Get Started With Email Marketing: 3 Platforms in Review

Get Started With Email Marketing: 3 Platforms in Review

Email marketing is one of the best ways for entrepreneurs to promote their business. In last week’s blog, we discussed three marketing strategies for beginners. Over the next few posts, we will dive deeper into each strategy. 

In 2018, we posed the question, Is Email Marketing Worth It? We recognized that it can be frustrating to receive too many marketing emails. However, we also found that customers are 5 times more likely to see your content through email rather on Facebook. Further, email marketing lets you actually capture customer data, unlike social media platforms. The answer is yes, email marketing is worth it. 

Today, we discuss three popular apps that integrate with your Shopify store so that you can easily get started with email marketing. 

App 1: Omnisend 

If you thought that Mailchimp was the only option for email marketing, think again. A quick visit to Shopify’s App Store will demonstrate just how many options you have to choose from. 

One of the most popular options by the numbers is Omnisend, which has over 3200 five-star reviews. Based on testimonials alone, this is a strong competitor for entrepreneurs at all levels; many users describe how easy the app is to set up and customize. Omnisend also boasts important time-savers like single-click integration with Shopify and automatic product import.

The biggest advantage of using Omnisend is its ability to connect with multiple sales channels, such as SMS, Facebook, and Google. This means that you can personalize engagement at different stages of the customer lifecycle - i.e. sending a text message with a discount code for next time immediately after they complete a purchase. The app also features standard and easy-to-use email flows such as abandoned cart recovery and post-purchase, among others. 

Omnisend comes with a free 14-day trial to get familiar with its features. If you’re still on the fence after the trial, the app automatically switches you to their free plan. Free doesn’t mean limited in this case - you can send up to 15,000 emails per month (with a limit of 2,000 per day) on their free plan. Their paid plans, which start at $16 per month, are determined by the size of your subscriber list. 

App 2: Privy 

One of the top-rated apps period on Shopify’s app store is Privy. It has over 24,000 reviews with a 4.6 rating out of 5. When we worked at Shopify, Privy was often used as an email capture tool - think pop-up dialog boxes, website banners, and that trendy spin-to-win wheel. Since then, it has evolved into a full-fledged email marketing tool designed with small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in mind. 

Beyond eye-catching exit intent pop-ups, Privy also provides abandoned cart recovery emails, post-purchase confirmations, and newsletter capabilities. This app’s unique features include coupon code integration, real-time reporting, and the ability to integrate with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Klayvio, and Omnisend. 

We tend to be skeptical of apps that claim to do everything. However, Privy’s free 15-day trial makes it easy to compare it with other email marketing tools. You’ll even get a free phone call with a trial coach to discuss which email campaigns would work best for your business! Plus, if Privy’s data shows that your site gets less than 5,000 page views per month, you can stay on their free plan. Privy’s email marketing only starts at $10 per month for 1,000 contacts and increases as your subscription base grows. 

App 3: Drip 

Drip is a newer addition to the Shopify App Store. It only has 18 reviews with a 4.6 rating out of 5 (though it is worth mentioning that 16/18 reviews were 5-stars). With their paid plan starting at $49 per month, this is also the most expensive app we’ve looked at. What’s the deal? 

Drip is quickly changing the email marketing game. They call themselves an E-commerce Customer Relationship Management system (ECRM). Traditional CRMs are often used by B2B sales teams to track the lifecycle of a customer relationship. What makes Drip different is that its system is tailored specifically to e-commerce needs. Here’s what their website says

“Just like how a CRM or a salesperson would listen for keywords or indicators of purchase intent, Drip ECRM captures consumers’ online behavior to help retailers automatically nurture them to a sale by remembering and responding to their interests and needs.” 

With all of the marketing emails that customers receive, Drip believes that personalization and segmentation are key to standing out. And they’re not wrong - more and more customers want to feel like a company cares about their unique wants and needs. 

Is this app worth the investment for business owners just starting out? Probably not. Though Drip offers a free two-week trial, their services are definitely geared towards enterprise-level clients. I chose to discuss Drip today because the importance of segmentation and personalization go beyond their app. Truly, these are industry best-practices that all business owners can take note of. 

In Conclusion 

When you’re new to email marketing, it is important to pick an app that is right for you. Being easy to use and customize doesn’t hurt, either. I encourage you to take advantage of free trials and live support to determine the best fit.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We always love discussing marketing strategies.

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