Overview
Email marketing has been around for a very long time, but it’s not dead yet. The right email marketing platform will take your email campaigns to the next level, making them worthwhile even in the modern day. These days, you can integrate your email marketing platform with your CMS and CRM and run split testing and automation, all with a single piece of software. This article looks at the 10 best email marketing platforms and their features.
Is Email Marketing Still Worthwhile?
In the 40 plus years since email marketing was invented, other strategies, such as alternative messaging tools, have been developed with higher ROI. Not to mention, customers are sick of badly-planned email campaigns (which they then have to unsubscribe from) cluttering their inboxes. However, a good email marketing campaign can still work wonders for your business, with an ROI of $42 USD for every dollar.
What To Look for in an Email Marketing Platform
Email marketing platforms can offer you a lot more than the ability to maintain an email list and send mass emails. Though your needs will depend a lot on the size and nature of your business, here are some things to look for in an email marketing platform:
- A good free/low-cost package: For small businesses, it’s essential to perform a decent level of email marketing without spending too much.
- Number of contact/emails allowed per price range: Different platforms offer different value for money in terms of the emails and contacts you are allowed without paying extra.
- A/B testing: The ability to perform A/B testing and segmentation, in general, is key to a successful emailing strategy.
- Automation: Especially for larger businesses, you need to be able to automate parts of your email marketing (such as automatically customizing emails for different customers or groups).
- Good integration capabilities: Your email marketing platform should integrate easily with your CMS and CRM (if it doesn’t already include this).
- CRM features: Some emailing software also offers CRM features or even includes an entire CRM. This can be incredibly useful if you want (and are willing to learn) more powerful features.
Best 10 Email Marketing Platforms
Here are the 10 email marketing platforms that we think have the best range of features and value for money:
Best for Small Businesses
Cost is vital for small businesses, so here are some of the best low-cost options:
Mailchimp (free–2,500 emails/500 contacts, paid from $11 USD/month per extra 500 contacts):
Mailchimp is a classic email marketing platform that everyone’s heard of. It is very easy to use and has a generous free plan, including A/B testing, making it a favorite for small businesses. However, Mailchimp also comes with comparatively limited functionality and poor customer support.
MailerLite (free–12,000 emails/1,000 contacts, paid from $9 USD/month–unlimited emails):
With its drag-and-drop interface, MailerLite is a good easy-to-use option for smaller businesses. It lacks advanced features such as CRM capabilities and isn’t great with integration, but it’s a solid option for simple email campaigns.
Moosend (free–unlimited emails/500 contacts, paid from $9 USD/month per extra 500 contacts):
Another option for small businesses is Moosend, which has very cheap paid plans and is very easy to use. There is, of course, a trade-off in that Moosend does not offer many features, nor is it very good at integration.
Best for Automation
Automation is significant for email marketing, so let’s look at the best email marketing platforms that offer automation:
Constant Contact (paid from $20 USD/month–500 contacts):
Constant Contact is an easy-to-use software with a high level of customer support, including in-person workshops for those in the US. The software is great for automation, list segmenting, and integration. While it doesn’t have a proper free plan, its extra support and coaching make it perfect for small businesses.
Zoho Campaigns (free–6,000 emails/2,000 contacts, paid from $3 USD/month–unlimited emails):
Zoho Campaigns is Zoho’s offering for email marketing. This software is great for those with large mailing lists, with a free plan including 2,000 contacts, as well as automation and tracking. It also offers integration with the rest of the Zoho suite, which is very useful if you’re already using Zoho’s CRM or any of its other marketing products.
Best Options With CRM Capabilities
For a complete email marketing and CRM solution, here are two platforms with good CRM integration features:
Hubspot (paid from $45 USD/month—1,000 contacts):
The exact opposite of MailerLite and MailChimp, HubSpot contains a complete CRM and powerful reporting tools. However, this extra power can take time to get the hang of, so Hubspot is a better option for larger businesses or companies that want an all-in-one marketing solution. The price, too, will put Hubspot out of the reach of small businesses.
SendInBlue (free–9,000 emails/unlimited contacts, paid from $25 USD/month–20,000 emails):
SendInBlue is an excellent platform for automation and all-round email marketing. Its premium plan also comes with useful CRM functionalities like live chat and a landing page builder. This and its generous free plan make it a valuable option for small businesses.
Best Options With Ecommerce Functionalities
While many of the platforms in this article are great for eCommerce business owners, here are some options which come with advanced eCommerce features:
Drip ($19 USD/month–500 contacts):
As well as drip marketing, Drip is very good for automation and integration. It’s also great for targeted emailing, as it lets you easily segment your email list and send emails based on shopping patterns. You can also use Drip for SMS marketing.
Klaviyo (paid from $25 USD/month–500 contacts/3,000 emails)
Klaviyo offers much more than just email marketing. In addition to containing useful templates for eCommerce emails such as abandoned cart follow-up emails, Klaviyo also captures customer data to easily plan a segmented email marketing campaign.
Omnisend (free—500 emails/250 contacts, paid from $16 USD/month—6,000 emails/500 contacts)
Omnisend is a great choice, as it has email marketing capabilities (like Klaviyo templates for cart abandonment emails) and omnichannel marketing software. Moreover, the software has great integration with common CMS platforms and plenty of features, including SMS marketing and reports, on its free plan.
Today’s market gives you plenty of choices for your email marketing software. Email marketing platforms come in various functionalities, and it’s up to you to consider whether additional features are worth it for your business.
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