Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to communicate with customers and prospects. Just connect with your audience using a service like MailChimp, and you can start sending out marketing emails with ease.
The catch is that there are a lot of email marketing providers out there, and selecting which one to use can be a daunting task. To help with this selection process, I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 email marketing services, along with a short description of each one.
1. MailChimp
MailChimp’s slogan is “The Simplest Way to Create An Email List.” The platform is incredibly easy to use, and allows non-technical marketers to build and send out automated emails efficiently.
The best part about MailChimp is that the service offers a free plan. That means you can use the platform to build and test out your email marketing plan without risking anything. Should you decide that email marketing is a good fit, then you can upgrade to a paid plan at any time without any hassle.
2. HubSpot
Next on our list is HubSpot, an all-in-one marketing platform that helps brands build their audience, engage with them, and track the results of their marketing efforts.
The catch is that HubSpot is pretty pricey. However, the basic plan only costs $5 a month. This means you can try it out for free, build up your email list, and track the results of your efforts without risking a dime.
3. Shopify
Shopify is probably the third-largest ecommerce platform out there. However, it’s completely free to use, and features an intuitive interface that makes it easy for non-technical users to launch online stores without hassle. The good news is that Shopify has a whole range of plans, from basic to highly-advanced, which you can easily scale as your business grows.
4. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is similar to HubSpot in that it’s an all-in-one platform that helps businesses build and retain their audience. However, OptinMonster is extremely affordable. The best part is that it’s completely free to try out for a limited number of mailing lists. Once you’ve used their free trial, you can choose between three pricing plans based on your needs.
The only downside to OptinMonster is that it doesn’t provide as much customization as some of the other tools on this list. However, if you’re looking for an easy-to-use solution that gets the job done, then OptinMonster is a good choice.
5. WP Mailer
Last but not least, we have WP Mailer, which I think is the perfect solution for those who want a free, simple and easy-to-use email marketing platform.
As the name suggests, WP Mailer is built on the WordPress platform, which is an easy-to-use blogging tool that helps websites build their audience. However, it’s not just limited to blogging platforms — you can use an account on WordPress to create and send out emails easily.
One of the best things about WP Mailer is that it’s extremely affordable. As I mentioned before, simplicity is one of the key pillars of this platform, so even though it lacks some advanced features, it makes up for it with its simple and clean design.
Let’s get to the point: which email marketing service should you choose?
The Basics
All five of these services offer an easy-to-use email marketing platform, so you won’t face any particular difficulties in using them. You can build and send out automated emails, track the results of your efforts, and even upgrade at any time to a paid plan if you find it useful.
However, other than the fact that they’re all free, the platforms differ in many ways. For example, whereas MailChimp is known for being simple and intuitive, Shopify offers more customization. In the case of WP Mailer, you can easily create an email template, and you can also find a massive number of plugins, extensions, and themes to enhance your experience.
As I mentioned before, simplicity is one of the key pillars of these platforms, so if you’re looking for a tool that offers a few basic features then MailChimp, Shopify, and WP Mailer are all good choices.
Additional Considerations
Besides the basic differences between the platforms, you should also consider other factors, such as the features that they offer, the size of your email list, and how much you want to spend on this area of marketing.
As I mentioned before, MailChimp is among the simplest of the five platforms. It doesn’t offer a huge number of features, but beyond the basics, you can get pretty creative with your emails. For example, you can use images in your subject lines, and you can use advanced HTML in your emails.
Shopify is the opposite of simple, but it comes with a huge number of features. If you’re looking for a tool that offers a lot of flexibility and customization, then Shopify is a good choice. However, keep in mind that this comes with a price. If you have a small business, then Shopify’s flexible nature may not be for you, as you’ll likely exceed the free plan’s limits on the number of email lists you can create, and the number of emails you can send per day.
OptinMonster is the perfect solution for those who want a free, simple and easy-to-use email marketing tool. However, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer any features. As the name suggests, this tool is designed to get you signs up for email lists, so it offers a few funnels that you can use to gain new subscribers. Some of these features are free, some of them require a paid plan. If you want a feature-packed tool that’s also free, then optinmonster is a good choice.
Finally, we have WP Mailer. This is the simplest and an all-time favorite of mine. It’s a great choice for beginners who want to test out email marketing, or for those who want a free, simple and easy-to-use email marketing tool.
If you’re looking for a reliable and effective way to build your email list, then this is the perfect choice. However, since it is also the most basic of the five platforms, you may not want to use it for your main email marketing tool. Rather, you can use it as a simple way to gain new subscribers, or to segment and target your audience.
Which One Should You Choose?
Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter: which one should you choose?
First on our list is HubSpot, the all-in-one marketing platform that helps businesses build their audience, engage with them, and track the results of their efforts. The best part is that HubSpot is completely free to use, even for the basic plan. This means you can try it out for free, build up your email list, and track the results of your efforts without risking a dime.
Next is Shopify, the all-in-one ecommerce and marketing platform that helps online stores build their audience, engage with them, and track the results of their efforts. This is the most flexible solution on our list, because not only does it offer an easy-to-use email marketing platform, but you can use the tool to launch an online store, or to segment and target your audience. However, Shopify is also one of the most expensive solutions. The good news is that its free trial provides you with enough functionality to build and send out automated emails, and to track the results of your efforts.
OptinMonster is ideal for those who want a free, simple and easy-to-use email marketing tool. However, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer any features. This tool is all about gathering email lists, so it offers a few funnels that you can use to gain new subscribers. Some of these features are free, some of them require a paid plan.
Last but not least, we have WP Mailer, which is the perfect solution for those who want a free, simple and easy-to-use email marketing tool.