Email marketing is made a super easy task or a super hard task, all by the platform you use. And every email will look different depending on what platform you use. So, no pressure, but you have to choose a good email marketing platform because honestly, changing platforms once you’ve committed is a pain. Trust me, I know. It was not fun.
At Lala Social Club, we use Active Campaign. I love it because it works for what we need. But there are many other email marketing platforms out there that I think are amazing (some more than others, of course).
Today, I will outline a few top picks, so you can decide which platform will work best for you. But to start off, here are a few things I want you to first think about before you start looking at email marketing platforms.
1. Setup to scale
Before you choose an email marketing platform, think about the future you. Where will you be in five years? I know it suddenly feels like you’re buying a car or a house, but this is a big decision. What will your audience be expecting from you at that time? What kind of communications do you want to have with your audience in the future? Remember, setting up your email automations takes time – you don’t want to start building your list on one program and then have to switch to another. Figure out what you are going to need in an email marketing platform, not just for you right now, but for your business in the future. (Also, note to future you: check out our blog post on how to build relationship with your email list once you have it up and running.)
2. Think about integrations
If you use a certain booking software or web provider, then having a direct integration to your software is a big plus. Integrations are something you want to think about when choosing an email marketing platform. You want to be sure that everything links up as easily as possible. However, if you have your heart set on a platform or have already chosen one, you can always use Zapier.
Zapier acts as a bridge between programs. You could call it a bridge over troubled water. That’s what I call it.
3. Functionality
If you want to deliver lead magnets, you need to be able to send automations. This is a non-negotiable. You want a program that has functionality to send automations if you want to have a serious crack at growing your email list.
4. Look at Price
Most email marketing providers have a free option for up to a certain amount of subcribers. This is great for when you’re starting out but you want to be thinking about the long game so make sure you look at the pricing for when your list exceeds the free plan.
Remember: you pay per subscriber for most platforms. It’s important to have an engagement tagging automation setup so you’re not paying for emails that aren’t interested in your content.
It’s better to have a smaller list of highly engaged subscribers than a large list with lower engagement. Don’t pay for people who aren’t into what you’re putting out there.
Which is the best email marketing platform for your business?
Now, getting to the good stuff. Which email marketing platform is best for you? I cannot answer that for you, but I can offer you my list of pro’s and con’s for each top email providers. Check out the comparison table below.
Each email marketing platform has it’s pros and cons, and they each serve a different niche. If you are a course creator and you’re using Kajabi, I would suggest using Kajabi’s in house email software. ConvertKit and Active Campaign are also great for course creators and online businesses. If your brand focuses on e-commerce, look at Drip or FloDesk if you’re using Shopify. If you are a small business starting out with email marketing, I would strongly recommend Flodesk.
Look at what your business needs, and which platform offers that the best. No platform is perfect, but I guarantee you will be able to find one that is pretty close to what you need. I hope this advice about email marketing helps you as you go about your decision making to find a platform. If you’re looking for resources as you start to build your email list, we are in the process of building an email marketing course! So sign up below and make sure you keep an eye on your emails. (Ha.)
Go get ’em
More articles on email marketing:
Five easy easy ways to build relationship with your list
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