Make no mistake about it – email marketing is alive and well. It’s thriving, in fact, and email newsletters continue to be one of the most effective tools available to Web marketers and online businesses in every category.
A recent Pew Research study found that more than half (56 percent) of Internet users subscribe to an email newsletter of some kind, and marketers, merchants, brands and bloggers are increasingly using the platform to get their messages across to consumers.
The challenges, of course, include creating content that recipients will want to consume on a regular basis, and building a list of subscribers that fosters the growth of your business and revenues.
In no particular order, here are 10 services that can help a small business or affiliate website leap tall buildings in a single bound – and all that other good stuff.
MailChimp
One of the most popular solutions for small businesses making the transition from traditional blogging to full-scale email marketing, MailChimp offers an impressive array of up-to-date but easy-to-implement features, including the latest in social and mobile marketing. Pricing ranges from the free solution that includes up to 2,000 subscribers per month to a $240 package that covers up to 50,000 subscribers.
Campaigner
Also recognized for its ease of use, Campaigner is an excellent startup service that offers multiple features to help users create, send and track their email newsletters. Campaigner’s suite of tools includes its own image-editing tool that allows customers to manipulate images without having to use additional software. Pricing starts at $10 per month with a 30-day free trial and goes to $55 per month for up to 10,000 email addresses.
Campaign Monitor
A pair of Australian Web designers launched the software behind Campaign Monitor in 2004, and today the company provides email services for hundreds of thousands of Web marketers and businesses worldwide. Still based near Sydney, the service has stuck to its roots and caters especially well to the design community, but it is absolutely a full-service email marketing provider with a full feature list and attractive pricing for small businesses. Packages start at $15 per month for up to 500 subscribers and go up to $500 per month for up to 50,000 subscribers.
Constant Contact
Easy editing tools, numerous social features and the latest mobile functionalities help define Constant Contact’s email marketing services, as well as nearly 500 newsletter templates to choose from to which marketers can add their own colors and logos. Pricing starts at $15 per month, which includes a 60-day free trial and up to 500 subscriber addresses, and goes to $150 per month and higher for 25,000-plus subscribers.
Posterous
Not an email service provider per se, Posterous is a hugely popular microblogging site that has recently added features which allow users to transfer their blog content into email newsletters. We consider the service and the new feature definitely worth mentioning for affiliate blogging and small businesses starting email newsletters, and Posterous has intimated that email services will continue to be a focus going forward.
Emma
Offers helpful and thorough customer support Offers comprehensive reports analyzing subscriber actions. Offers unlimited picture hosting.Offers Google Analytics integration. Allows you to create an A/B test campaign.Over 100 Templates offered are incredibly flexible. Pricing starts at $30 per month, which includes a 30-day free trial and up to 1000 subscriber addresses, and goes to $70 per month and higher for 5,000-plus subscribers.
Aweber
Their Customer Service support quality was their ultimate strength, as they received a perfect score in that category with a knowledgeable and friendly support staff offering every kind of support. However, with no image hosting space, AWeber’s Email Creation could be improved. AWeber had high scores in every other category with easy Contact Management, high Email Deliverability and comprehensive reports.Pricing starts at $19 per month, which includes a 30-day free trial and up to 500 subscriber addresses, and goes to $49 per month and higher for 5,000-plus subscribers.
GetResponse
They scored well on Email Deliverability and on Email Creation for offering more than 300 templates. Through a paid account, users are able to import contacts to their address book through Excel spreadsheets saved as CSV files but not in the free trial. They also scored high on Analyzing Reports for Google Analytics integration and on Customer Support for offering live chat support. Pricing starts at $25 per month, which includes a 30-day free trial and up to 2500 subscriber addresses, and goes to $65 per month and higher for 10,000-plus subscribers.
