In the digital era, email marketing serves as an infinite means for small businesses to engage with their audience, cultivate leads, and boost conversions. By using the right tools, small businesses can streamline email campaigns, automate tasks, and assess their performance.
To give you an advantage over your competitors, we’ve put together the top email marketing tools for small businesses. We’ve also made a list of what to look for when choosing the best email marketing software for you.
- What Is an Email Marketing Software?
- What to Look for in an Email Marketing Tool
- Top 10 Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
- Free Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
- Email Marketing Best Practices
What Is an Email Marketing Software?
Email marketing software is often referred to as an email marketing platform. But it’s also a super powerful tool that lets you create, automate, and manage your email campaigns. With it, you can:
- Send targeted and personalized messages to your subscribers.
- Build relationships with your customers.
- Develop your business through consistent communication.
Benefits of Email Marketing Software
- Campaign management: Manage your contact lists, design beautiful emails, and track open and click rates. Simplify the process of crafting bulk emails and automating messages with practical email marketing campaigns.
- Advanced features: Unlock automation, A/B testing, and audience segmentation for targeting.
- Improved business outcomes: Boost customer engagement, increase conversions, and drive sales with well-executed email campaigns.
What to Look for in an Email Marketing Tool
When selecting an email marketing tool, keep the following in mind:
- Ease of use: User-friendly interfaces are indispensable for non-technical small teams with limited time.
- Automation features: Save time with tools offering automation for welcome emails, abandoned cart follow-ups, and more.
- Integrations: Ensure the tool integrates with your website, CRM, or other software.
- Pricing: Look for affordable email marketing tools that fit your budget while also offering flexibility. Consider the value provided by tools that are currently available in the market and compare them with more feature-rich alternatives like HubSpot.
- Analytics: Track open rates, click-throughs, and conversions for better campaign performance.
Top 11 Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
The right email marketing tool can simplify your campaigns, enhance customer engagement, and drive sales. Here’s a closer look at the best tools for small businesses:
1. GetResponse
GetResponse is a comprehensive email marketing tool that goes beyond email. It includes features such as marketing automation, a landing page builder, and webinars. It’s also been designed to help businesses build a full-fledged marketing ecosystem.
- Features: Email marketing, automation, and landing pages.
- Pricing: Starts at $19 USD per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Pros: User-friendly interface, high-quality automation tools, and excellent customer support.
- Cons: Limited design customization solutions and no free plan.
Why Choose GetResponse: Ideal for businesses looking to integrate email marketing with landing pages and automation in a single platform.
2. MailerLite
MailerLite is excellent for small businesses just starting with email marketing and looking for the best free email marketing tools. It’s lightweight, affordable, and packed with features that focus on simplicity without compromising on productivity.
- Features: Email marketing, automation, landing pages, and pop-ups.
- Pricing: Starts at $9 USD per month for up to 500 subscribers (free plan available).
- Pros: Budget-friendly, intuitive interface, and excellent automation capabilities.
- Cons: Limited integrations and design customization.
Why Choose MailerLite: It’s a great choice for startups and small businesses wanting a balance of affordability and functionality.
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3. Mailtrap
Mailtrap is an all-in-one email delivery platform designed to help development and marketing teams seamlessly test, send, and control their emails. It offers an Email Marketing suite with features for creating, scheduling, and sending marketing campaigns, newsletters, and product promos.
- Features: Email templates and intuitive drag-and-drop email builder, HTML email preview and spam checker, in-depth analytics and reports and more.
- Pricing: The tool offers more than four plans. It offers a free plan, and its first tier Basic 10K plan is priced at $15/mo USD.
- Pros: High deliverability rates by design; contacts and lists to group and segment your contacts; offers a safe environment for testing and debugging emails.
- Cons: Doesn’t have a dedicated A/B testing feature; lacks pre-made email templates.
4. Brevo (Formerly Known as Sendinblue)
Brevo specializes in both email marketing services and SMS marketing. This duality makes it a fantastic possibility for businesses wanting multi-channel communication. Its user-friendly interface and affordable plans make it a top pick for small businesses.
- Features: Email marketing, marketing automation, and SMS marketing.
- Pricing: Starts at $8.08 USD per month for up to 5,000 subscribers if billed yearly (free plan available).
- Pros: Affordable pricing, intuitive design, and advanced marketing automation.
- Cons: Limited customization and fewer integrations compared to its competitors.
Why Choose Brevo: Perfect for businesses looking to combine email and SMS campaigns to reach their audience successfully.
5. Omnisend
Email marketing platforms like Omnisend are tailor-made for eCommerce businesses. Omnisend integrates seamlessly with platforms like Shopify and is able to offer advanced segmentation and automation tools to boost sales.
- Features: Email marketing, SMS resources, and omnichannel automation tailored for eCommerce.
- Pricing: A free plan is available, but premium plans start at $11.20 USD per month for 500 contacts and 6,000 emails per month. There is a free version available.
- Pros: Best for eCommerce, outstanding segmentation, and responsive customer support.
- Cons: Limited appeal for non-eCommerce businesses.
Why Choose Omnisend: It’s the go-to tool for online stores aiming to streamline their email and SMS campaigns.
6. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a powerhouse of marketing automation capabilities. It combines email marketing with CRM capabilities, making it ideal for businesses looking to nurture leads and manage customer relationships.
- Features: Email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM integration.
- Pricing: Starts at $15 USD per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- Pros: Advanced automation features, excellent segmentation, and a user-friendly interface.
- Cons: Presents a steep learning curve for beginners and has limited customization.
Why Choose ActiveCampaign: Best for businesses that want advanced automation and a built-in CRM solution.
7. HubSpot
HubSpot is more than just an email marketing tool—it’s a powerful marketing automation platform, sales, and CRM system. While it’s pricier, it offers unparalleled integration and analytics capabilities.
- Features: Email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM.
- Pricing: Starts at $12 USD per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. However, the price is depending on the additional features needed.
- Pros: Seamless CRM integration, detailed analytics, and powerful automation.
- Cons: A higher price point that makes it less accessible for smaller budgets.
Why Choose HubSpot: It’s ideal for businesses seeking a complete marketing and CRM platform.
8. Benchmark Email
Benchmark makes email marketing accessible and coherent for small businesses with its drag-and-drop email editor, automation features, and a variety of email and form templates.
- Features: Email marketing, automation, landing pages, and email and form templates.
- Pricing: Starts at $13 USD per month for up to 500 contacts (free plan available).
- Pros: Easy-to-use editor, affordable pricing, strong automation tools, and a wide range of templates.
- Cons: Limited design flexibility and a lack of advanced features such as integrations with other tools like Zoho CRM or similar.
Why Choose Benchmark: Great for businesses that want simplicity and affordability without sacrificing performance.
9. EmailOctopus
EmailOctopus is designed for scalability, making it an excellent selection for small businesses and nonprofits. It connects seamlessly with Amazon SES for affordable bulk email sending.
- Features: Email marketing, automation, and landing pages.
- Pricing: Starts at $9 USD per month for up to 500 subscribers (free plan available).
- Pros: Affordable, easy to expand, and beginner-friendly.
- Cons: Limited design and fewer integrations.
Why Choose EmailOctopus: Perfect for budget-conscious businesses with increasing subscriber lists.
10. Sender
Sender simplifies email marketing with its drag-and-drop editor and straightforward automation capabilities. It’s an affordable choice for beginners.
- Features: Drag-and-drop email design with automation.
- Pricing: Free plan available. Premium plans start at $10 USD per month.
- Pros: Cost-effective, easy to navigate, and good for small lists.
- Cons: Fewer advanced features and limited integrations.
Why Choose Sender: Ideal for small businesses just getting started with email marketing.
11. Loops
Loops offer a modern, minimalist interface and a focus on simplifying email campaigns for small businesses. It’s great for those who want to get started quickly but don’t want to face a steep learning curve.
- Features: Email marketing, automation, and landing pages.
- Pricing: Starts at $49 USD per month for up to 5,000 subscribers (free plan available for up to 1,000 subscribers).
- Pros: Intuitive setup, automation-friendly, and affordable.
- Cons: Limited advanced features for larger businesses.
Why Choose Loops: Best for small teams looking for a simple and productive email marketing solution.
Free Email Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
For small businesses starting on a budget, a free email marketing service can provide a solid foundation for expansion.
What Are Free Email Marketing Tools?
Free email marketing software allows users to send emails and manage campaigns at no cost. However, these offers often come with limitations on features or sending limits.
Best Free Options
- MailerLite, Brevo, and Omnisend offer free email marketing services with advanced features.
- GetResponse and HubSpot provide free trials with limited features.
Email Marketing Best Practices
Successful email marketing requires a well-defined email marketing strategy to ensure your messages reach the right audience and drive results. Here are some best practices to guide your campaigns:
1. Common Email Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these pitfalls to ensure your emails are well-received:
- Spammy subject lines and content: Avoid clickbait or misleading subject lines that may trigger spam filters or harm your reputation.
- Overloading subscribers with emails: Sending too many emails can lead to unsubscribes or audience fatigue. Stick to a consistent, manageable schedule.
- Lack of personalization: Generic, one-size-fits-all emails can feel impersonal. Use subscriber data to tailor your messages.
2. Tips for Optimizing Email Marketing for Mobile
With most users accessing emails on their smartphones, mobile optimization is crucial:
- Use mobile-friendly templates: Opt for responsive designs that adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes.
- Short and concise content: Keep subject lines as well as body text brief and to the point to hold the attention of those reading on small screens.
- Clear calls-to-action (CTAs): Place prominent CTAs that are easy to tap and guide your readers toward your desired action.
3. Tips for Measuring Email Marketing Success
Tracking performance metrics allows you to refine your strategies and achieve better results:
- Monitor key metrics: Analyze open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and conversion rates to gauge effectiveness.
- Leverage A/B testing: Experiment with subject lines, designs, or content to determine what resonates best with your audience.
- Segment your audience: Group subscribers by behaviour, preferences, or demographics to send personalized and relevant emails.
Conclusion
Each of the top email marketing tools offers unique features tailored to different business needs. They include options for advanced automation, user-friendly interfaces, and competitive pricing.
Whether you’re a startup or a thriving small business, selecting the right tool can streamline your campaigns and drive measurable results.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an email marketing software, and why do small businesses need it?
Email marketing software is a tool for designing, sending, and tracking email campaigns. For small businesses, it’s an affordable way to engage customers and promote products or services. Email marketing software can also drive sales with measurable results.
2. Are free email marketing tools good for small businesses?
Yes, free email marketing tools are a great starting point for businesses with small subscriber lists. They typically offer essential features like email design, basic automation, and analytics. However, as your business expands, you can consider upgrading to premium plans to unlock advanced features.
3. How often should small businesses send marketing emails?
The frequency depends on your audience and campaign goals. For most small businesses, sending 1–4 emails per month strikes a balance between staying top-of-mind but avoiding the creation of email fatigue.
4. What’s the best way to grow an email list?
In exchange for email signups, you can offer valuable incentives such as discounts, free resources, or exclusive updates. Always ensure that you collect emails ethically and comply with regulations like GDPR or CAN-SPAM.
5. How can I increase my email open rates?
- Craft compelling and relevant subject lines.
- Send emails at optimal times based on audience behaviour.
- Personalize emails using subscriber data.
6. Why is mobile optimization important in email marketing?
Many users access emails on mobile devices. Without mobile-friendly templates, your emails may appear distorted, leading to poor user experience and reduced engagement.
