What is email marketing?
Email marketing is the use of email to promote products or services. Email marketing is the use of email to develop relationships with potential customers or clients. A communication channel between a sender and a receiver to promote or develop relationships of interest, whether commercial, informative or of any other kind.
Why is email marketing so important in e-commerce?
This communication channel has the advantage that it is not a channel only for large companies or that it requires large investments. It can be used by all types of companies regardless of their size.
Reasons why you should have this channel in your digital strategy:
Accessible channel for any type of business
Many companies have the misconception that email marketing is a channel that only large companies can use, since large investments must be made in email gmail email list sending platforms, designers, layout designers with knowledge of HTML, etc. But this is not true, you can find the solution that best suits your needs.
We have compiled 8 free platforms on the market in case you don't have the budget to get started:
1. MailChimp
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms for individuals and small businesses. The free version allows you to have up to 2,000 contacts registered in your database and send up to 12,000 emails per month. Not bad for a start.
2. Mailjet
Unlike Mailchimp, Mailjet has an unlimited contact database, so you can enter as many emails as you want, but you can only send up to 6,000 emails per month or 200 emails per day (which can be a bit limiting if you want to launch a campaign on a specific day to your entire database, such as BackFriday).
3. SendPulse
Sendpulse allows you to add up to 2,500 contacts and send up to 15,000 emails per month.
4. Benchmark
This simple but powerful platform allows you to add up to 2,000 contacts to the database and send a maximum of 14,000 emails per month.
5. SendinBlue
Free multilingual email marketing tool. Like the Mailjet platform, it allows an unlimited number of contacts in your database, although you can only send a maximum of 300 emails per day.
6. ZohoCampaigns
ZohoCampaigns is one of the free email marketing platforms with the most free features. You can use the A/B testing option, templates, and other options completely free of charge. Its limitations consist of a maximum of 2,000 contacts and up to 12,000 sends per month (which makes it a very complete solution).
7. MailerLite
MailLite offers sending of up to 12,000 emails per month, but with a maximum of 1,000 contacts in the database.
8. Campayn
A very simple and straightforward platform, ideal for those who want to start in email marketing, although you will quickly find it too small. You can only have up to 500 contacts and 12,500 emails per month.
If you already have knowledge about email marketing or you can invest in more professional tools , with which you can manage larger databases or if what you need are tools with more specific functionalities, such as drip marketing or marketing automation, we recommend the following platforms:
1. Active Campaign
Platform that adapts to your needs, variable prices depending on the service contracted. Basic version for $9 per month with unlimited sending but with a maximum of 500 contacts.
Advantages
Scalable tool: Allows you to choose the plan according to your needs, without having to contract services that you do not use or for which the tool is not enough.
High reputation for deliverability: They take great care of their anti-spam policy, which is why they achieve a high reputation, ensuring that the campaigns sent will have an assured delivery rate.
Integration: It is a well-known tool within the sector, which is why many third-party companies create their tools to be easy to integrate with this platform.
Automation: Automated email flows can be created easily.
Support: The tool can be worked with in Spanish, which opens the doors to those who have a little rusty English.
Disadvantages
Medium-high learning curve
Own templates are not very attractive
2. Constant Contact
Email marketing platform with two plans, Normal and Plus, 18€ and 40€ respectively per month. Basic plan with unlimited email sending, the database is limited to 1GB.
Advantages:
Hundreds of templates for your campaigns: You have a library of more than 400 responsive templates for your campaigns
Quick and easy customization: You won't need design professionals to customize the templates to suit your emails
1 month free trial period
Automation: Allows you to send emails automatically based on user behavior (registrations, birthdays, etc.)
Low learning curve: You won't have to spend thousands of hours to get started with this platform.
Disadvantages
Tool that is not very scalable: It only has two plans, so it does not adapt to the needs of each company.
Limited subscriber list during trial period
English support
A tool with very good ratings on the TrustPilot ranking , which offers confidence based on user opinions. You can use it from $20 per month, up to 500 shipments.
3. Hubspot
HubSpot email is not only about sending as many emails to your contacts as possible, but also about sending the right content to the right prospects. HubSpot's email tools allow you to customize the email you send to your contact and grow your contact database.
Advantages
Scalable tool: You can choose the plan according to your needs.
Multi-tool: Not only can you use it as an email marketing platform, you can also use a large number of tools such as Customer Service, Live Chat and many more options.
Easy to use and intuitive
It is the most complete solution because it is an All-in-one
Disadvantages
It is contracted for a minimum of 12 months
Cost
4. GetResponse
This platform, like HubSpot, is not just an email marketing platform; it is constantly increasing its functionalities by integrating new tools for its users. It adapts to the needs of small and large companies.
Advantages
Lots of templates
Customizable, being able to easily modify the templates
Many possibilities with the amount of tools available
Disadvantages
Duplicate contacts count as different contacts
The basic plan has almost no options
CRM is very limited
It helps you stay in touch with your audience and customers
It allows you to keep in touch with clients or potential clients who were interested in your services or products at some point. When they subscribed to your database, they gave you permission to continue sending them information that is relevant to them. Email marketing serves to open an important communication channel with these subscribers, staying in their “top of mind” (the brand that occupies the first place in a person’s memory when they think of a certain product or service).
It will allow us to be in direct contact whenever there are new promotions or changes in our business.