E-mail marketing platforms: How to pick the right platform for your needs

E-mail marketing platforms: How to pick the right platform for your needs
Micky Weis
Micky Weis

15 years of experience in online marketing. Former CMO at, among others, Firtal Web A/S. Blogger about marketing and the things I’ve experienced along the way. Follow me on LinkedIn for daily updates.

I have written several times about how email marketing is among the most effective forms of marketing, which should certainly not be underestimated despite the otherwise booming presence of social media.

Email is one of the channels with the highest ROI, and it offers great opportunities to attract more engaged customers to your business by using this channel.

Before you can start with email marketing, however, you need a platform that can automate the underlying processes, allowing you to fully benefit from your efforts.

As a guide, I’ve gathered some of the best platforms in the world below, in no particular order.

When it comes to choosing a platform, I always recommend taking a look at which email platform will best suit your business, budget, and goals for your email marketing.

Let’s get started!

User-friendly platforms

MailChimp

We might as well start the list with an email platform you’ve probably already heard of, which is both user-friendly and budget-friendly.

MailChimp is accessible for free and offers a range of solid features, such as analytics and reporting tools, as well as a selection of templates that are simple to set up.

All in all, a great platform for the small business that is just getting started with email marketing.

If you want more features, you can pay for them, such as automated campaigns, segmentation tools, split tests, etc.

Finally, the price of MailChimp’s packages depends on the number of subscribers connected to your email service.

Zoho Campaigns

We’re staying in the user-friendly and simple corner as we move on to Zoho Campaigns.

This platform focuses on user-friendliness while reducing the number of extra features that many small businesses simply don’t need to spend time and energy on.

With Zoho Campaigns, you still get all the relevant automated functions, interactive templates, and you can even integrate the platform with various e-commerce platforms.

Zoho Campaigns is available for free, as well as through different paid plans depending on the size of your business.

Platforms specialized in segmentation

Active Campaign

Active Campaign is one of those platforms that is brilliant for segmentation.

It offers AI-powered automated functions that allow you to personalize your campaigns and tailor them to specific segments.

The integration possibilities are extensive, with both social media and e-commerce platforms, which ultimately provide high-quality data that allows for targeted campaigns.

Active Campaign is among the more advanced (and expensive) platforms, and unlike the previous platforms, it is not available for free.

Marketo Engage

While we’re on the topic of segmentation, it’s also relevant to mention Marketo Engage – a platform created by Adobe that, like Active Campaign, offers a wide range of automated segmentation options.

The advanced A/B split testing options combined with Adobe’s machine learning models make this platform superior when it comes to targeted campaigns.

The price of using Marketo Engage is based on how many features you want to add.

Another read: My favourite tools for online marketing

Platforms for e-commerce

Klayvio

I have previously mentioned Klayvio as my personal favorite when it comes to email platforms specialized for e-commerce.

Klayvio offers all the necessary features and integration options with the largest e-commerce platforms and can be accessed for free as well as through a paid plan.

The features are easy to use, and you’ll find only the most essential ones – no need to learn a lot of features that ultimately won’t benefit you and your webshop.

Klayvio also offers a streamlined automation process between your channels, contributing to your omnichannel marketing strategy.

Constant Contact

From one platform created for e-commerce use to another.

Constant Contact also offers a wide range of integration options with e-commerce platforms and social media and can be automated according to your needs.

This is a simple yet effective interface that allows you to personalize your campaigns and track them through easy-to-understand reports along the way.

Additionally, the platform is known for its support, which, in addition to traditional support tools, also includes a useful live chat and phone support.

Constant Contact is available through various paid packages based on the number of your contacts.

Advanced platforms

HubSpot

HubSpot is among the platforms that offer a wide range of features, making it particularly suitable for companies serious about their email marketing.

Like many other platforms, HubSpot can be accessed for free with access to all the basic features.

To access more advanced features such as split tests, automated campaigns, and insightful reporting, you can purchase packages that are priced according to how many features you’ve added.

HubSpot takes some time to learn and is also one of the more expensive options, but it can offer a wide range of advanced features, so you’ll have to prioritize the time for going into it.

Campaigner

When it comes to advanced features, you can’t overlook Campaigner.

The platform is designed for small and medium-sized businesses that want to get started with more complex email campaigns.

Advanced segmentation, dynamic emails, and the ability to create pop-ups for your website are just some of the features you can enjoy with Campaigner.

Like HubSpot, Campaigner is among the more expensive platforms and does not offer free access.

Have you tried any of these email platforms – and what’s your top tier? 

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