Some new digital marketers will tell you all you need is a quality social media presence to market your business and boost your sales.
And while an active social media presence is necessary, email marketing is still king when it comes to getting your content in front of your target audience.
Luckily for you, there are a ton of email service providers and tools out there to make your job easier. Let’s talk about some of the best email marketing software available today.
Email Marketing by the Numbers
Time and time again, we’ve learned that if you want to get your audience’s attention, the best way is through their inbox.
According to HubSpot, 77% of marketers report seeing an increase in engagement through email marketing over the past year. So much so that 37% of brands are actively increasing their email marketing budget.
Here are a few other incredible statistics about the effectiveness of email marketing:
- By the end of 2023, revenue from email marketing is expected to hit $11 billion dollars.
- Over 4 billion people use email daily.
- Almost half of brands (41.5%) believe that email marketing is successful.
- Email marketing is most successful when segmentation is used.
- This type of marketing is used by 64% of small businesses.
- 81% of B2B marketers use email newsletters.
- Almost 90% of B2C businesses use automation and email marketing as part of their content marketing strategy.
- According to Constant Contact, the average bounce rate is 9.96%.
- Welcome emails are the most effective emails. More than 8 out of 10 people will open a welcome email.
Whether you want to send weekly or monthly emails to your audience, email marketing is too popular and effective for to be ignored.
What is an Email Marketing Software?
Email marketing software aids in email delivery and email marketing strategy. They serve a variety of purposes, and some are more robust than others.
Most will help you create emails and templates, grow subscriber lists, and set auto-responses. Key features include A/B testing and some sort of conversion tracking.
Others take it a step further with social media integration, Javascript capabilities, and full automation sequences.
When choosing an email service provider for your business, you’ll first need to evaluate your goals and what you want to get out of it.
If you’re just starting out, a more basic platform will probably suffice. If you’re looking to set up an automation sequence where your audience will receive repeat emails over a certain amount of time, you’ll need to take that into consideration as well.
Often, you’ll find it’s really a matter of personal preference. Many of the software below offers the same (or similar) features and functionality; it ultimately comes down to which you like interacting with the most. You’ll know pretty quickly as you navigate around the site whether you like the interface and find using it pretty intuitive.
Email Service Providers
Since email marketing is so popular with digital marketers, there are a variety of service providers you can pick from.
Google Workspace
Google Workspace is one of the most popular email service providers for businesses. It enables you to send customized emails, share files, and video chat.
Pros:
- Can send emails from your domain
- Easy to use
- Secure
Cons:
- Does not offer automations
- Does not have a customer management piece
Pricing: Monthly packages start at $6 per month. They also offer customized enterprise packages.
Amazon WorkMail
Amazon WorkMail is a part of Amazon World Services. WorkMail can be managed through Microsoft Outlook, iOS or Android apps, or any other app using the IMAP protocol.
Pros:
- Free custom domain
- Access from anywhere
- Excellent tutorials and customer support
Cons:
- Does not run email automation
- Does not have a customer management piece
Pricing: Monthly packages start at $4 per month. If you are a large company, you can request custom enterprise pricing.
Zoho
Pros:
- Robust platform with many features
- Ability to run an entire business from email to an online workplace for teams
Cons:
- Overwhelming
- Locked into a year-long contract
- Each section is priced separately
Pricing: Starts with a free trial. Customized pricing.
Braze
Trusted by top brands like Dominos, Mercari, Intuit, and Etsy, Braze is a quality email service provider for many ecommerce retailers.
Pros:
- Offers cross-channel delivery including email, SMS, and in-app messaging
- Depends on data and analytics to improve open and click-through rates
- Optimizes campaigns based on behavior automation and A/B testing
Cons:
- Does not offer a free trial plan
- Could be overwhelming for a new marketer
Pricing: Braze does not supply pricing up-front. All pricing is customized.
Keap
Keap is the platform formerly known as Infusionsoft. It’s a robust email service provider that also offers customer relationship management tools.
Pros:
- Excellent customer support
- Robust tools
- All-in-one email service solution
Cons:
- Steep learning curve
- No free verison
- Limited integrations
Pricing: Keap offers a 14-day free trial. After that, prices start at $129 a month for their basic package.
Email Marketing Software
In addition to email service providers, there is a variety of email marketing software to choose from. These platforms will make your life easier while creating attractive emails that your audience will want to read.
MailChimp
Pros:
- Easy to navigate
- Easy to learn for beginners
- Built-in help features
Cons:
- Limited automation tools
- Limited customization options
Pricing: MailChimp sets its prices based on the number of contacts on your email list. They offer a free account for up to 500 contacts. In addition to their free account, they have 3 more levels of pricing – essentials, standard, and premium.
Constant Contact
Pros:
- Easy to navigate
- Newly added SMS and social media marketing features
- Full reporting and analytics
Cons:
- Limited automation tools
- Limited customization options
- Marketing automation tools cost significantly extra each month
Pricing: Constant Contact offers tiered pricing based on the number of contacts. Their most affordable plan starts at $9.99 a month. Their additional marketing automation platform starts at $449 a month.
FloDesk
Pros:
- Robust customer support
- Easy customization
- Gorgeous templates
- Integrates with ecommerce apps such as Shopify, Zapier, Facebook, and others
Cons:
- Checkout functions are extra
- Locked into year-long contracts
Pricing: FloDesk offers a free trial. Email plans start at $35 a month. Checkout plans start at $35 a month. You can combine both plans for $59 a month.
HubSpot
Pros:
- Excellent customer service
- Highly respected in the world of digital marketing
- Free trial
Cons:
- So robust it can be overwhelming
- Can be expensive, depending on the tools you select
- Some plans require a year-long contract
Pricing: HubSpot offers many free tools, including email marketing. Their other services start at $45 per month and go up to $1,200 per month for enterprise packages.
Salesforce
Pros:
- Super customizable
- Works with analytics and data
Cons:
- Expensive
- Overly complicated
Pricing: Packages start at $1,250 per month and go up to $15,000 per month.
Active Campaign
Pros:
- Sends broadcast, triggered, and targeted emails
- Works with a CRM system
- Drag and drop customization
Cons:
- Transactional emails are a different package
- Requires a year-long contract
Pricing: Packages start at $29 a month. They also offer enterprise packages. Transactional email option packages start at $10 per month.
Emma
Pros:
- Drag and drop editor
- Marketing automations
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires an annual contract
Pricing: Packages range from $99 to $249 per month.
GetResponse
Pros:
- Offers a free trial
- Pay as you go
- Offers 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- Can be expensive, depending on number of contacts
- All emails go to Gmail’s promotion section
- Very B2B focused
Pricing: Packages for businesses range from free to $119 per month for 1,000 contracts. Discounts are offered on 12 and 24-month contracts
SendInBlue
Pros:
- Offers a free version
- Easy to use
- Some packages add in Facebook Ad and landing page support
Cons:
- Send Time Optimization is extra
- Steep learning curve for non-technical users
Pricing: Packages for businesses range from free to $65 per month.
Campaign Monitor
Pros:
- User friendly
- Offers suite of analytics
Cons:
- Limited customer support
- No available photo library
Pricing: Packages start at $9 per month with customized quotes for high-volume senders.
Campaigner
Pros:
- Offers a free trial
- Offers SMS add-on
Cons:
- No free version
- Terrible customer service
Pricing: Email-only packages range from $59 to $79.95 per month. Packages that include email and SMS start at $104 per month.
ConvertKit
Pros:
- Offers a 14-day free trial
- Sends automated emails
Cons:
- Difficult customer service
- A lot of technical jargon
Pricing: Packages range from free to $29 per month. Discounts are offered for year-long contracts.
Klaviyo
Pros:
- Offers SMS packages
- Excellent customer service
Cons:
- Can get expensive
- Can be difficult to edit and customize
Pricing: Packages range from free to $3,870 for large-scale SMS and email packages.
1Point Interactive
Pros:
- Spam checks
- Integrates with Google Analytics
- Incredibly user friendly
Cons:
- Does not integrate with Zapier or certain CRMs
Pricing: Packages range from $49 to $399 a month.
BombBomb
Pros:
- Features video messaging
- Integrated with gmail, Chrome, and Mobile
Cons:
- Can only send video messages
- Does not send automated emails
Pricing: Packages start at $33 a month, with discounts and customized quotes for enterprise accounts.
SendLoop
Pros:
- Offers free account and free trial
- Exceptional customer service
Cons:
- Slightly dated interface
- Reporting is not always accurate
Pricing: Free for up to 2,000 subscribers. Paid packages range from $21 to $56 a month.
Drip
Pros:
- Visually appealing
- Drag and drop customization
Cons:
- Higher beginning price point
- No free version
Pricing: Packages start at $39 per month. Pricing for enterprises vary.
MailGun
Pros:
- API-based
- Offers free one-month trial
Cons:
- Built for developers
- Not specifically user-friendly for new marketers
Pricing: Packages start at $35 per month.
iContact
Pros:
- Designed for small businesses
- Integrated with social media platforms
Cons:
- No free trial
- Low deliverability issues
Pricing: Free for up to 500 contacts. Packages start at $23 per month.
Email Marketing Tools
There are also some stand-alone email marketing tools that can help improve your design, deliverability, and click-through rates.
Intercom
Intercom allows you to add video content and messaging to your email marketing campaigns.
Pros:
- Easy to install
- User friendly
Cons:
- Expensive
- Ad blocks catches it often
Pricing: Packages start at $38 a month.
Act-On
Act-On helps you combine marketing activities and programs.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Excellent analytics and data
Cons:
- Expensive
- Locked into a contract
Pricing: Packages start at $900 a month.
Zapier
Zapier makes automation easier by connecting over 5,000 apps.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Ties all of your apps together to streamline communications
- Offers free trial
Cons:
- No alert when there are errors
- Limited by other tools’ functionality
Pricing: Packages range from free to $448.50 a month.
Kickbox Email Verification
Kickbox improves your deliverability by verifying the legitimacy of your email lists.
Pros:
- Uses real-time API
- Works to keep your emails out of the spam folder
- No monthly contracts
Cons:
- Reports could be more granular
- Does not keep an internal database of every email
Pricing: All new users receive 100 free verifications. After that, Kickbox charges $5 per 500 verifications.
Wrapping Up With Email Service Providers & Email Marketing Software
As you can see, there are so many options available to you when it comes to email marketing solutions.
Don’t get overwhelmed! Your email marketing strategy will only be improved by the options on this list. I hope you’ll check out a few of the ones that I’ve listed. I’m sure that you will find what you’re looking for!
