, align on the project scope, deliverables, and communication so everyone shares the same expectations.
- Choose a fixed-price contract for defined projects or an hourly contract for ongoing email marketing support
- Define deliverables, milestones, approval workflows, and reporting cadence for each phase of the project
- Agree on access to your email platform, CRM, analytics tools, and any brand or compliance guidelines
- Clarify ownership of email templates, campaign assets, and performance reports before work begins
Communicate and manage the project in messaging and the contract workroom. Behind the scenes, identity verification, payment protection, hourly tracking, and project funds help keep the work secure for both sides.ย
Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.
The rates and information provided in this article are based on current data and industry sources available at the time of publication. Freelance rates can vary depending on factors such as experience, location, project scope, and market conditions. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research to confirm current rates and trends, as this information may change over time.