What are Email Marketing Systems? An Overview

Email marketing services were created to connect with our audiences and make it easier for us to do that.  They can include everything from automation and segmentation to contact relationship management and reporting. It’s important to find one that’s easy to use and has the functionality you require. You can choose one that is an all in one service, with all the bells and whistles or you could choose a simple and easy to use email builder.  I will go over a couple of the services that I recommend and list some of my pros and cons for them.

MailerLite https://mailerlite.com
Create advanced email marketing campaigns with features like automation, landing pages and surveys. Get free access to premium features with a 14-day trial!

+ They offer a free plan
+ Easy-to-use drag and drop modules for campaigns
+ Landing page creator
+ Create very stylish opt in forms
– Pre built newsletter templates not available in free plan
– No live chat support on free plan

MailChimp – https://mailchimp.com/
Mailchimp helps small businesses do big things, with the right tools and guidance every step of the way.

+ Thorough reporting
+ They offer a free plan
+ Great template editor
– Inability to send emails to multiple lists at once
– Expensive paid plans
– Limited email automation

Aweber https://aweber.com
The email marketing solutions you need to grow your business are here. Create custom emails with our easy drag & drop editor. Or get started right away with our huge library of pre-built email templates.

+ List management tools
+ Sales tracking
+ Support
– High price and unfair subscriber count
– Editor bugs

ConvertKit https://convertkit.com
ConvertKit helps you find your audience, turn them into true fans, and earn a living as a creator with our audience building and email marketing software.

+ Landing page editor
+ Flexible subscriber management
+ Responsive support
– It’s pricey
– Poor designs options
– Reports are lacking in depth

Active Campaign https://activecampaign.com
ActiveCampaign gives you the email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM tools you need to create incredible customer experiences.

+ Powerful automation
+ Thorough reporting
+ Usually very good deliverability
– Features can be overwhelming
– High price

New but Very Noteworthy

FloDesk https://flodesk.com
Flodesk is a new email marketing service provider that’s built for creators, by creators. You can use it to design and send on-brand marketing emails, create opt-in forms to grow your list, and build powerful email automations.

+ Campaign builder with modules
+ Segmenting of list
+ Right now, they are offering unlimited subscribers for one flat fee.
+ So far, very good deliverability
– Limited integration, at this point, I expect integrations will grow in time
– No live support chat

How do you know which system is right for you? Most systems offer a free trial, so you can try them out before making a commitment to their service. Another thing to consider is tech support. Make sure that they offer plenty of documentation and either live chat support or email support. Email support is great, but be aware that it could take 24 hours to get a response back. Just something to think about when picking an email marketing system that will work best for you.

Whether you’re looking or a simple email marketing solution or one with full automation and advanced marketing capabilities, there are plenty of options out there. If you need help picking a system, feel free to set up a time to talk to me.