AUSTIN, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 12/19/12 -- OutboundEngine, the platform enabling independent professionals to nurture their customer relationships through automated, customized email and social media services, today announced the OutboundEngine Platform, allowing independent professionals to nurture their business through automated, customized email and social media services, which are paired with lead scoring and campaign analytics.

Created with the needs of small businesses in mind -- and, in particular, of independent professionals like real estate agents, insurance agents, CPAs and mortgage brokers -- the OutboundEngine Platform incorporates elements of marketing automation, social media, email and creative content in fully automated, industry-specific campaigns that nurture relationships between the business and the customers on its email lists.

OutboundEngine differs from the tools typically available to smaller businesses: Unlike most tools for smaller businesses, which are typically do-it-yourself tools, its platform is a turnkey, 'do-it-for-you' service. Building and maintaining relationships with customers and prospects is a crucial part of the independent professional's success, but because of the day-to-day demands of running their businesses, many are reactive rather than proactive in nurturing those relationships.

"Our platform is a combination of marketing expertise in general, and industry expertise in specific verticals," said OutboundEngine CEO Branndon Stewart. "We offer creative content and design elements customized for a variety of industry verticals, which it distributed across social media sites and in emails automatically, as designated by a marketing calendar. Our emails generate a ton of conversation -- a smaller business faces challenges in presenting its services in an engaging way. One thing you don't want to say is, 'Hey, buy something! Hey, buy something!' You want to start a conversation."

DIY services like email marketing tools, and even Facebook and Twitter, offer user-friendly, flexible solutions, but they also require time, attention, strategy and content. The OutboundEngine Platform answers the questions of smaller businesses that want to move beyond DIY, and who want to take advantage of automation and proactively nurture their bases of customers and prospects.

After a business simply chooses some design elements and uploads its list, OutboundEngine and its platform incorporates the business' own branding elements (and an optional personal note in any message), generating a personalized message for the customer. During each campaign cycle, the OutboundEngine user receives suggested next steps in their inbox, including a list of warm leads to reach out to immediately.

OutboundEngine helps small businesses, and larger businesses that work with a network of independent agents, increase their client retention, boost the frequency and volume of transactions, and generate new leads from referral campaigns. Businesses that are already using the OutboundEngine Platform have seen an average increase in business of $10 per month per contact. "That more than pays for the service," said Stewart. Use of the platform starts at $59 per month.

The OutboundEngine Platform will be available in January to select industry verticals. The first vertical industry OutboundEngine has approached specifically is real estate, and the company aims to increasingly customize its offerings for mortgage brokers and insurance agents. Other industries will join the ranks where OutboundEngine sees an exceptional demand.

OutboundEngine launched in November, following a $1.6 million round of Series A funding supported by Floodgate, Austin Ventures, Silverton Partners and Capital Factory. The company evolved from Promo Labs, which was founded in 2010 in order to provide sales and marketing tools to distributors of promotional products.

About OutboundEngine

OutboundEngine provides a hands-free marketing platform that puts your marketing on autopilot. Our SaaS-based platform delivers industry-focused content via email and social media on your behalf. With OutboundEngine, independent professionals and small businesses have access to a combination of technology and a team that produces personalized marketing to reach your specific audience. There is no longer a need to 'do it yourself'; OutboundEngine will do it for you. For more information, see: http://www.outboundengine.com/.