What is an Email Marketing Software?

Email marketing software systematizes email communication amongst businesses and its clients. Best email marketing software helps users handle mailing lists, keep a tab on marketing campaign efficiency, and improve email marketing efficiency as well. This software can be used to reinforce brand acknowledgment, introduce new products, and endorse services. From the time when email has become the most commonly used means of communicating amongst users, email marketing is on its way to become one of the most commonly used means to reach, engage, and market to possible customers. Email marketing is progressively getting more and more market share as equated to other direct marketing methods such as cold calling and snail mails. 

Best email marketing software started as just a basic tool meant to create a list of email-ids and then deliver messages to the people on the created list. These tools have now grown to an extent where they now possess the ability to have numerous contact lists, the capability to create first-class HTML messages, and then also be able to track the user interaction on their messages.

Top 10 Email Marketing Software in 2021

1. Mailchimp
2. AWeber
3. Constant Contact
4. Sendinblue
5. Zoho Campaigns
6. Twilio SendGrid Marketing Campaigns
7. Salesforce Email Studio
8. iContact
9. Emma
10. Campaign Monitor

Market Overview

The Best Email Marketing software market in the U.S. currently accounts for the largest market share in the world quickly followed by, China. Amongst the other remarkable geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each likely to grow at a healthy CAGR in the next few years. European best email marketing software market is likely to grow at a steady pace.

Market Drivers

Rise in the usage of internet as well as diffusion is likely to drive the global email marketing software market. Email marketing provides a host of benefits to the large as well as medium sized organizations which has led to an increased adoption. The best email marketing software market is likely to see a huge growth over the next few years due to the factors such as the rising number of email marketing and hosted service providers.

Developing trends like mobile marketing due to the growing smartphone propagation is also anticipated to trigger the market demand over the next few years. Usage of smartphones and other mobile devices allows users to access a huge pool of data or information creating possibilities for market growth.

Declining tariff rates and rising adoption of digital literacy and consciousness has attested to be a boosting factor in the growth of the email marketing software market. Emerging countries are largely concentrating on e-mail as a crucial tool to enhance their marketing results. Moreover, all the sectors the Banking and Finance, IT, Telecom, FMCG, etc. are considering email marketing as an important solution in order to retain customers and deliver tailored customer satisfaction. Hence, the global email marketing software market is very much likely to grow at a considerable rate in the forthcoming years.

But also, absence of proper infrastructure, predominantly in the developing countries may pose to be a hindrance to the growth of the best email marketing software market. Incessantly developing technology along with rising security problems is also likely to interrupt the market growth. Strict government regulations related to user data privacy may also obstruct the market growth. Augmented acceptance of social media platforms as a marketing media also may present a severe threat to numerous e-mail marketing businesses. Due to which service providers focus on building innovative web solutions.

MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, Sendinblue, Zoho Campaigns, Twilio SendGrid Marketing Campaign, Salseforce Email Studio, iContact, Emma and Campaign Monitor have been identified as Visionary Leaders in the Email Marketing Software market.

Apptivo Email Marketing, Second Street, GMass, Interseller, Gist Email Marketing, Pure360, Snovio and Elastic Email have been identified as Dynamic Differentiators in the Email Marketing Software market.

MailerLite, SARE, Doppler, CLOSE and Mustache have been recognized as the Innovators in the Email Marketing Software market.

Stampede, Sendy, Repro, ShoutOut and Mailjet have been positioned as the Emerging Companies in the Email Marketing Software market.

Why is Email Marketing Software used so widely?

Email marketing software is an economical way to engage with the customer base, either to deliver valued content, endorse a product or introduce new offers or deals. The overall course of handling email campaigns can be monotonous, but email marketing solution proves to be beneficial here. Mentioned below are the benefits of using the email marketing tools:

1. Effective Email Automation – In cases where users need to send out a huge number of emails in at once, they may end up wasting a huge amount of time arranging the addresses, creating the message and delivering all emails manually. On the other hand, email marketing software can automate the whole campaign process, right from organizing recipients into groups to arranging the emails and to making feedback reports.
2. Market Reach Development Made Reasonable – After having created a robust recipient mailing list, best email marketing solution allows businesses to reach a particular market at considerably lower expenses as compared to the traditional outlets such as the TV, print, and radio. Also, the audience is more specific provided that the users have built the list with the help of opt-ins or follow a consent marketing strategy. Some businesses start with an acquired list to get early subscribers, but it is still best to create the list around the customers. As the users enlarge the list with inducements such as white papers and deals, the price per email radically drops, further growing the ROI of email marketing solution.
3. More Precise Metrics – There is hardly any tool that can provide a more precise post-campaign analytics report as compared to an email marketing solution. Best email marketing software can create important metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, forwarded messages, and engagement level. With a thorough feedback report, users can precisely compute the cost-benefit ratio and also account for every campaign’s financial plan.
4. Increased Customer Loyalty – Since best email marketing software makes it simple to introduce several campaign series, users are constantly in touch with their customer base. Businesses can offer content that aligns with the recipient’s concern, deals to encourage repeat purchases or merely update customers with the newest offers or products. Email marketing solution is the direct line to customers to cherish their loyalty, interest and perhaps cause more purchases.
5. Better Ticket Monetization - Customer complaints sent to your help desk can be mined as additional contacts to your mailing list. As long as the issue is resolved and the customer is satisfied, including her in an email campaign may generate additional sales. This process is common in CRM, but if you lack that system, email marketing solution is a good option.
6. Social Media Channel Promotion – Some of the email marketing software solutions can link with the social media pages, enables businesses to do cross-channel promotions. For instance, businesses can incentivize an email message with offers if the receiver likes a Facebook page or post a hashtag. If at all a business has a robust mailing list, this is one way to transfer subscribers to the social channels.
7. Quantifiable ROI – Best email marketing software endorses responsibility in the campaigns. It allows businesses to track every campaign’s metrics down to the greatest details such as the open rate, click-through rate, and engagement level. While it builds brand awareness, it also creates instant revenues, different from the tri-media channels.
8. Abridged Risks - Because campaigns are measurable to a great extent, users can sort the best technique amongst a collection of email campaigns. Email marketing solution provides an A/B testing tool, which shows the important metrics amongst different campaigns.

What are the various kinds of Email Marketing Software in the market?

Best email marketing software solutions are more or less very similar in nature with a very few differences here and there. The best way to classify them is by sorting them on the basis of how they are used. Mentioned below are some the email marketing solutions available in the market:

Direct sales

This is the most commonly used email marketing software solution that is used for sending out emails to promote an offer. Typically, it comprises a product catalog that is similar to printed versions sent through snail mail. The emails can be sent to the mailing list or a bought list.

Newsletter

Email marketing solutions can also be used as communication tools. They allow users to send newsletters to deliver superior content such as articles, guides, instructions, and announcements that are associated with a product’s worth and the customers’ interests. The newsletter can also amuse customers and withstand an open line amongst businesses and customers in between sales.

Transactional emails

It includes an opt-in stage, where customers approve to be included in the mailing list. An enticement is essential here to get customers to contact the business. A few instances are order approval emails, password reset applications, and email receipts. Since customers opted in, open rate for transactional emails is considerably higher as compared to the newsletters. In this respect, email marketing software becomes an organizational tool. But, it is still a marketing tool since users have a chance to take in subtle cross-sell or upsell messages.

Autoresponders

Autoresponders help businesses send multi-tiered emails based on recipient’s response. Email marketing solutions offer tools that enable users to map their key email to diverse paths. Users can set triggers to launch the autoresponder, for instance, when somebody clicks a download button, subscribes to a free trial or buys from an online store. Likewise, autoresponders can also be used to send welcome and thank-you messages. Several customers appreciate it when businesses take out time to appreciate their engagement. Fundamentally, email marketing software uses autoresponder as a lead generation tool.

What are the most important features of an Email Marketing Software?

Message Automation

Email message automation is one of the most important features best email marketing software should offer. This feature normally allows retail marketers to send out emails in reply to a particular action or to send out email messages in a bulk based on some collection of rules.

HTML, Responsive Layout

Almost all of the email marketing solutions allow marketers to deliver email messages in plain text or as HTML format. But the best email marketing software solutions also allow users to send out messages in HTML and CSS formats for the purpose of making receptive email templates that acclimatize to the receiver’s device. Efficiently, this is mobile enhancement for email. In several cases, using responsive plan with email templates will need at least a rudimentary understanding of HTML and CSS, but the key is that the email marketing solutions provides users with adequate design and template latitude to make receptive design work.

Progressive List Maintenance

Adding and eliminating email subscribers is an important feature that every email marketing solution has to offer. Users should look for a solution that can automatically eliminate hard bounces — i.e., unacceptable email addresses — and soft bounces after some instances of failures. Opt-outs, subscription alterations, and alike should all be automated as well. Businesses should opt for a solution that has the ability to set up list management instructions that help keep everything unsoiled and up to date.

CAN-SPAM Compliance By Default

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act describes the U.S. norms for delivering commercial emails and allows the U.S. Federal Trade Commission the right to implement those norms. The act comprises necessities for how subscriptions are handled and comprises content and sending behaviour requirements and rules.

Easy Integration

Email marketing may perform the best when it is thoroughly integrated with other systems or services. Email marketing solutions should offer simple APIs or platform additions that enable email competences to be added at the very minimum to an ecommerce platform. But there may be chances to integrate email competences and workflows with mobile apps, social apps, or loyalty programs to name a few prospects.

Dedicated IP Address

In email marketing idiom, a dedicated IP address is one that only one specific business uses to deliver messages. Having an individual IP address can enhance deliverability. This capability is actually envisioned for businesses that send out a significant number of messages. When considering ESPs, look for this capability, even if your business isn’t ready for it at first. As the business expands, a dedicated IP address can enhance deliverability.

Deliverability Help

Email marketing won’t perform well if the messages are not getting delivered correctly, and while email marketers may not have a lot of knowledge with deliverability, email marketing solution providers should. Businesses should opt for a service provider who is ready to share that info in the form of content that presents some of the rudimentary email deliverability best practices, tools that specifically detect deliverability problems in a specific message or a campaign, and data that offers responses about deliverability. Eventually, the marketer should basically be looking for an email partner.

Contact Database

Best email marketing software stores data about email subscribers, leads, and customers in a central location. Some email marketing solutions can be integrated with CRM software or other systems to automatically recover customer and lead data.

Mass Email Delivery

Businesses can send promotional and other marketing emails to a big group of receivers and guarantee accurate delivery.

Subscribe Or Unsubscribe

Best email marketing software provides users with options to subscribe and unsubscribe from each email.

Mailing List Management

The software allows users to create email address lists and groups based on types of contact. Users can send emails to the whole list or precise groups inside a database, and export contact lists as CSV or XLSX files.

Template Management

Best email marketing software allows users to customize built-in email templates with their business logo or branding with the help of a drag-and-drop editor. Users can also choose templates based on theme, layout, or campaign type.

Reporting and Analytics

Users can track email campaign KPIs such as delivery rates, click-to-open rates, and unsubscribe rates in charts and graphs.

What are the various tools offered by an Email Marketing Software?

Several email marketing products share alike features. Where they vary typically is in deployment i.e. cloud vs. on premise and packaging (integrated inside a CRM system or a stand-alone application). Here are some of the most prominent tools offered by the best email marketing software:

WYSIWYG Editor

Email marketing solutions offer a user-friendly email builder that allows users to see how their email looks before launching. The software comes with features such as the drag-and-drop, built-in templates, receptive format, and photo editing. Similarly, a modified layout can be split-tested and the best possible design recycled and copied for upcoming campaigns.

Mailing List Management

This module allows users to separate the mailing list into reduced, targeted groups based on their metrics. Clienteles or subscribers can be in numerous groups that match their profile. Users can conduct precise email marketing operations for each mailing list subcategory. Some email marketing solutions offer automatic separation based on geolocation, demographics, autoresponder reaction, buying history, and other metrics.

A/B Testing Tool

Users can send various email sets to a minor group to quantify, amongst others, response on the subject line, plan, and copy. This ability allows for refinement of campaign and send the best-possible email style to the rest of the mailing list.

Merge Tags

Merge Tags are tools that enable users to replace variables in the message with a personal component, typically the receiver’s name. This provides the user’s email temperateness, and customer, on the whole, reply to their names more certainly than to general salutations. Merge tags can also be used to deliver coupon codes precise to the recipient and avoid replicas.

Analytics and Reports

As with maximum business solutions, analytics and reporting functionalities in email marketing solutions help in improving the effectiveness of campaigns. Businesses can measure key metrics such as the open rates, CTRs, readers’ length of user stay on the email, trending content and demographics. Numerous email marketing apps also provide instantaneous campaign tracker that streams metrics as they happen, which helps businesses to instantly shift the campaign if the results prove miserable.

Autoresponders

These tools send targeted content to the mailing groups based on their association level or other key metrics that have been set. Autoresponders are generally used for drip email campaigns to cultivate leads, welcome or recognize the customer or answer an enquiry or request. Autoresponders are armed with automation for categorizing recipients, arranging emails, directing multi-tiered emails based on triggers started by the recipient and funnelling promising contacts into the sales pipeline.

CRM Integration

Most of the email marketing solutions integrate easily with prevalent CRM solutions. This helps bring into line all the sales and marketing activities. All the leads from CRM can be added to the mailing list and encompassed in email marketing campaigns. Similarly, CRM can offer context to the mailing lists, such as demographics, buying history, and earlier engagement. Alternatively, recipients that replied positively to the email can be advanced to the CRM’s contact management and sales pipeline for lead nurturing.

Social Media Integration

Businesses can also integrate their Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages with email marketing systems and expand their reach. They can invite their mailing list to like their pages and, on the other hand, ask their followers to opt in their subscription list in exchange for an incentive like a deal or exclusive content.

What are the important factors to be considered while buying an Email Marketing Software?

Pricing should not be the only factor that should impact any buying decision. Basically, users need to see if they are getting all the expected features and a few more factors mentioned below:

Ease of Use

At the least an ideal email marketing solution has to be instinctive and easy to use. Most cloud mailers nowadays are user-friendly so finding a solution that is easy to use shouldn’t be a tough task.

Responsive Display

Several customers these days access their emails by using a smartphone or tablet. Which is the reason, users need to go for an email marketing system that allows to display emails on mobile apps. It’s only tough to read desktop emails on a mobile screen.

Feature Set

Apart from the pointers mentioned above, users should also take a closer look at the set of features offered. Email marketing software should offer email builder, analytics options, autoresponders, mailing list management, and tag merging functions. Any absent tool significantly reduces the total potential of the solution.

CAN-SPAM Compliance

No matter how efficient the system is, if the email is breaking laws any campaign can fail t be effective. Best email marketing software notifies users of possible legal breaches so that they can address the problem before launching. This is an important feature, which is a must have.

A/B Testing

Users should leverage the thorough and quantifiable metrics email marketing is proficient of. With the help of an A/B testing tool they can enhance each campaign and produce the best likely ROI.

Number of Emails Per Month

Many of the free mailers have a limitation on the number of emails users can send in one month. This can be annoying if a business has a big mailing list. It is always important to make sure to use an app that lets users send unlimited emails to maximize their customer base.

Integration

At the least, an email marketing solution should be able to integrate with common CRM and help desk solutions. This helps businesses in sharing customer data for sales, marketing, and customer service. Additionally, the email marketing solution should also enable users to import/export CSV, txt, and other common file formats.

What are the likely issues of using an Email Marketing Software?

It would be wrong to expect an email marketing software to suddenly generate leads, create sales or build a mailing list for the users. There could be a lot issues if the solution is not managed correctly:

Lack of Mailing List

It would not make any sense in getting an email marketing solution if it lacks a mailing list. The first step would be to create a plan to build a mailing list. This means endorsing inducements such as value content, deals, or limited offers and, maybe, using paid channels to put the opt-in landing page out there. Obtaining a bought list is not often cost-effective and the unwanted emails can easily trigger spam filters.

Violation of Spam Laws

The U.S. and E.U. have passed precise laws in contradiction of spamming and in order to defend privacy of users. So, if businesses are not cautious or the email marketing solution isn’t armed with compliance control, they could very well be violating these laws. For instance, CAN-SPAM forbids deceptive recipients. The subject line has to be in line with the email’s content. Similarly, the law necessitates users to provide receivers a means to opt out or unsubscribe from the list. To evade lawsuits, users need to make sure the software is CAN-SPAM-compliant.

Customer Churn

If businesses send emails without any plan, they’ll end up irritating customers with messages that don’t interest them or are inappropriate. There would be a risk of recipients unsubscribing, significantly lessening the mailing list. It is therefore, important to have a strategy in place and use subdivision and autoresponder to confirm that the emails ring a bell to their receivers.

Spam Filters

Email clients have spam filters prepared. If businesses fail to be careful, their campaigns may end up being incapable of reaching their projected audience. Gmail is particularly a tough case; even user chosen subscriptions can be directed to its promotions tab, missing from the key inbox. Best email marketing software signals users for possible spam triggers such as general subject lines, common sales promises, difficult layouts, and too many URL links.

No A/B Testing

Email marketing is a science with quantifiable metrics that describe the best possible results. If users lack gratitude of this discipline, they are basically undermining the prospective of email marketing solutions.

Email Marketing Trends to look for in 2021

Interactive Emails

In 2021, emails are all set to provide users with extra interactivity in the emails that they receive. Interactive emails comprise features that the subscribers can click on or interrelate with in some way. They're an excellent way to surprise and amuse readers and make the emails stand out in jam-packed inboxes.

Businesses can generate interactive emails by adding:

• Surveys and polls
• Menus and accordion features
• Add-to-calendar choices
• Vibrant calls to action and keys
• Gamified features like scratch-its to disclose discounts
• As an alternative to simply reading or scanning emails, users will have things to click on, which will skyrocket association

User-Generated Content

User-generated content is one more trend that is already popular on social media that is poised to progressively make its way into email marketing in 2021. User-generated content is one of the most influential types of social proof. When users view content such as pictures, videos and evaluations created by actual, glad customers of any business, it inspires them to become customers themselves. Not only should businesses leverage user-generated content in their email marketing communications, but they should use their email marketing systems to gather user-generated content as well. In their emails, businesses can leverage collaborative content essentials such as surveys, thumbs-up or thumbs-down keys, and more to gather user-generated content from their email list.

Videos, Animations and GIFs

People get numerous marketing emails on a daily basis, which basically means that their inboxes are usually jam-packed. That's why more number of email marketers are now making use of videos, animations and GIFs to be prominent in full inboxes and grasp the attention of their subscribers. Adding a little movement to the emails is certain to enthuse the audience. It must also be remembered that email systems like Gmail and Outlook do not have the technical necessities needed to play videos right inside emails. So, the best possible way to use video in emails is by adding a still image along with a play button on top. Users can then click on the image, and the link will send the users to the video that's presented on a platform such as YouTube.

Artificial Intelligence

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), all the emails will get even smarter in the near future. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will help businesses provide more modified emails to their subscribers. These technologies can select the finest copy and email subject lines, choose the best send times and line up pertinent content with every subscriber or email list division based on demographics or earlier activity. AI-powered email marketing systems won't be out of reach for smaller organizations, either. Numerous reasonable email marketing services are starting to include AI features in their platforms.

Subscriber Control

According to a recent study, most of the U.S. internet users required to control the regularity with which they receive exclusive email. The same study also showed that only a small percent of the retail marketers said they fulfilled that expectation. So, in 2021, email marketers will have to work really hard to provide their subscribers with what they want. When a user subscribes to any email list, businesses can send them a welcome email that enables them to select the kinds of emails they want to receive and the occurrence of those emails. A subscriber who is happy with the regularity of the emails and the content they are receiving is the one who will remain around for a very long time.