I am asked ALL THE FREAKING time what the BEST email marketing & automation platform is. While most marketers have a favorite platform as the one the recommend the most, I actually don’t.
Email marketing and automation has been my bread and butter service for almost my entire time in business and I’ve had the opportunity to work in a LOT of different platforms. Picking which ones I like the best is a challenge because the answer is always dependent on who is going to be using it and what they’re going to be doing with it.
Not all platforms are created equal. They all have their benefits and downfalls. So let’s take a look at some of the things you should be checking out before you start using a new email marketing platform.
How to Choose the Best Email Marketing Platform for YOUR Business
Before you start shopping:
Understand what you want from your email marketing platform. Define your goals before you start. What will you be sending? How often? How many people are going to be on your list? How are they going to get on your list? What do you need your email to integrate with? Knowing these things before you look at platforms will help you not waste time.
Understand WHO is going to be doing your email marketing and what their tech comfort level is. If you or the person who will be doing your marketing is not the most tech-savvy person, you’re going to want an easy-to-use platform.
Get My Email Platform Worksheets and Scoring Chart!
I've packaged up this post in easy-to-use Worksheets and Scoring Chart to help you find the best platform for YOU.
These worksheets will help you:
- Determine your goals
- Learn which features you need in a platform
- Rate and review platforms
- Determine the BEST platform for your needs, your budget, and your goals.
Things to compare when you’re shopping for an email marketing platform:
Price and Value – to YOU.
Email Marketing is an investment, especially in the beginning, and may not bring you profit right away. How much can you reasonably afford to spend on your platform? What feels comfortable to you? Make sure you’re also looking at the VALUE that the platform brings to you, and not just the dollar figures.
Scalability
Will this platform help you reach your goals? Will it grow with you for at least 2 to 3 years?
Features
Knowing ahead of time what your email marketing goals are will help you determine which features are important to you when choosing a platform. Features are not standard across platforms.
Support and Self-Help Options
No matter how tech-savvy you are, you’re going to run into an issue for which you need help. How available is the support for the options you’re looking at?
Integrations
Being able to easily integrate your email marketing platform with your website and social platforms is key to success. Make sure that integration is easy because not all platforms integrate easily with everything. You’re going to want to make sure that the platform you choose integrates seamlessly with the rest of your marketing.
Ease of Use
This is especially important if this is going to be your first foray into email marketing, or if you’re not tech-savvy. Does the platform have ready to use templates for emails and campaigns? Is it intuitive to use for you?
Deliverability
Deliverability is a HUGE metric by which to judge an email marketing platform. If they have a poor sender reputation or don’t enforce standards for all their clients, your emails are far more likely to end up in spam or promotion folders.
Security and Compliance.
Does the service have strict standards for maintaining anti-spam compliance? Does it have security in place to protect any sensitive information you collect using the platform?
My TOP Recommended Platforms
There are a LOT of Email Marketing and Automation platforms on the market right now. Below is a list of some of my favorites. But don’t take my word for it; I always recommend that you test out and review platforms to determine the best one for you.
Platform Est. cost per month
For 2000 - 2500 Contacts
Beginner & Advanced Options
Active Campaign*........................................................................................................ $39
Drip..................................................................................................................................... $49
Mailerlite......................................................................................................................... $15
Power Options
Keap/Infusionsoft..................................................................................................................... $199**
Hubspot*.......................................................................................................................... $70
Ontraport........................................................................................................................ $147
Prices listed are estimates only. For current pricing, please visit the platform’s website.
* Affiliate Disclosure: Platforms marked with * are affiliate links. This means that should you decide to purchase that platform with the link I provided, I get a small bonus for referring you to the platform. However, you’ll note that only 2 of the platforms are affiliate links, meaning that I care more about you choosing the right platform for YOU, not the one that I earn money from.
** Since originally recording the video that accompanies this worksheet, Infusionsoft went through a MAJOR rebranding and introduced a new entry-level software option called Keap for $99 per month. As a result, they changed their pricing structures for Infusionsoft. The pricing mentioned in my video is no longer available for the Infusionsoft Platform.
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Includes goals and needs planning, scoring charts, and links to all my recommended platforms.
