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Email marketing software – Key features and popular options

Businesses use different marketing strategies to promote their products and services. In email marketing, they send personalized emails to their target audience, each with a specific objective, such as announcing a new launch, welcoming a new subscriber, or re-engaging an old one. Email marketing can go a long way in helping businesses grow, provided it is done correctly. One way to simplify the process is to use email marketing software.

Features to look for in email marketing tools

Finding the right email marketing platform can take time, as there are many choices on the market. When shortlisting options, businesses should consider their scale of operations, requirements, and budget. It also helps to look for a few key features.

Automation

The top email marketing services help businesses automatically generate and send emails. These tools access a large database where the customers’ names and contact details are stored and use this information to create personalized messages for each customer. Once the emails are ready, they are sent immediately or on a scheduled date.

Most email marketing tools offer different package tiers with varying features. So, businesses should ensure the package they choose includes automation. This feature saves them a lot of time, as they do not have to create emails or enter each customer’s details themselves.

List management

Email marketing is more effective when customers receive emails with content specific to their individual needs. List management makes this possible. This feature helps businesses segment their customers based on different parameters, such as their website activity, purchase behavior, and past email and SMS engagement. Once this is done, businesses can customize emails for each group.

Many tools use AI to create groups and lists. All the business has to do is write a short description of the segment, such as “customers who are interested in X product but haven’t bought it yet.”

Form builder

A sign-up form allows businesses to collect visitor data and grow their email list. This form is usually available on the business’s official website and has fields that visitors can fill out, such as their name, email address, and phone number. Customers who enter these details are added to the business’s email list and begin to receive emails.

Choosing a professional email campaign service that offers a form builder is a good idea. Some tools offer advanced form builders with unique templates and designs that drive sign-ups for the business over the long term. They even offer pre-filled templates, where specific fields are automatically populated with known information before the user begins filling them out.

Integration

Email marketing platforms that integrate with the business’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system are highly recommended. Integration makes it possible to handle different tasks, including email marketing, project management, time tracking, communication, and accounting, from one place.

Some CRM systems offer email marketing as a built-in feature, so the business may not need to subscribe to a separate email marketing service. That said, having an independent email marketing platform is recommended, as it offers special features that are not available on general all-in-one CRMs.

Popular tools to consider

HubSpot

This tool offers an all-in-one CRM with an integrated email marketing platform. It helps businesses create data-driven, personalized campaigns through in-depth analytics and advanced automation. The platform’s high scalability makes it a strong choice for businesses poised for growth. HubSpot is ideal for email marketing, project management, data analysis, and other key tasks.

MailChimp

It offers prebuilt templates, a drag-and-drop email editor, AI-driven insights and analysis, content creation assistance, and automation tools to streamline campaign creation. MailChimp also offers an A/B testing feature that helps businesses compare different email subject lines and send times to determine the most effective option.

Brevo

Small businesses looking for a powerful, affordable email marketing tool can check out Brevo. It includes a built-in CRM that helps manage customer relationships, create SMS and email marketing campaigns, track business analytics, and do a lot more. The tool’s enhanced segmentation abilities make it easier for businesses to design targeted campaigns and run A/B tests.

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