Whether you’re a one-woman show working out of your garage or the VP of a marketing department, you need an email list. They’re one of the most valuable assets your business can have. An Instagram can get hacked; a LinkedIn account can get deleted. But an email list? That’s all yours. Which means you need a super awesome email marketing software to help you build, edit, and market to said list. When it comes to picking an email marketing software, it isn’t exactly rocket science. Many offer very similar features and costs. But instead of you scouring the internet, jotting comparisons down on a sticky note you’re bound to lose, we’ve done it for you. In no particular order, here is our list of favorite email marketing software, and their comparisons.
Mailchimp
Even if you’ve never put together an email list in your life, you’ve likely heard of MailChimp in one place or another. The company has done an incredible job of creating a fun, approachable brand that draws you in. They may be a software company, but they certainly don’t feel like it. When it comes to who their software is best suited for, small businesses are largely their target market.
The software is highly user-friendly, is extremely easy to navigate, and is largely free. Users can send 12,000 emails a month to a booming 2,000 subscribers each month at absolutely no charge. It doesn’t get much better than that. But be warned, this plan gets you no access to the handy support that Mailchimp offers, especially through chat.
If you run into any issues setting up or along the way, you’ll be on your own. If you feel you’ll need the support, their paid plan is an extremely reasonable $10 a month. This gets you interactive help, an unlimited number of sends and subscribers, send time optimization, and more.
Constant Contact
Constant Contact is another great option for small businesses looking to build a strong email game. Originally founded in 1995, this email marketing software has been around since pucca shell necklaces and JNCO jeans were a thing. But don’t let that fool you, they are definitely one of the better email platforms on the current market.
One of their biggest appeals? They offer you a 60-day free trial, no credit card information required. So often when exploring new software, we end up swiping the card until we find one that isn’t too hot, too cold, but just right. With Constant Contact, you can keep your plastic in your pocket until you know whether or not you want to commit. With the software comes unique perks that are often unavailable with other providers, like their event planning tools or social media tools that let you build coupons and downloads without leaving the platform.
The one drawback? Constant Contact doesn’t offer any automation options for its users. Where other email marketing software will offer users an option of manual or automatic, Constant Contact requires everything is done by hand. They’re a little pricier than some of their counterparts, as well. Packages start at $20 a month for up to 500 subscribers.
iContact
Like MailChimp, iContact is another email software provider that makes a great option for smaller businesses or freelancers. Its users seem to be very loyal to the company, an overall feedback is vehemently positive. It offers a variety of templates that are easily customizable, simple social media plugins, and all of your basic analytics. What seems to set this platform apart, however, is its customer service.
Customers rave about the care they receive—how readily available it is, how knowledgeable they are, and how easy their instructions are to implement. But the coolest part of iContact’s customer support? They offer their users full access to personal advisors who help those looking for guidance create a fully formed marketing plan. Now that’s what we call killer customer service. It’s a little pricier than options like MailChimp, but for this sort of expertise in your corner, we’d say iContact is easily worth its starter package of $14 a month. Best of all, it comes with a 30-day free trial, so you can test the waters before deciding whether or not you’d like to fully commit.
Emma Email
This Nashville-based start-up has made big moves over the last few years to land it on our top email marketing software list. Originally founded in 2003, as myEmma the company saw steady growth and sold two years ago to a New York Based investment group. While it holds many of the same features that can be found on other comparable email platforms, Emma focuses on empowering a very specific niche. If you’re in the restaurant, university, or franchise business, Emma can do you a lot of good.
When you own multiple locations across the country or globe, how do you ensure that all your marketing stays cohesive? How do you make sure an eccentric manager at your Waco, Texas office is staying as on-brand as your VP of marketing? You use Emma. Emma offers the ability to create templates that can be shared between locations, and an extra handy “approvals” dashboard. You can ensure that every message going out to your audience is in-step with the brand and message you’ve worked hard to create. With a product that serves larger entities, the beginner package starts at $89 a month and comes with 10,000 subscribers.
HubSpot
Late last year, HubSpot launched a new aspect to their services when they announced that email marketing would now be included in their affordable Starter Package. Now, users could access HubSpot’s email services at just $50 a month, instead of having to opt for the all-in $800 a month package. It’s a pretty huge change, and one that’s making a big difference for a lot of marketers and business owners alike. With the email integration, users can build lists, create forms, Facebook and Instagram ads, and get marketing metric feedback on their campaigns all in one place. With other tools available for as little as $10, HubSpot is a more costly option, but allows you to leverage other parts of your network as well.
If you’re planning to grow your business, (which you should always be), it’s worth considering a tool that will scale along with you. While tools like MailChimp or Emma are great, they live separately from the rest of your software. Starting with HubSpot means starting in a place where your entire marketing and sales ecosystem can live. No bouncing between tools, and most importantly, no outgrowing them and having to move everything over. If you’re serious about growing your business, you should seriously consider what email marketing software is the right fit for you.
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