Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Email marketing software is an essential part of your communications plan. Whether you operate a small business or large company, a nonprofit, an agency, or a firm specializing in law or accounting, having an email marketing plan is key to reaching customers, supporters, and stakeholders.
Connecting with your audience means showing up in the devices they keep within reach for most of their waking hours – their smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers.
Building relationships between your company and its customers and clients will, over time, boost engagement, word-of-mouth advertising, sales, and customer loyalty.
Having an effective email marketing plan means using the best email marketing software. Workooze has taken the work out of researching popular email marketing software, showing you the pros and cons of 10 of the best email marketing software options for your business or organization.
Contents
What is Email Marketing Software?
Gathering and organizing email addresses, designing attractive emails and e-newsletters, and tracking whether those emails are opened and read are just a few of the things email marketing software can do for you.
Email marketing software is not expensive and can be scaled to the size and capabilities of the business or organization. Businesses can also decide how much design control they’d like since email marketing solutions offer everything from text-based templates that companies can customize to HTML or JavaScript email options.
Companies can decide to produce their own e-newsletters to send to their loyal subscribers using email marketing software. They can also choose to make their email communications more directly tied to products, sales, special offers, and deals.
Keeping names and email addresses of customers and stakeholders can help businesses manage their email contacts and note the demographics of their customer base.
How Can Email Marketing Software Help My Business?
Keeping your business, services, products, or mission on the minds of your audience means connecting with them where they live. Your customers and clients have easy access to their email during most of the day and can connect with your company through email communication.
Taking advantage of sales might have your customers making unplanned purchases from you after connecting with your website through their smartphone or tablet. Suppose your company is a nursery for garden plants. In that case, you might offer landscaping advice to your customers through an e-newsletter emailed to them, in turn boosting sales of annuals and perennials.
Your athletic shoe store could hold fun runs, emailing the invitations to customers and inspiring them to buy a new pair for the occasion.
The only limit to email marketing solutions is your imagination.
Our Top 10 Choices
There might be one other limit to your email marketing solutions, though, which is the capabilities of the email marketing software you use. We’ve pored over the options and narrowed the field to the 10 best options. After studying the options available with these email marketing software choices, we’re sharing their pros and cons.
Armed with this information, you can then choose the email marketing software that will work best for your unique communications needs.
Constant Contact
Starting at $20 a month, Constant Contact is an affordable, easy-to-use choice for small to medium-size businesses. Constant Contact can integrate social media into email marketing campaigns, and it comes with a 60-day free trial.
However, the price of Constant Contact does rise once your mailing list gets into the thousands. Its ease of use is primarily due to its templates, but it’s hard to deviate from them. Constant Contact doesn’t lend itself easily to independent design.
Pros
- Constant Contact offers a 60-day free trial with pricing starting at $20.
- Shopping, events, and social media campaigns can be integrated into email marketing.
- An SEO tool can help in measuring keyword usage.
Cons
- Templates don’t offer businesses much flexibility.
- Prices rise when your email mailing list goes into the thousands.

Mailchimp
Mailchimp offers the most for the best price, making it the best value in email marketing software. Domain and website hosting, a website builder, and customer relationship management features make it an excellent choice for marketing automation.
There’s a free version of Mailchimp, and the paid version starts at $9.99 a month, making it an affordable choice for smaller businesses, nonprofits, and anyone who’s cost-conscious. For start-ups, micro-businesses, and small to medium-sized companies, Mailchimp is the most affordable option.
Pros
- The free version of Mailchimp maxes out at 2,000 contacts, a perfect tool for trying out an email marketing campaign.
- Mailchimp has become a marketing platform, including far more options than email.
- Flexible pricing makes Mailchimp a cost-effective option.
Cons
- Reporting functions of Mailchimp are not as strong as those of other email marketing software options.
- Moves to becoming a full-service marketing platform may make Mailchimp a higher-priced option for those who only want to do email marketing.

HubSpot
Higher on the pricing scale, HubSpot is a solid choice for a marketing automation subscription service and includes email marketing as well as sales and customer relationship management services. With templates and a custom builder, HubSpot is easy to use and offers companies plenty of tips and tutorials.
HubSpot is one of the simpler-to-use options in email marketing, but it may not be the right choice if you want to create your own designs. Its design makes the original email design outside of the templates provided difficult.
Pros
- Customer relationship management is integrated into HubSpot’s email marketing.
- There are also social media management solutionsl.
- HubSpot has a free trial option, so companies can try before committing.
Cons
- Hubspot is one of the most expensive email marketing software options out there.
- HubSpot can be challenging to use for those who want to use original designs in their emails and e-newsletters.

Emma
With loads of custom integrations and auto-responders, plenty of templates, and sign-up forms, Emma is quite simple to use. Emma’s organization and grouping of features make using them just a few clicks away. To try Emma for free, you’ll need to provide contact information so a representative can get in touch to help you choose the right plan for your needs.
Emma is a great choice for most businesses, but those with low numbers of email addresses on mailing lists might want to try Mailchimp’s free version until their mailing list grows.
Pros
- Emma has a simple-to-understand user interface.
- Plenty of features and auto-responder options give Emma flexibility.
- You can connect Emma to Google Analytics.
Cons
- Plans start at 2,500 email addresses, so Emma may not be a good choice for companies who have smaller mailing lists.
- Emma can be one of the higher-priced email marketing software options.

Salesforce Pardot
With no free plan and a $1,250-a-month subscription price, Salesforce Pardot is among the most expensive options in email marketing software. You do get what you pay for, though. Salesforce Pardot offers a slew of list-building tools as well as lead scoring and loads of automation features, including email marketing.
Even though this is a system with an extensive toolbox, Salesforce Pardot remains easy to use. It is the most expensive option in our email marketing software roundup, so the ease of use does come at a price.
Pros
- Salesforce Pardot offers a large selection of options and tools in email marketing and marketing automation.
- An onboarding service makes learning to use Salesforce Pardot easy.
- Customers can integrate Salesforce Pardot with their customer relationship management software, Salesforce Sales Cloud.
Cons
- Salesforce Pardot’s price tag and lack of a free trial make it difficult for smaller businesses and novice email marketers to use.
- As of now, Salesforce Pardot doesn’t have its own app.

Zoho Campaigns
Those who use Zoho CRM for customer relationship management may want to use Zoho Campaigns, which starts at $5 a month for 500 contacts or less. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, Zoho Campaigns also has a pay-as-you-go plan that starts at $6 a month for up to 250 emails. Zoho offers a large number of template choices, but some have a dated look.
Pros
- Zoho Campaigns works well with Zoho CRM.
- This email marketing software is well designed, has plenty of templates, and is easy to use.
- Reports functions make Zoho Campaigns very informative.
Cons
- While they are easy to use, some of Zoho Campaigns’ templates look dated.
- The initial set-up of Zoho Campaigns takes time, and there are more accessible and less expensive options available.

Campaigner
Campaigner may be the best-kept secret of email marketing software. At $19.95 per month, Campaigner offers a wide range of automation tools and third-party integrations as well as live chat support 24/7. That level of help and price make Campaigner a great option for small and medium-sized businesses, including those new to email marketing and marketing automation.
Pros
- Campaigner features 24/7 live chat support to help businesses get the most from their subscription.
- A wide range of automation options and email templates are available.
- Analytical features offer details experienced email marketers would appreciate, but it’s not so complex that a novice couldn’t use them well.
Cons
- There’s no free version of Campaigner, and a free trial version will require a credit card.
- Migrating to Campaigner from other email marketing software options isn’t easy and might leave some feeling like they’re starting over from scratch.

SendinBlue
Moving from email marketing to becoming a suite of services, SendinBlue is expanding its automation and customer relationship management. This makes it a solid choice for most small businesses. SendinBlue has a well-designed interface for emails that also supports e-newsletters, automation, and customer relationship management. Additional language support in writing and translation is coming soon.
Pros
- SendinBlue is expanding into customer relationship management and marketing automation.
- A well-designed user interface makes SendinBlue easy to use.
- A limited free trial is avaliable.
Cons
- Basic template style could use an update.
- Setting up SendinBlue could be faster and easier.

Campaign Monitor
Attractive templates, a design-focused interface, and deep-dive analytics are some of Campaign Monitor’s virtues, but it doesn’t provide much online assistance for its subscribers. A Campaign Monitor subscription starts at $9 a month, pricing it well for small to medium-sized businesses. If you are already a savvy email marketer, you may not need assistance in getting the most from your subscription.
Pros
- Informative analytics from Campaign Monitor can help businesses gauge the effectiveness of their email marketing.
- Versatile templates and a convenient interface make for attractive emails and e-newsletters.
- Custom autoresponders are easy to set up.
Cons
- Importing contact information is difficult on Campaign Monitor.
- A lack of online support is a Campaign Monitor weakness, especially among subscribers who are new to email marketing and marketing automation.

Keap fka InfusionSoft
If your business philosophy is that email marketing and customer relationship management should be joined into the same software platform, then InfusionSoft by Keap is worth considering if your company has the budget for it.
A Keap/InfusionSoft subscription starts at $199 a month, so it’s not an inexpensive choice. Data entry and design on Keap/InfusionSoft is easy, but you may want to consider whether its benefits outweigh the price for your company.
Pros
- InfusionSoft by Keap combines email marketing with holistic customer relationship management.
- Adding contacts to InfusionSoft is easy and fast.
- Tips, tutorials, and support are readily available.
Cons
- Keap’s template designs are limited for the price.
- This is one of the more expensive email marketing software options, so some smaller businesses and start-ups may not be able to afford it.
Email Marketing Trends to Consider
Email marketing techniques have been evolving since the advent of email use in the 1990s. Among email marketing best practices are these trends.
Higher Quality Content
It’s a myth that customers want fewer emails in their inboxes. Customers welcome emails if they contain useful information, tokens of appreciation such as discounts or free shipping on products ordered, or news of sales or special rates that will save them money.

Personalization
Customers want to receive personalized emails to include their names and interests. This improves the click-through rate and strengthens companies’ relationships with their customers and clients.
Interactive Emails
Interactive elements such as quizzes, surveys, and games within emails increase customer engagement. Rollover effects to display additional information and carousels of images that readers can click through are other techniques worth considering.
Customer Experience
Your business’s email marketing and communications are part of the overall experience of your customers. When they reach out to your company with questions, comments, requests, or complaints, make sure your emails in response are helpful and prompt. Offering rewards in return such as discounts or waiving shipping charges will make your emails more welcome.
Automated Marketing
You can use automated email marketing campaigns to welcome new customers or mark significant dates such as their anniversary date as a customer or the anniversary of a purchase such as a new car or home. Marketing automation software powered by artificial intelligence can significantly boost your business.

Mobile-Only
Many customers do their email reading and internet browsing on their smartphones only. Consider how your e-newsletters and emails will appear on the small screen of a phone and adjust accordingly.
Current Design Trends
Using your company logo and colors in bold ways is a trend shown to catch the eyes and engage customers. Another trend is dark backgrounds with lighter-colored types for higher legibility.
Short and Sweet
Keeping your emails brief but packed with information will make sure customers read them instead of swiping left.
Marketing on Multiple Platforms
With segmented audiences and differing demographics, companies should meet their customers and clients across various platforms they use. Cross-channel engagement can include email, social media, direct mail, and traditional advertising venues such as print, television, radio, and outdoor advertising.
Considering these trends will help you build a stronger relationship between your company and its customers.
The Bottom Line
Using email marketing to reach your customers and clients isn’t just an option. For many companies, email marketing is a must for nurturing relationships with customers and encouraging future purchases.
An effective email marketing plan can include an e-newsletter to engage your customers and tell them more about your products and services, personalized emails to let them know of sales and events, and words of thanks on dates significant to customers such as birthdays and holidays.
Software geared toward email marketing will significantly increase your customer engagement and the growth potential of your business. By choosing the best email marketing software for your business, you can quickly launch email campaigns and automate marketing across multiple platforms.
You can do this detailed and highly personalized marketing in less time than you’d think. Choosing the right marketing software for your company’s needs and budget will let you engage more customers in less time.
We hope our roundup of the best email marketing software will help you select the automation software that will serve your email marketing needs best.