Learn • Anywhere
Rumie logo

Choosing the right email marketing platform is like selecting a tool from a toolbox: it all depends on what you want to accomplish!

Man dabbing in front of workbench with tools in the background

Ask yourself some key questions to decide which platform works best for your marketing goals.

How Do You Want Your Emails To Look?

Do you want your emails to be served plain or fancy?

Well-dressed woman mouthing 'I'm so fancy'

In plain-text emails, there are no colors, pictures, or shortened hyperlinks, whereas fancy emails use HTML to include design elements that make them more visually appealing.

Plain emails have a more personal feel to them, while HTML emails can have more brand elements and tracking capabilities.

If you want fancy, look for email marketing platforms with:

  • Drag-and-drop email builders

  • A library of predesigned templates for you to use

  • The ability to code your own emails (if this is something you're into)

Quiz

Eva is creating a monthly newsletter to promote her family's ice cream stand. Should she plan to send plain-text or HTML emails?

How Will People Sign Up For Your Emails?

What happens when a new person wants to receive emails from you? How do they get on your list?

Jennifer Lopez mouthing 'I love that, sign me up!'

Some email marketing platforms include features for automating the process by which people can sign up for your emails (or unsubscribe).

If this interests you, consider one that includes sign-up forms and a way for recipients to easily opt out or update their contact information.

Did you know?

Depending on your location, you may be legally required to include an unsubscribe link. For example, the US's CAN-SPAM act requires that all commercial emails provide a clear way for users to opt out of future emails (Federal Trade Commission, 2009).

How Many Emails Do You Plan To Send?

Keep in mind that the price of an email marketing platform can vary depending on how big your list is and how many emails you plan to send.

Girl standing at top of spiral staircase throwing envelopes that are gathered into a pile at the base of the stairs

If you have a small list, you might be able to get away with a free plan.

For example, one platform lets you use it for free as long as you limit your contacts to 2,000 and you send less than 6,000 emails per month.

Exceed that and you could be looking at a cost of anywhere from $15-$60 per month depending on the features you select.

When Do You Plan To Send Emails?

Character from Schitt's Creek saying 'Thought it was time'

It's important to plan when you'll send your emails and who will receive them. This will help you determine if you need features for:

  • Scheduling multiple emails in advance. For instance, do you want to write a batch of emails at one time and then schedule them to go out to your list on Thursdays?

  • Integrating the email platform with another app. This is important if you want to send emails that are triggered by an online purchase, for example.

What Metrics Do You Need?

Buzz lightyear saying 'Data, data everywhere'

Different email marketing platforms provide different levels of reporting on user interaction, so you should decide which metrics are most important to you. For example, you might want to know:

  • How many people opened your email?

  • How many people opted out?

  • How many people clicked on a link, and which link was most popular?

You may also be interested in A/B testing, which allows you to send two different versions of the same email, with only one difference between them (e.g., the subject line). This way, you can see which performs better.

Did you know?

Sending plain-text emails can limit the data you're able to gather. If metrics are important to you, consider sticking to HTML emails.

Take Action

movie director indicating that it's time for action on the set

License:

This Byte has been authored by

MG

Monica Giannobile

Learning Designer

English

🍪 We use technical and analytics cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. more info