Our recommendations and reviews on email marketing broadcast software options
I am often for recommendations for affordable E-mail broadcast software packages for Email marketing, E-newsletters or Ezines.
This guide highlights some of the options that are most commonly used in the UK and delegates on my E-mail marketing courses have recommended to me.
I only recommend hosted (Application Service Provider) email marketing solutions rather than software since, in general, the reporting/tracking and bounce management capabilities of the cheaper desktop e-mail packages are inferior. There are also management problems with deliverability and blacklisting which are best managed by an external email service provider in my opinion.
Although you can use an email service provider in another country, I recommend using a local provider since this is easier for support and resolving deliverability problems locally. So I have highlighted UK Email marketing companies at the start of the list, but options for US and Asia Pacific are also covered.
The E-mail broadcast / management (E-mail Service Provider, ESP) solutions which are most cost-effective (below $50 per month for low volumes) recommended to me by delegates on my courses are as follows. I have grouped them by region, since often local support is useful to deal with local deliverability issues.
Services comparing Email Marketing Software
Use these to compare criteria for email marketing systems side-by-side
- Which Email Service Provider comparison – Which ESP has comparison charts mainly for US providers, some UK
- Email Vendor Selection – A relatively new site explaining how to approach selection of an email system and providing a comprehensive list of the options.
- Review of US-based E-mail marketing systems based on many criteria and ranking them in order.
- Comprehensive buyers guide to Email Marketing – Produced by Econsultancy, this buyer’s guide is aimed at those who are investigating the market for email marketing platforms, with profiles of 24 leading suppliers. The 196-page guide, which has a UK focus, provides details on the issues and trends affecting this sector, as well as information about best practice and tips for choosing a suitable supplier.
Popular UK Email marketing systems
- SmartFocus Digital (UK-based email marketing system with a range of client sizes, but tends to be larger organisations). I use SmartFocus Digital for distributing my E-newsletter.
- NewZapp (a relatively low cost, capable UK-based solution)
- dotMailer (another cost-effective UK solution)
- Pure 360 (UK-based Email marketing specialists with options for SMEs and larger companies wishing to run trigger-based personalised Email marketing campaigns).
- Newsweaver (Offices in UK and Ireland with clients ranging from large multinationals to SMEs. Have examples of SMEs Email templates on their site)
Popular US Email broadcast services
- Jangomail (US email service)
- Ezinedirector (US email system popular in Europe)
- Constant Contact (again US-based but used widely in Europe)
- MailChimp (US email service commonly recommended for its ease of use)
Asia Pacific Email management systems
- Campaign Monitor (Australia-based)
- Blaynmail Email Service Provider – although many Blaynmail clients are based in Japan, also offers English language clients starting at $7.77 US per month
Of course, there are literally hundreds of E-newsletter broadcast solutions and these represent the most widely used lower-cost options.
For higher-end packages and a good review of what to look out for within an E-mail management system see the E-consultancy E-mail Marketing buyers guide.
Key Criteria to consider for an Email or Enewsletter system are – can the solution:
- Track E-mail response at an individual level?
- Track campaign response across time / multiple campaigns?
- Integrate response with customer database?
- Manage profiling and subscription/unsubscribe?
- Bounces, e.g. Out-of-office auto-replies?
- Deliver WYSIWYG editing for marketing staff?
- Archived e-newsletters on web site?
- Is broadcasting straightforward?
Please add your comments on other systems or suppliers you have found capable.
