5 best email marketing platforms (2024 update) | ActiveCampaign vs. ConvertKit vs. Mailerlite

Summary

In this video, Melissa provides an in-depth review of the best email marketing platforms for online business owners. Drawing from her extensive experience, she evaluates platforms based on key features like broadcast emails, segmentation, automation, and compliance. She covers both all-in-one solutions and specialist platforms like Beehive, MailerLite, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, and Bento, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Melissa helps viewers assess which platform best suits their needs by considering factors like ease of use, pricing, deliverability, and automation options, ultimately encouraging viewers to select the right tool for their business goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Email marketing is a powerful tool for building an audience, selling digital products, and generating consistent revenue online.
• 😀 Choosing the right email marketing platform can be overwhelming due to the variety of options and features available.
• 😀 The three core criteria for selecting a platform are: broadcast email capabilities, audience segmentation, and automation workflows.
• 😀 Platforms may either be 'all-in-one' (website creation, email marketing, product sales) or specialist (focused on email marketing).
• 😀 Beehive is recommended for those looking for simplicity and monetization features, but lacks advanced segmentation and automation.
• 😀 MailerLite is a great budget option, with a strong free plan, but lacks advanced automation features like goals for event-based email removal.
• 😀 ConvertKit is ideal for digital creators, offering usability and powerful list-building features, but has limitations with landing pages and analytics.
• 😀 ActiveCampaign is suitable for intermediate to advanced users, with strong segmentation, automation, and CRM features but at a higher price point.
• 😀 Bento offers powerful automation features and excellent deliverability, but is best for tech-savvy users who are comfortable with some coding.
• 😀 There is no single 'best' email marketing platform; the right choice depends on the specific needs of your business and target features.

Q & A

What are the three core criteria to look for in an email marketing platform?

The three core criteria are: the ability to send broadcast emails, the ability to segment the audience, and the ability to create automated workflows triggered by specific actions like submitting an email address or making a purchase.

What distinguishes an all-in-one email marketing platform from a specialist platform?

An all-in-one platform combines website creation, email marketing, and product sales/fulfillment in one system, ideal for users looking for simplicity. A specialist platform focuses solely on email marketing, providing more customization and specialized features for those who need advanced email automation and segmentation.

What are the main benefits of using Beehive as an email marketing platform?

Beehive stands out for its focus on simplicity and list building, offering features like a referral program, cross-promotion with other Beehive creators, and monetization through a native ad network or paid newsletter subscriptions. It’s particularly suitable for beginners but lacks advanced features like CRM and complex automation.

How does MailerLite perform in terms of deliverability?

MailerLite has historically ranked among the top email marketing platforms for deliverability, which measures how many of your emails actually reach subscribers’ inboxes. It is known for consistently strong deliverability rates.

What is a notable limitation of MailerLite’s automation builder?

MailerLite lacks the ability to set 'goals' within its automation workflows. This means you can’t automatically remove subscribers from further email sequences if they complete a certain action, like making a purchase.

What makes ConvertKit a good option for digital creators?

ConvertKit is tailored for digital creators, offering an intuitive email builder, landing page editor, and powerful automation tools. It also supports list-building through cross-promotion with other creators and includes referral programs to grow audiences.

What are the two areas for improvement in ConvertKit according to users?

The two main areas for improvement in ConvertKit are its landing page functionality, which is somewhat restrictive in terms of layout options, and its minimal analytics, which don’t provide deep insights into automation performance unless using their Creator Pro Plan.

Why might ActiveCampaign be considered overkill for some business owners?

ActiveCampaign is a feature-rich platform with extensive customizations, integrations, and reporting, making it ideal for intermediate and advanced users. However, its complexity and higher price point may be overkill for those looking for a simpler solution.

What is Bento’s key strength in email marketing?

Bento’s key strengths lie in its strong automation capabilities and a focus on email deliverability, including features like email validation, spam validation, and blacklist monitoring. It’s highly customizable but requires a tech-savvy user to navigate its complexity.

Why was MailChimp excluded from the list of recommended platforms?

MailChimp was excluded because its pricing has changed significantly, limiting its free plan and offering a paid plan that is more expensive and less capable compared to other options. Other platforms on the list provide better features for similar or lower prices.