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There are tons of email marketing software out there designed to help you support and stay in contact with your community.
Each one has it's unique selling point or reason that it is the best software out there.
As someone who has worked in marketing over the last 3 years, I have tried the majority of popular software and I am going to give you a quick review on the most popular software and which is my personal favorite.
To start, I want to give a quick re-cap on why it's important to build an email list.
Why should you build an email list?
Building your email list is just one strategy in your business, but it is an important one.
Email is one of the most checked social platforms out there and it is an essential piece of any business.
Email is necessary to protect your business and your audience. Email is one of the only platforms that you actually own your content and your list! All other social platforms do not come with that promise.
This is especially important for anyone who is a part of a marginalized community, anyone who speaks on community matters, and anyone who works on education surrounding taboo topics. Most social platforms have serious issues with censorship, wrongful termination of accounts, and more.
Building and sustaining an email list is important to make sure that the community you have cultivated will outlive the social platforms you are on if anything were to ever happen. An email list serves as a great back up plan for communication, even if you don't use it a ton or ever.
Email Marketing Software Options:
Constant Contact:
Pricing Options- No Free Options, starts at $20/monthly
Easy to Use-- not super customizable though. The design options are very basic on Constant Contact. It was designed for functionality and not the aesthetic.
Nice Tracking and Reporting Features.
You must Upgrade for Automations and other key features needed in email marketing.
Overall: In my opinion, this platform is overpriced for the features they offer.
FloDesk:
Pricing Options- $38 monthly paid by month (30 day free trial)
Easy to Use
Unlimited everything for one flat price! No worrying about having to upgrade for features. You have access to all features needed for email marketing.
Tons of templates, easy to make aesthetically pleasing and very customizable. This is great for people who love sticking to their brand!
Overall: A great option, but a little too expensive for someone starting out!
ConvertKit:
Pricing Options- Free up to 1,000 subscribers + basic features, then starts at $29/monthly
The Free Option includes unlimited landing pages + forms.
The free option does not include automations or integrations.
Nice Tracking and Reporting Features
Overall: A good platform for someone who is just looking to build a list and send an occasional email-- not my favorite for a platform though.
ActiveCampaign:
Pricing Option- $15/month for basic features
The lowest tier plan includes all basic features you would need for email marketing including integrations and automations.
The platform is customizable with a ton of template options.
Great for scaling your business and streamlining operations.
The most comprehensive integration list I have seen! You can integrate ActiveCampaign with anything.
Overall: My favorite email marketing platform for a variety of reasons-- the biggest being it is the most accessible in price with the best amount of features/integrations!
MailChimp:
Pricing Option- Free up to 2,000 subscribers + basic features, then starts at $9/monthly
The most popular email marketing software, with a ton of resources on how to use.
Allows up to 2,000 subscribers with the free plan.
One step automations are included in the free plan!
Overall: The best platform for someone who is looking to build a list and send an occasional email-- the best free platform to use.
The Winners:
ActiveCampaign is the best overall email marketing software out there in my opinion.
MailChimp is the best free platform for email marketing software! This is the best for anyone who is just starting and needs the basics for emails.