What are email marketing automation tools?
Main features of email marketing automation tools
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Mobile optimization: An increasing number of users open emails on mobile devices. Ensuring your messages are easily read on different screens is essential. Mobile optimization impacts sales and overall outreach. Approximately 47% of customers open emails on their mobile applications. -
Scalable pricing: As a new user, consider platforms that offer multiple subscription tiers. Look for providers that allow easy upgrades as your business grows. Opt for platforms with free trials or money-back guarantees to test their suitability for your needs. -
Robust analytics: Data-driven marketing relies on analytics. Look for tools that provide fundamental metrics such as open rates, bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, and click-through rates.
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Third-party integrations: Seamlessly integrate with your existing tech stack. Third-party integrations enhance audience segmentation, targeting, data reporting, and social media messaging. Prioritize tools that save time by automating tasks through integrations. -
Customer service: Reliable customer support is crucial. Look for platforms that offer round-the-clock assistance, even with free plans. Responsive support ensures smooth operations and timely issue resolution. -
Marketing automation: Automation workflows allow personalized and timely communication. Features like drip campaigns, lead nurturing, and triggered emails enhance engagement and conversion rates. -
Email surveys: Collect feedback directly from your audience. Surveys help you understand customer preferences, pain points, and satisfaction levels. Use this valuable data to refine your strategies. -
Suitable message limits: Ensure the tool accommodates your email volume. Some platforms impose message limits, so choose one that aligns with your campaign requirements.
Use cases of email marketing automation tools
1. Lead generation & nurturing
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Lead capturing: Marketing automation helps capture leads through multiple channels, including landing pages, web forms, social media adverts, and chat boxes. These leads are then added to the marketing automation platform’s database. -
Segmentation: Once leads are collected, automation allows you to segment based on specific criteria, such as demographics, behavior, or interests. This segmentation enables the personalized and targeted delivery of content. -
Lead nurturing: Marketing automation allows you to send customized content using segmented lists to nurture leads at various points in the sales funnel. Drip campaigns (automated emails) guide prospects through the journey, resulting in increased conversions and a more efficient sales process.
2. Personalization at scale
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Data gathering & segmentation: Marketing automation tools capture useful data from website visits, email exchanges, social media participation, and form submissions. Clients are segmented based on demographics, behaviors, preferences, and interests. -
Dynamic content: Marketing automation uses segmented data to enable dynamic content that changes based on each consumer’s characteristics. It applies to website content, landing pages, and emails, providing relevant information and offers. -
Live chatbots: Personalized communications with new or existing customers on your website. When combined with CRM software, live chatbots deliver tailored responses that help save time. -
Email triggers: Automatic workflows triggered by events. Personalized messages, follow-ups, or suggested products/services are sent as clients interact with various materials. -
Lead nurturing: Businesses use marketing automation to nurture leads, and they experience a 451% increase in qualified leads . Targeted content keeps prospects interested and informed, guiding them toward purchasing. -
Real-time tracking: Marketing automation adapts to shifting preferences by tracking real-time consumer behavior. For example, if a consumer shows interest in a product, the system automatically offers similar content or recommendations. -
Data & insights: In-depth data and insights help enhance and optimize personalization tactics.
3. Customer retention & loyalty programs
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Automated loyalty programs: Marketing automation simplifies designing and administering loyalty programs. Automated processes track customers’ purchases, reward points, or earned levels, sending individualized communications about their loyalty status and benefits. -
Tailor-made offers & rewards: Automations encourage loyalty by providing rewards and incentives based on each customer’s preferences and behavior. -
Delivery of relevant content: Consistent, relevant messaging is crucial. Automation ensures the right content reaches the right client at the right time. You can launch re-engagement initiatives with exciting offers by detecting inactive or uninterested clients. -
Win-back campaigns: Automation enables win-back campaigns to re-engage customers who have lost interest in the business.
4. Social media marketing
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Multi-platform engagement: Integrating a CRM(customer relationship management) tool with social media lets you manage everything from a single dashboard. With marketing automation, this becomes a reality. -
Effective scheduling: Marketing automation lets you strategically plan social media updates. Ensure that information reaches your audience at the best moment for engagement. -
Campaigns & content calendar planning: Automation simplifies creating a content calendar for campaigns and ensures a comprehensive and well-planned social media campaign. -
Automated publishing: Hands-off automation automatically publishes planned posts at assigned times, freeing you up for other crucial tasks. -
Social listening & engagement: Some marketing automation platforms offer social listening tools. Use these to track brand mentions, feedback, and conversations involving your brand and respond quickly to customer questions or comments. -
Performance tracking: Marketing automation provides in-depth competitive insights into social media performance. Track metrics such as reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions to evaluate a campaign’s effectiveness. -
A/B testing social campaigns: Use automation software like EngageBay to automate A/B testing. Analyze which variations are most effective to optimize messaging andcontent.
5. Email campaign management
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Automatic email sequences: Set up drip campaigns or automatic email sequences based on consumer behavior or triggers. Ensure subscribers receive timely and important emails that nurture leads through the customer journey. -
List management: Automatically add new subscribers, update contact details, or remove inactive members. Keep your email list current for high deliverability and engagement rates. -
Personalization & segmentation: Divide your email list into subgroups based on demographics, interests, or previous interactions. Adapt email content to appeal to each group effectively, boosting engagement and conversion rates. -
Email triggers: Configure automatic email triggers based on specific actions or events (e.g., new subscribers, cart abandonment, recent purchases). Deliver personalized communications relevant to behavior or interests. -
Optimized send times: Use automation to determine ideal email send times based on past data. Ensure emails reach subscribers’ inboxes at the optimal reading time. -
A/B testing: Test subject lines, body copy, and CTAs. Optimize email variations for better performance.
6. Analytics & reporting
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Tracking campaign performance metrics: Monitor KPIs such as engagement levels, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Additionally, you should optimize campaigns based on performance data. -
Lead tracking & scoring: Monitor lead interactions throughout the buying process. Assign lead scores based on engagement and readiness to purchase. -
ROI measurement: Evaluate the success of marketing initiatives by comparing revenue generated from specific campaigns to the cost of conducting those campaigns. -
Real-time tracking: Receive immediate feedback on campaign performance. React rapidly to shifting trends or customer behavior. -
Customizable reports: Access customizable reports and dashboards tailored to your needs. Focus on pertinent information for decision-making, enhancing consumer experiences, and overall business success.
Top 10 email marketing automation tools of 2024
1. Kommo
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Friendly & intuitive interface: Kommo is designed with ease of use in mind, ensuring that even users without technical expertise can effortlessly navigate and utilize its features. -
Smart automation: Automate tasks such as lead management, email sending, and follow-ups, freeing up your time for other activities. -
Leads segmentation: Easily segment your leads for easy communication. Kommo’s filters allow you to send emails to specific clients within the pipeline. This way, each email is intentional and targeted to the right audience.
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Comprehensive mobile app: Access the full power of Kommo on the go with its mobile app, available for iOS and Android. It ensures you’re always connected to your business. -
24/7 customer support with chatbots: Kommo’s chatbot provides round-the-clock support, answering customer queries and capturing leads even when you’re offline. -
Seamless integration: Easily integrates with popular email service providers and chat apps, enhancing existing workflows and tools. -
Customizable sales pipelines: Use drag-and-drop features to create clear, visual sales pipelines tailored to your business processes. -
Advanced lead scoring: Identify and prioritize high-potential leads with sophisticated lead-scoring mechanisms. -
Unified customer profiles: All customer interactions and data are consolidated in a single profile, providing a comprehensive view of each customer. -
Targeted communication: Utilize smart grouping and segmentation to send personalized messages to specific audiences to improve engagement and conversion rates. -
In-depth analytics & reporting: Generate detailed reports and analytics to track performance, understand customer behavior, and refine your marketing strategies. -
User-friendly setup: Quick and simple setup process with extensive free support to get you started without hassle. -
Multi-channel communication: Engage with customers across various channels, including chat, email, and calls, ensuring a cohesive and responsive communication strategy. -
Customizable workflows: Tailor workflows to match your unique business needs, enhancing efficiency and productivity. -
Affordable pricing: Offers competitive pricing plans that provide great value for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.
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Limited advanced features on the basic plan: Some advanced features require higher-tier plans. -
Learning curve for customization: Initial setup for custom integrations might be complex for beginners.
Pricing of Kommo
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Base Plan: $15/user/month. It is Ideal for small businesses and covers all the essential features. -
Advanced Plan: $25/user/month, Adds more automation capabilities for growing teams. -
Enterprise Plan: $45/user/month, Offers advanced features and customization for large businesses.
2. OptinMonster
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Real-Time Behavior Automation: Advanced targeting based on user behavior increases conversion rates. -
Wide Range of Templates: Over 50 customizable lead generation form templates. -
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with leading email service providers.
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Premium Pricing: Higher cost than lead generation tools. -
Limited to WordPress: Primarily designed for WordPress users, which may limit use for some businesses.
Key features of OptinMonster
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Drag-and-drop builder: Uses an intuitive interface to create customized lead generation forms. -
50+ lead generation form templates: Choose templates for different campaign needs. -
Six campaign types: Utilize various campaign types, including popups, floating bars, full-screen welcome mats, and more. -
Real-time behavior automation: Identify user behavior in real-time to show the most relevant campaigns. -
Exit-Intent technology: Detect when users are about to leave your site and display targeted campaigns to retain them. -
Geolocation targeting: Show specific campaigns based on the geographical location of your visitors. -
Cookie retargeting: Retarget users based on their past interactions and behaviors on your site. -
Seamless integration: Connect with popular email service providers to automate email marketing efforts. -
Advanced analytics: Track and analyze campaign performance to refine your lead generation strategy. -
Mobile-friendly: Ensure your campaigns look great and function smoothly on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Pricing of OptinMonster
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Basic Plan: Starts at $15/month (when billed annually) -
Plus Plan: Starts at $25/month (when billed annually) -
Pro Plan: Starts at $57/month (when billed annually) -
Growth Plan: Starts at $100/month (when billed annually)
3. ActiveCampaign
Easy to set up automation and email campaigns. User-friendly interface. Powerful segmentation capabilities. Comprehensive email funnel for lead conversion. Extensive email template library.
The reporting feature is unreliable. Cluttered dashboard.
Key features of ActiveCampaign
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Email automation: Set up automated email workflows easily. -
Trigger emails: Send emails based on customer activity. -
Scheduled Emails: Schedule emails to be sent at optimal times. -
Audience segmentation: Target specific audiences with personalized emails. -
Welcome emails: Automatically deliver welcome emails to new leads. -
Email funnel: Convert leads into customers with an effective email funnel. -
Email templates: Access over 125 built-in email templates. -
Landing page templates: Use over 50 templates (Plus Plan and above). -
SMS marketing: Integrate SMS marketing into your campaigns (Plus Plan and above). -
Custom reporting: Gain insights with advanced and custom reporting features (Professional and Enterprise Plans).
Pricing of ActiveCampaign
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Lite Plan: $29 per month for up to 1000 contacts. Includes marketing automation, unlimited email easily newsletter mailing, segmentation, and over 125 built-in email templates. -
Plus Plan: $49 per month. Features include over 50 landing page templates, custom Facebook audiences, SMS marketing, contact scoring, and advanced performance reporting. -
Professional Plan: $149 per month. This popular plan includes website personalization, predictive sending, marketing attribution, and site messages. -
Enterprise Plan: Starts at $259 per month. Offers custom reporting, free design services, unlimited email design testing, and social data enrichment.
4. Constant Contact
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Clear Demographic Insights: Provides a clear overview of email recipient demographics. -
User-Friendly Interface: Features a simple and easy-to-use UI. -
Excellent Customer Support: Offers responsive and helpful customer support.
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Branding in Emails: Constant Contact’s watermark may be at the bottom of emails you send. -
Template Compatibility: Email templates may be distorted based on recipient platforms. -
Limited Design Options: The email builder offers limited design customization options.
Key features of Constant Contact
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Library of Ready-to-Use Email Templates: Access a wide range of professionally designed templates for easy campaign creation. -
Subject line testing: A/B test with different subject lines to optimize email engagement. -
Email performance monitoring: Track email delivery, opens, deletions, and link clicks to assess campaign effectiveness. -
Link click visualization: Visualize link click data through heat maps to identify popular links and areas of interest. -
Subscriber segmentation: Segment subscribers based on behavior and preferences for targeted campaigns. -
Seamless Integrations: Integrate with popular platforms and tools like Vimeo, Canva, Salesforce, and Shopify. -
Social media management: Locate and engage with customers on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. -
Robust list-building tools: Expand your contact list with custom sign-up pages and effective list-building strategies. -
Automated campaigns: Set up automated email campaigns, including autoresponders and triggered emails. -
Affordable pricing: Choose flexible plans to suit your business needs and budget.
Pricing of Constant Contact
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Lite Plan: Starting at $12/month -
Standard Plan: Starting at $35/month. -
Premium Plan: Starting at $80/month (Price varies depending on the number of contacts)
5. Drip
Automated workflow builder suitable for businesses of all sizes. Helps create unique and responsive email templates. Comprehensive email and SMS marketing integration. Robust segmentation and personalization capabilities. HTML builder for complete email customization. Email test feature for optimizing content. User-friendly interface. Advanced analytics and reporting tools. Integration with various e-commerce platforms. 24/7 customer support.
Lacks an email sequencing feature. Pricing is a bit higher compared to other email automation tools.
Key features of Drip
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Email Automation: Create automated workflows to engage and nurture leads. -
SMS Marketing: Integrate SMS campaigns with email marketing for a multi-channel approach. -
HTML Email Builder: Customize emails fully with HTML. -
Pre-made Templates: Utilize a variety of email templates for quick setup. -
Targeted Segmentation: Segment audiences to send personalized messages. -
Email Testing: Test different email versions to see what resonates with your audience. -
Detailed Analytics: Gain insights into campaign performance and customer behavior. -
Integration with E-commerce Platforms: Seamlessly connect with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. -
Personalization Tools: Use customer data to personalize emails effectively. -
24/7 Customer Support: Access support anytime you need it.
Pricing of Drip
6. MailerLite
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Pre-built Content Blocks: Quickens email creation process with dynamic content blocks. -
Generous Segmentation and Automation: Offers ample features for effective segmentation and automation. -
Affordable Upgrade: Provides an affordable upgrade option for unlimited users.
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Limited Pre-made Templates on Free Plan: The absence of pre-made email templates on the free plan is a drawback.
Key features of MailerLite
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Sales Engagement Tools: Drive customer engagement with tailored sales tools. -
Sequences: Automate personalized outreach with customizable sequences. -
Bulk Outreach: Reach a wider audience effortlessly through bulk outreach capabilities. -
Sales Triggers: Maximize sales opportunities by triggering actions based on customer behavior. -
Smart Lists and Templates: Streamline campaign management and content creation with smart lists and templates. -
Email Campaign Support: Benefit from comprehensive support for all email campaigns. -
Mobile App: Manage campaigns on the go with MailerLite’s mobile app.
Pricing of MailerLite
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Free Plan: $0 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. -
Growing Business Plan: $9 per month with dynamic emails and auto-resend campaigns. -
Advanced Plan: $18 monthly, offering multiple automation triggers and an AI writing assistant. -
Enterprise Plan: Contact sales for customized pricing and additional features.
7. HubSpot
Unlimited number of email templates. Easy-to-use and customizable marketing automation software. Robust A/B testing and analytics. Personalized emails for higher engagement. Drag-and-drop email editor.
A limited number of bulk marketing templates. No SMS feature.
Key features of HubSpot
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Goal-Based Email Templates: Personalize emails using a variety of templates tailored to specific goals. -
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily customize email layouts, branding, and call-to-action buttons. -
Drip Campaign Scheduling: Schedule emails to reach the right people at the right time. -
A/B Testing: Optimize emails through robust A/B testing. -
Analytics: Gain insights into email engagement, subject line performance, and more. -
Live Chat Support: Access email and in-chat app support. -
Omnichannel Marketing Automation: Manage campaigns across multiple channels (Professional Plan and above). -
Multi-Language Content: Create content in multiple languages (Professional Plan and above). -
Salesforce Integration: Integrate with Salesforce for seamless CRM management (Professional Plan and above). -
Advanced Customization: Utilize features like email send frequency cap, adaptive testing, and object customization (Enterprise Plan).
Pricing of HubSpot
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Starter Plan: $15 per month per seat. Includes email marketing, landing pages, live chat, and email/in-chat app support. -
Professional Plan: This plan starts at $800 monthly and features omnichannel marketing automation, multi-language content, contact and company scoring, website traffic analysis, and Salesforce integration. -
Enterprise Plan: Priced at $3,600 per month. Adds advanced features like email send frequency cap, adaptive testing, behavioral event triggers and reporting, and object customization.
8. Mailchimp
Easy to create customized emails. User-friendly interface. Wide range of email templates. Creative Assistant for brand-specific designs. Effective subject line and content personalization tools. Email tracking for optimal send times.
Limited A/B testing. The Dashboard can be difficult to navigate.
Key features of Mailchimp
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Email Templates: Choose from various email templates or create custom designs. -
Creative Assistant: Automatically generate brand-specific email designs. -
Personalized Content: Use the Subject Line Helper and personalized content to enhance emails. -
Email Automation: Send personalized emails based on client interactions. -
Email Tracking: Analyze and optimize send times to increase open rates. -
Marketing CRM: Run drip email campaigns and manage contacts. -
Website Builder: Create landing pages and web forms. -
Custom Branding: Apply custom branding to emails (Essentials Plan and above). -
A/B Testing: Test different email versions to find what works best (Essentials Plan and above). -
Behavioral Targeting: Target emails based on customer behavior (Standard Plan and above).
Pricing of Mailchimp
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Free Plan: This plan includes tools like marketing CRM, a website builder for landing pages and web forms, and a free Mailchimp domain. -
Essentials Plan: $13 per month. Features include email and landing page templates, custom branding, A/B testing, and a customer journey builder. -
Standard Plan: $20 per month. It includes behavioral targeting, customizable email templates, dynamic content, and send-time optimization. -
Premium Plan: This plan starts at $350 monthly and offers advanced audience segmentation, phone and priority support, and multivariate testing.
9. Brevo
Pre-built, goal-oriented email automation. Generous automation limits on the free plan. Comprehensive marketing and sales feature set. User-friendly drag-and-drop email editor. Supports multiple campaign types (email, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.). Streamlined campaign creation processes. Unlimited contacts on the free plan. Affordable white labeling add-on. Seamless integration with Zapier. Centralized solutions for sales meetings, calls, and chat.
Strict 300 email/day send limit on the free plan. Limited email send capacity compared to other free tools. Potentially complex for beginners due to the extensive feature set. Additional costs for exceeding daily email limits.
Key features of Brevo
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Email Marketing Automation: Create automated email workflows to nurture leads and engage customers. -
CRM Integration: Manage customer relationships with a built-in CRM. -
Multi-Channel Campaigns: Run campaigns across email, SMS, WhatsApp, web push, and Facebook Ads. -
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily design professional emails using a drag-and-drop interface. -
Pre-made Templates: Access a variety of email templates to streamline campaign creation. -
Contact Management: Maintain unlimited contacts and organize them into targeted lists. -
Sales Pipeline Management: Track sales deals with a visual pipeline. -
Analytics and Reporting: Gain insights with detailed analytics and reporting tools. -
Zapier Integration: Automate workflows by integrating with other apps via Zapier. -
Customizable Signup Forms: Create and embed signup forms to grow your contact list.
Pricing of Brevo
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Free Plan: Up to 300 emails per day, store unlimited contacts. -
Starter Plan: Starting at $9/month, includes 5,000 monthly emails and advanced statistics. -
Business Plan: This plan starts at $18/month and includes 5000 monthly emails, marketing automation, and Facebook Ads. -
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored for large businesses with advanced needs, includes priority support and a dedicated account manager.
10. Omnisend
Pre-built workflows for quick automation setup. User-friendly drag-and-drop editor. Optimization features like Automation Splits. A/B split testing for conversion optimization. Message reports for campaign performance insights. Integration with 130+ platforms for personalized messaging. Conditional content blocks for targeted messaging. Dynamic product recommendations for personalization. Segmented messaging paths for hyper-personalization.
Limited bulk marketing templates. No SMS marketing feature unless you opt for the pro plan.
Key features of Omnisend
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Pre-built Workflows: Quickly set up automation with pre-designed workflows for various scenarios. -
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily customize workflows, layouts, branding, and call-to-action buttons. -
Optimization Features: Enhance your email marketing efforts with features like Automation Splits for personalized messaging paths. -
A/B Split Testing: Experiment with channels, incentives, and subject lines to optimize conversions. -
Message Reports: Track sales and engagement data within the Automation Editor to monitor campaign performance. -
Automation Reports: Deep-dive into workflow performance, compare channels, and track conversions. -
Integration Capabilities: Access over 130 integrations to personalize messaging with third-party data and achieve hyper-personalization. -
Conditional Content Blocks: Show specific email content blocks to select audience segments for targeted messaging. -
Dynamic Product Recommendations: Utilize dynamic product recommendations for personalized product suggestions. -
Segmented Messaging Paths: Achieve hyper-personalization with segmented messaging paths tailored to audience preferences.
Pricing of Omnisend
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Free Plan: $0/mo, includes up to 250 contacts and 500 emails/mo. -
Standard Plan: $16/mo, reaches up to 500 contacts with 6,000 emails/mo. -
EMAIL + SMS Pro Plan: $59/mo, reaches up to 500 contacts with unlimited emails.
What to look for in email marketing automation tools?
1. Automation features
2. Segmentation
3. Personalization
4. A/B Testing
5. SMS Marketing
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The text message average click-through rate is 19.3% . -
People read an SMS within 5 minutes of receiving them. The statistic is 34% . -
96% of marketers using text messages report revenue benefits.
6. Chatbots
7. Reports & analytics
FAQs
// TL;DR
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Automation: Automate repetitive tasks to save time. -
Segmentation: Target specific audience groups based on behavior and demographics. -
Personalization: Customize emails to individual recipients. -
A/B Testing: Test different email elements to optimize performance. -
Analytics: Track and analyze campaign metrics.
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Lead Generation and Nurturing: Capture and nurture leads through automated email sequences. -
Personalization at Scale: Send tailored content to large audiences efficiently. -
Customer Retention and Loyalty Programs: Maintain customer engagement and loyalty. -
Social Media Marketing: Integrate with social platforms for cohesive campaigns. -
Email Campaign Management: Manage and execute complex email campaigns. -
Analytics and Reporting: Gain insights into campaign performance and audience behavior.