If you’re planning on building a sustainable business, then topping the list of smart moves is to figure out the best email marketing service for your business.
Want proof? If you ask Unemployable founder and serial seven- and eight-figure digital entrepreneur Brian Clark his secret to finding enough of the right clients, he’ll tell you it’s email marketing. (And he often writes about how your email list must be your core focus.)
The statistics tell the story. Research shows that for every $1 spent on email marketing, you get $42 in return. Makes sense, considering how much time people spend each day checking email. And it’s better at converting people than social media.
So, even if you’re not a budding Brian Clark, it behooves you to have a handle on today’s email marketing tools. Whether you apply this knowledge to help your clients grow and thrive or use it for your own personal enterprise, understanding small business email marketing is essential.
Yet Another Marketing Task?
New freelancers and solo entrepreneurs — and veterans alike — often run into the issue of feeling obligated or pressured to, as they say, “Do all the things.”
Having an email newsletter that’s packed with valuable, insightful content that your subscribers actually want to read can be one such thing.
But if you think email is dead and don’t feel particularly motivated to research the best email marketing service for your business, check out some more compelling stats:
- Ninety-nine percent of consumers check their email every day.
- Those same people check their email accounts more than 10 times a day.
- Email is the preferred way that consumers want to receive updates from businesses.
- Seventy-three percent of Millennials prefer communication from companies via email.
Email marketing is not just another thing — it’s your primary sales channel.
And best of all, thanks to the enormous amount of email marketing platforms available, it’s also a simple answer to how to automate your business. Win-win!
Why Email Marketing?
Despite the tons of emails that bombard our inboxes daily, we all have those few emails we enjoy getting.
Maybe you love reading The New York Times’ Your Weekly Edition every Friday because it keeps you informed. Or perhaps you’re eagerly anticipating a new product release from one of your favorite brands or personalities.
The same can be said for what you deliver to your prospects. Email marketing is a powerful tool that can help you launch your next product or find your next big client.
While you’re setting business goals, then, take the time to figure out the best email marketing service for you. Not only is it a worthwhile investment, the ways in which it can make a positive impact on your business are myriad.
Here are a few things an email strategy can help you do:
- Demonstrate your expertise
- Reach a broader market
- Launch a new product
- Grow your industry influence
- Open up new opportunities, like guest blogging
- Help you find new clients
There are so many benefits to having an email strategy in place, but where do you start?
How do you create the best automation sequence for a sales funnel?
How do you create segmented campaigns that result in a 760% increase in revenue?
The answer is simple: With the right email marketing tools, of course.
What’s Email Marketing Software?
The first email was sent a half-century ago in 1971 by a programmer named Ray Tomlinson, who developed applications for MIT’s Arpanet project (aka the prehistoric internet).
In 1996, Hotmail launched the first web-based email service — and shortly after that, the idea of sending out blast emails to groups of people became a thing.
Today, email marketing software is primarily offered as a Software-as-as-Service (SaaS) product that gives you a ton of options to build and grow your list of subscribers.
It empowers you to do things like segment lists for precise targeting, design, build, and deliver messages anywhere people access their emails.
Plus, the best email marketing services put rich analytics at your fingertips so you can better understand what resonates with your audience — and what doesn’t.
What Can I Do with Email Marketing Software?
There are an abundance of email marketing tools out there that can help you implement a stellar strategy. Even if you don’t have a massive budget for this, there are plenty of email marketing tools that are affordably priced (even free!), and they’re more powerful than ever.
That’s right — you can still create that eye-catching, on-brand email campaign of your dreams. So, what can you do with small business email marketing platforms?
Bulk Email Marketing Services
Sending your message out to groups of people — anything from a handful to hundreds of thousands or more can be a tricky venture.
There are a ton of factors to consider when it comes to sending out optimized messages to your desired audience, from the reputability of the sender and regulatory compliance to delivery rates, workflow automation, analytics, integration with your website platform (i.e., WordPress), or web conferencing tools, and design options.
The best bulk email marketing services have powerful programming under the hood that makes your user experience a joy and maximizes your opportunities. Keep reading, because we’re reviewing seven of the best bulk email marketing services for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
Email Newsletters Services
Email newsletters can be the lifeblood of your business, regardless of if you’re selling a service or a product. When you’re evaluating email newsletter services, it’s essential to keep in mind a few key factors:
- Simplicity: In the era of low-code and no-code drag-and-drop functionality, there’s no reason you should struggle even a little bit. Look for email newsletter services with great-looking templates and easy email-builder functionality that help you improve creativity and develop engaging designs that attract and convert customers.
- Industry-specific features: Not all email marketing tools serve just anyone — loads are created with a specific audience in mind. So, for example, CovertKit is perfect for content creators and publishers, while Drip is a solid choice for a startup ecommerce business.
- Pricing: When you’re starting out, look for free or low monthly fees as you’re just building your email newsletter, and it’s not monetized or productized yet. Over time, as your subscriber base grows, your subscription fees will rise accordingly — but should also unlock more powerful features and functions to scale and expand your business.
Email Automation
Creating effective email campaigns is both an art and a science. The best email marketing services will help you accomplish both ends of the spectrum by making it simple for you to get the right message to the right people automatically so you can concentrate on creating quality content.
The good news is that email tools have come a long way in the last few years, and today you can create automated sequences that can help you close a sale while you sleep. The “set it and forget it” aspect of email automation takes a heavy burden off your shoulders.
That said, email automation can perform a lot of other customer-cultivating services beyond straight-up sales.
For example, I teach meditation, and an important part of my business is supporting my students over time. So, I’ve created a year-long email sequence that is triggered the day I teach them how to meditate and rolls out from there. The initial emails are scheduled days apart, and as time goes on, it becomes a friendly monthly check-in.
This automated email sequence makes it possible for me to stay in touch in a thoughtful, timely way without any effort on my end (save the initial setup). It’s like having the most organized, proactive marketing partner working with me, cultivating long-term, fruitful relationships.
Email Marketing Software for Solo Business Owners
Many powerful, unique email marketing tools are available, and choosing the right one can seem confusing.
That’s understandable, so now let’s move on to check out some of the best email marketing services available that make particular sense for small business owners like you.
Mailchimp
If you were to search “best small business email marketing software” on Google, you’re sure to see results for Mailchimp.
Mailchimp has been around since 2001, making it a notable player in the email marketing world. This email marketing giant has helped brands of all sizes and industries create stunning email campaigns aligned with any business objective.
Don’t let their impressive list of high-profile, ginormous brands that are customers discourage you — Mailchimp is an excellent tool for freelancers and entrepreneurs alike.
Mailchimp users can expect the typical smorgasbord of features included in many email marketing software, like customizable email templates, email automation, precise analytics, app integration, and list segmentation.
However, Mailchimp users can do so much more than just send emails. Due to Mailchimp’s recent rebrand, there is an emphasis on being able to pack more punch into your email marketing efforts with this platform.
One reason why people love Mailchimp is the plethora of tutorials, guides, and resources available — both from Mailchimp themselves and other expert users. With so much knowledge at your fingertips, the world of email marketing doesn’t seem so intimidating with this tool.
Who should use MailChimp?
Any solo business owner — whether you’re just getting started and want to send a monthly email newsletter or have years of experience and want to integrate your advertising with an audience-building effort.
Pricing
- Base Tier: Free
- Essentials: Starts at $9.99/month
- Standard: Starts at $14.99/month
- Premium: Starts at $299.00/month
For a detailed look at Mailchimp’s pricing and features, check out their website.
Campaign Monitor
Another powerful, dynamic email marketing software is Campaign Monitor. A member of the same email marketing solutions family as Emma and Delivra, Campaign Monitor is a popular tool that has helped thousands of businesses succeed.
Like Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor users can easily create eye-catching emails and utilize features like email automation, list segmentation, and personalization. The drag-and-drop creation tool makes piecing together an impressive campaign quick and easy.
You can easily segment users by demographic and location. You can also see when individual users have opened your emails and when. This is great when trying to determine what content your subscribers may be most interested in reading.
With detailed reporting and split testing, Campaign Monitor users can understand fully how their emails are performing and what changes they should consider making for future campaigns.
All in all, Campaign Monitor is a mighty tool that can help elevate your email marketing regardless of your goals.
Who should use Campaign Monitor?
Campaign Monitor is aimed primarily at small agencies, but if you’re a solo strapped for time (honestly, who isn’t?) and want to create an impactful email newsletter or implement an email automation sequence for a sales funnel, give it a look.
Pricing
- Basic: $9.00/month
- Unlimited: $29.00/month
- Premier: $149.00/month
More details about Campaign Monitor’s pricing and features can be found here.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is an amazing tool that provides users with the usual lineup of features such as automation, detailed reporting, email list segmentation, and the like.
And if you didn’t already know, it’s what we use here at Unemployable. And as mentioned, Brian Clark knows a thing or two about email marketing.
ConvertKit provides users with impressive features like easy email sequence editing, conditional content, link triggering, and A/B testing. These features make ConvertKit stand out from other email providers and allow you to work smarter.
ConvertKit is great because of the simplicity of the platform despite the power, and that’s because the software is geared toward creators and small business owners.
The features offered in ConvertKit allow you to make the most of your email marketing and keep track of sales, conversions, new leads, and everything in between.
Who should use ConvertKit?
Any freelancer or entrepreneur, especially those doing content marketing, such as bloggers, podcasters, writers, and designers.
Pricing
- Up to 1,000 subscribers: Free
- Creator: Starts at $29.00/month
- Creator Pro: Starts at $59.00/month
To learn more about ConvertKit’s pricing based on your number of subscribers, visit their website and use the slider tool.
AWeber
When it comes to a strong yet simple email marketing tool, AWeber has stood the test of time.
Founded in 1998, it’s a classic email automation tool that keeps it easy all around to use — and to afford. There are just two tiers: free (up to 500 subscribers) and Pro, and you get many of the Pro account features with your free subscription. Very small business friendly 🙂
Aweber offers all the standard features and functions you need for bulk email marketing services, from easy automation to dynamic content, hundreds of templates, drag-and-drop email builder, push notifications, professional images to use, list-building tools, list segmentation, landing page builder, and basic analytics.
The Pro option takes it up a notch with more advanced features like A/B testing, advanced analytics, cart abandonment/purchase tagging, and more. Whether you’re doing freelance content marketing for yourself or a client, AWeber is an easy, affordable solution.
Who should use AWeber?
If you’re looking for a simple small business email marketing tool, AWeber is one of the more straightforward to use — while still packing a powerful punch.
Pricing
- Up to 500 subscribers: Free
- Pro (by subscriber count):
- 0-500, $19.99/month
- 501-2,500: $29.99/month
- 2,501- 5,000: $49.99/month
- 5,001-10,000: $69.99/month
- 10,000-25,000: $$149.99/month
AWeber offers discounts if you pay annually vs. monthly, so be sure to check out their website for more details.
Sendinblue
Sendinblue wants to be not only your email marketing tool of choice but also your partner in meeting your customers wherever they are.
So, in addition to all the standard bulk email marketing services, including a mobile-friendly email designer, a robust template library, contact management, marketing automation, and reporting, they also offer SMS marketing, chat, and inbox management.
Sendinblue wants you to help you deliver a personalized experience to your customers at all digital touchpoints, so their services include landing pages, Facebook ads, and an easy-to-setup CRM.
Plus, you can take a deep dive into understanding your customer journey through visual heatmaps, real-time statistics, time optimization, A/B testing, and more.
Who should use Sendinblue?
For those who’ve got their hustle on and are building out a scalable, customized customer experience, Sendinblue has you covered.
Pricing
- Up to 300 subscribers: Free
- Lite: Starts at $29.00/month
- Premium: Starts at $65.00/month
For more about Sendinblue’s pricing, features, and functions, check out their website.
MailerLite
If you’re looking for a lightweight email newsletters service with clean design and intuitive features, MailerLite makes it simple for you to create and deliver the right message to the right people at the right time. All while keeping your learning curve minimal … answering the question of how to get more done in a day.
In addition to all the features you’d expect to create campaigns, grow subscribers, optimize delivery, and track results, MailerLite features nearly 130 integrations with leading freelancer tools from Shopify, Zapier, and Facebook to Zoom, Hubspot, Slack, and many more.
Who should use MailerLite?
If you’re looking for a “lite” experience, MailerLite emphasizes intuitive use. This doesn’t mean that the email marketing tool isn’t advanced — it is — but complexity on the user’s end (you!) isn’t a part of the equation.
Pricing
- Up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/month: Free
- Unlimited emails (by subscriber count) :
- 1-1,000: $10.00/month
- 1,0001-2,500: $15:00/month
- 2,501 – 5,000: $30.00/month
- 5,001-10,000: $50.00/month
For more insight into MailerLite, including features and a pricing plan comparison, check out their website.
Drip
If ecommerce is part of your business model (or a client’s business model), then Drip is the best email marketing service for “starter marketing” (their words). It has all you need to build everything from customer acquisition to loyalty and retention.
Drip’s suite of email marketing tools makes it simple for you to personalize, optimize, and monetize emails. Plus, they offer integrations with all leading eCommerce platforms, automation to nurture customers post-purchase, and support life-long loyalty.
From lead ads and forms to tailored messaging for both email and SMS, behavior-based product recommendations, and smart list segmentation, everything you need to build scalable customer relationships is at your fingertips.
Drip’s revenue dashboards show you earnings and engagement stats so you can see what’s working and where you can improve.
All in all, Drip is a smart way to build your business — even showcasing a client’s successful ecommerce campaign in your freelance portfolio can boost your bottom line.
Who should use Drip?
Freelancers with their own eCommerce business or who provide eCommerce email marketing solutions to clients can benefit from the host of small business email marketing tools Drip provides.
Pricing
- Up to 500 subscribers: $19.00/month
- 501-2,000 subscribers: $29.00/month
- 2,001-2,500 subscribers: $39.00/month
- And it goes up $10.00/500 subscribers from there
To see more about Drip’s features and get pricing based on your subscriber list, visit their website.
FAQ
Which software is best for email marketing in 2022?
The overall best bet is MailChimp. The free offering has everything you need to get started, and MailChimp’s comprehensive tools go well beyond simple email marketing to help you scale and grow your business. Plus, their resources and community offer extensive support.
How much does email marketing cost?
You can get your email marketing off the ground for zero cost, assuming you take advantage of the entry tier of an email marketing tool and do the work to build your list, design emails, and create campaigns yourself.
From there, small business email marketing can vary, depending on your needs, but most platforms start at around $10.00/month.
Is MailChimp a type of software?
MailChimp is a web-based software that was recently voted one of the best global software companies of 2022 by G2.
Choose the Email Marketing Service that Will Grow with Your Business
Choosing the best email marketing service for you can seem intimidating and confusing, but with a bit of testing, you’re sure to find the right match.
It’s worth investing your time and money in a tool that can grow with your business and gives you the features you need to do your best work.
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