Email marketing is a great tool to help push your business toward success. There are several programs you can use to manage your email marketing efforts, but no two platforms are exactly the same. To choose the best one for your business, you must know what each offers and how it can work for you.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a popular service because it lets you choose from various plans and features. With this service, you will be charged anywhere from $0 to up to $485.67 per month to use their services. When you sign up with Mailchimp, you can gain access to certain features such as:
- Monthly email sends
- Reporting and analytics
- Email Scheduling
- Campaign management
- Dynamic content
These are not the only features on the site, but they do sit within the realm of your typical email marketing platform. Of course, the more money you spend, the better your plan will be.
While the features grow with the price point, there are some cons associated with Mailchimp that many people aren’t aware of. For example, you don’t get to design the email yourself, so any creativity you were hoping for is stifled right out of the gate. It also takes much longer to get things done with Mailchimp because its user experience and ability to organize contacts leave something to be desired
Constant Contact
The Constant Contact promise states that the service will help you build relationships, engage customers, and attract the right audience. Like other email marketing services, you can set up automated scheduled emails as a set-it-and-forget-it process. The platform also allows you to track your results, test subject lines to see how many people will actually open the email and manage your contacts in one place.
The cost reflects the features offered, as they are less than the premium ones found with Mailchimp, and signing up with Constant Contact will run you anywhere from $13 to $59 per month. When compared to other email marketing platforms, Constant Contact did have some drawbacks.
For example, customer service times are incredibly restrictive, only available during weekdays EST. The costs for all their services can also quickly add up without adding any more benefits.
Flodesk
Last but certainly not least (the best, in our opinion!) is Flodesk. The first feature that stands out is their truly free trial. You don’t have to input payment information when signing up for the free trial and can use it to your heart’s desire until you decide to keep it or move on to something else. When you sign up, the pricing is fair and affordable at between $35 per month to $59 per month (depending on whether or not you are selling products but a basic email service is $35 per month and all a realtor really needs), and you’ll never get charged extra even as your list grows.
Another significant upside to using Flodesk is the ability to let your creativity shine through your emails. You can use their templates, but you can also “create your own from scratch,” allowing you to personalize your email blasts to your business and your personal style. You can design your eye-catching emails and send them off right away.
We think it’s a clear-cut win for FloDesk. If you’re interested in getting into email marketing that truly works for you, you can sign up with our affiliate link here for 50% off your first year!