Tag: mailchimp review

  • Is MailChimp Free?

    Is MailChimp Free?

    Is MailChimp free? The answer is yes. The MailChimp Forever Free plan allows you to manage up to 2,000 email subscribers and delivering 12,000 emails monthly.

    Is MailChimp safe? Now that you asked, MailChimp is safe for work. If you are sending non-spammy emails, then you are pretty much in a very safe environment. But if you are an affiliate marketer, you may have a problem (or problems if I may).

    I wrote a post about problems you will face when using MailChimp and since then, it became one of the most visited posts on my blog.

    Let’s be honest. Most of you who are reading this is either a blogger, beginner or an Internet marketer. Either way, your goal is to save more money and aim for the highest yield.

    I get it and I have the same thoughts as well!

    MailChimp Forever Free plan is always good for us especially when you don’t have to pay until you hit 2,000 subscribers. Plus, most beginners don’t generate over 100 subscribers in a week. So, you are in good hands (at this point in time).

     

    Why do I recommend MailChimp?

    MailChimp is great for bloggers, Internet marketers and even business owners who are just starting up in email marketing. Here are some more reasons why you should be using MailChimp Forever Free account:

    • MailChimp is free
    • You can be worry-free until you hit 2,000 email subscribers
    • Beautiful UI and UX design on MailChimp’s backend
    • Drag and drop builder helps you create beautiful email templates
    • Simple filtering to help you manage your email lists
    • Very high delivery rates
    • MailChimp is scaleable

    Now, allow me to touch on the last point which is scalability. As your business progresses down the road, you would need to scale your email marketing software because you are going to have more subscribers and need better features for marketing.

    You can easily move on to MailChimp paid accounts as low as $9 per month and if you need all the analytical features, there is MailChimp Pro which starts at $199 per month and it is on top of your monthly subscription fees.

    Signing up for MailChimp is always a breeze. You can start an account in just 5 minutes using this link.

     

    Why do I not recommend MailChimp?

    For starters, MailChimp doesn’t go on lightly with affiliate marketers. Now, this means that you are going to face massive challenges if you use MailChimp. Here’s a snippet of MailChimp’s terms of use:

    MailChimp Prohibited Content Affiliate Marketing

    MailChimp doesn’t allow affiliate marketing, along with several other industries.

    While I have seen a 50-50 chance of being caught using MailChimp for promotion the prohibited content, do you want to take the risk?

     

    How to use MailChimp and not get banned?

    The rule is simple: Do not spam.

    Industries such as affiliate marketing, work from home, make money online and lead generation are known for spamming and we should always avoid doing such.

    The quick way to solve this is by ensuring that we send only quality materials through email.

    Do you know that you can send educational emails (using MailChimp) pertaining to the sensitive subjects and not breaking the rules?

    After all, we all hate spam, don’t we?

     

    What are other MailChimp alternatives?

    If you are looking for affordable ones, then I would recommend ConvertKit. ConvertKit is known as the MailChimp alternative because it offers very similar features to what MailChimp does, but with some twists.

    The biggest and single differentiation between MailChimp and ConvertKit is the way they operate. MailChimp is list-centric and this means that number of subscribers are calculated based on the number of subscribers in the list.

    ConvertKit is subscriber-centric and instead of calculating subscriber per list, subscribers can opt into various lists (segments and groups) without being calculated twice.

    Do you know that ConvertKit has an awesome dashboard for an all in one view?

    ConvertKit Dashboard

    In a long run, ConvertKit offers much more saving compared to MailChimp.

    But hey, don’t take my word for it. Click here to schedule a demo with ConvertKit and see it live in action. This way, you will have first-hand experience understanding what ConvertKit is all about (and if ConvertKit is a good choice for replacing MailChimp).

     

    Over to you

    The answer is “Hell yes” if you are wondering is MailChimp free. As a seasoned Internet marketer, I have seen and gone through some hell weeks using MailChimp myself (due to own carelessness). MailChimp isn’t that bad after all in many sides and it is proven with big brands using it.

    As a recap, MailChimp is safe for us if you are in several industries. At the same time, I highly recommend you to take a look at other MailChimp alternatives such as ConvertKit for a more robust email marketing solution.

  • Convertkit vs Drip vs MailChimp: The Best Email Marketing Automation

    Convertkit vs Drip vs MailChimp: The Best Email Marketing Automation

    The introduction to email marketing automation (before we compare MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip)

    Email marketing automation is the thing right now. It doesn’t matter if you are selling a course or simply trying to create a more engaged subscriber.

    According to Hubspot, success in email marketing automation comes down to two parts:

    • Recognizing that marketing automation does not do marketing and lead generation for you but it can help you scale your business
    • Centering your marketing messages around the real and live person at the receiving end of your campaigns

    It makes all the sense if you think about it.

    The first step is to start creating content that attracts the right type of audience and when they show up at your doorsteps, you need to bribe them with a powerful call to action (I use Thrive Leads for that matter).

    The second part is to understand your audience before you are able to send emails that resonate closely with them. Hubspot said about “treating them like a real person” and that’s what you should be doing!

    Using advanced tagging tools, you will be able to send timely and powerful email contents to them and in return, you will get better click-through rates and engagement. Plus, you may even see a drop in people unsubscribing as well!

    BONUS: For a limited time only, I’m opening up an exclusive 7-days course to help you with affiliate marketing. Want in? Click here for more info!

    MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip are three of the most powerful email marketing automation software in the market today. I was searching for MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip the past few days and sadly, I can’t find one. Therefore, I did mine and I hope you like it!

    What made it worse is that most of the comparisons out there don’t compare or even include MailChimp. So, I hope this comparison between MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip will give you a great idea on which email marketing automation you should be using for your business.

    This post would be pretty long since I’m giving a detailed explanation on all the three email marketing automation. Therefore, here’s a quick drive down on the overall summary for them.

    I recommend you to read the full article to get the complete information which will certainly be useful for your decision making between MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip.

     

    If you are a complete beginner or running with very limited funds for email marketing

    Then your best choice is MailChimp.

    Sure, MailChimp has several weaknesses (highlighted here) but it is still the best value for money. I have seen MailChimp grow a lot since two years back and now, I’m proud to say that it has evolved into an excellent email marketing automation system.

    Here are the reasons why you need to be using MailChimp for email marketing:

    • Absolutely free to use (up to 12,000 emails a month and 2,000 subscribers)
    • Comes with email marketing automation for all accounts
    • Easy to setup and start for beginners
    • Comes with an array of beautiful templates (for newsletters)
    • Excellent delivery rates
    • Easy integration with third party apps and e-Commerce stores
    • Advanced tagging for paid accounts

     

    How much does MailChimp cost?

    • New Business plan (forever free) > Free for life up to 12,000 email per month and 2,000 subscribers
    • Growing Business plan > Starts from $10 per month for 500 email subscribers and unlimited email delivery
    • Pro Marketer plan > Starts from $199 per month

     

    Who uses MailChimp?

    • Yoast SEO
    • Leadfeeder
    • Viral Loops
    • Breezy HR
    • Captive Media

    >> Try MailChimp Today <<

     

    If you are a blogger or marketer trying to better manage your subscribers for better click-through rates and engagement

    Then your best choice is ConvertKit.

    ConvertKit is built for bloggers and marketers who want more than just email marketing. As a matter of fact, ConvertKit is was built directly against what MailChimp is doing and ConvertKit is a great alternative to MailChimp.

    Here are the reasons why ConvertKit is best for you:

    • Easy to use, plain templates that are proven to increase clicks and engagement rate
    • ConvertKit is subscriber centric (ability to manage your subscribers with just a few clicks)
    • Send targeted emails based on your subscriber’s interest
    • Easily track subscriber’s actions based on clicks tracking
    • Easy to use email automation system
    • Comes with unlimited landing pages

     

    How much does ConvertKit cost?

    • 1 to 1,000 subscribers > $29 per month
    • 1,001 to 3,000 subscribers > $49 per month
    • 3,001 to 5,000 subscribers > $79 per month

    There are also custom plans for those who have a huge list of email subscribers.

     

    Who uses ConverKit?

    • CopyHackers
    • Bare Metrics
    • Smart Passive Income by Pat Flynn
    • Tara Gentile
    • Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

    >> Try ConvertKit today! <<

     

    If you are trying to sell eBooks, courses, and other paid media

    Then Drip is your best choice.

    Drip is just like ConvertKit, but with many other functions in it. What makes Drip different from the rest of the email marketing automation systems is the ability to tag each subscriber with extreme details.

    Here are the reasons why you need to use Drip for email marketing automation:

    • Custom made email marketing automation that makes sense
    • Details workflow and email automation creation
    • Advanced tracking of email subscribers
    • Get more insights and more revenue with contact management tools
    • Drip integrates with just about everything
    • Comes with inbuilt widget without needing any plugin

     

    How much does Drip cost?

    • 1 to 100 subscribers > Starter plan (Free)
    • 101 to 2,500 subscribers > $49 per month
    • 2,501 to 5,000 subscribers > $99 per month

    There are also custom plans for those who have a huge list of email subscribers.

     

    Who uses Drip?

    • Help Scout
    • Ambassador
    • When I Work
    • Segment
    • Teamwork
    • Samcart

    >> Create a free Drip account here <<

     

    MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip – Complete Comparison

    Now that you get a quick hang on what email marketing automation software and the importance of having the right tool, let’s dive into the main topic for today, MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip.

     

    MailChimp Review

    MailChimp is one of the best email marketing automation for beginners and small businesses. As for the record, MailChimp doesn’t offer automation back then. But since May 2017, MailChimp had rolled out new email automation for every MailChimp user.

    And yes, you guessed it right! Even for the free accounts!

    Email marketing automation can be a challenging business. Lucky for you, MailChimp is one of those email marketing providers that made marketing automation really that easy (even for beginners) to master!

    https://youtu.be/qNvC75dt0jQ

    It totally makes sense since there is so much competition in the market where MailChimp can no longer keep their hands clean and not doing anything about it.

    For email marketing beginners, the MailChimp move is heavenly and timely.

    I still use MailChimp for some of my projects and they are good. I have absolutely no complaints about them and I believe you won’t have either, especially when you do not need advanced tagging on email subscribers.

     

    Advantages using MailChimp

    • Availability of free and premium plans
    • Email automation on all plans (including free ones)
    • Beautiful templates
    • Best in the market for drag and drop
    • Excellent delivery rates

     

    Disadvantages using MailChimp

    • The process of tagging a subscriber is not an easy task (coding required)
    • Ugly subscription forms
    • Many advanced features for email marketing are not available in the free plan
    • Very strict rules in email content (including affiliates and promotions)
    • Support is slow and available only for paid plans

     

    My personal recommendations for using MailChimp

    MailChimp is best when you do not require any advanced email marketing features. You can consider using MailChimp if you are just starting out in the blogging world or if you have a developer in-house to code your email for tagging reasons.

    You can’t go wrong using MailChimp and once you are comfortable enough with email marketing, there are better options such as ConvertKit and Drip to consider.

    Start here: You can start using MailChimp using this link.

     

    ConvertKit Review

    If you like the interface on MailChimp, you are going to love ConvertKit too. Being a ConvertKit user, the best way to describe ConvertKit is MailChimp on steroids.

    ConvertKit is powerful because it serves three main purposes that most email marketing automation software isn’t able to do:

    • Ability to tag each subscriber based on actions with ease
    • Inbuilt landing pages makes lead generation even more powerful
    • Easy email automation system with visual

    Another selling point using ConvertKit is the forms, tags, and segments which will help you to segment your subscribers (a little setup required). Hit play on the video below to get more information.

    Advantages using ConvertKit

    • The power of Infusionsoft, but easier to use than MailChimp
    • Integration with more than a dozen apps
    • Email automation made easy
    • Very supportive and active support team
    • ConvertKit is created mainly for bloggers and advanced marketers
    • Affordable pricing and plans to fit your needs

     

    Disadvantages using ConvertKit

    • Not able to manage multiple domains using one account
    • Landing pages are very simple and limited in choices
    • Plain text in most email templates
    • Pricing increases dramatically (more than others) at higher tiers
    • No free plan available

     

    My personal recommendations for using ConvertKit

    You should be using ConvertKit if you are serious about making money out of your email list. ConvertKit even published an article on the 5 reasons why you shouldn’t use ConvertKit and stick to MailChimp.

    In short, ConvertKit comes with a small price tag for some heavy duty email automation features.

    Is ConvertKit worth the money? Absolutely!

    Start here: Click here to check out ConvertKit now!

     

    Drip Review

    When I moved to Drip, I had my hat blown off. BIG TIME!

    I heard about Drip sometime back and when LeadPages acquired Drip, I knew Drip was something. It must be, right?

    Drip is like putting ConvertKit on steroids. Why?

    drip email automation

    I am totally blown away when I created my first account with Drip. What I love (not like) the most is the introductory part where you would need to answer a few questions. The answers collected from the Q&A will be used to customize your email marketing solution when you first start on Drip.

    In other words, you will start with many features turned on (which helped a lot with the whole process).

    I do a lot of things with my website; from consulting business to selling courses. So, it is a no-brainer to use Drip because of several advanced options under the hood.

     

    Advantages using Drip

    There are a lot of advantages using Drip (just like ConvertKit and MailChimp) and here is a list of them:

    • A best-in-class visual workflow builder
    • You can automate everything (18 triggers and 16 actions in the automation rule builder)
    • Tag your subscribers based on their actions
    • Identify your best leads (useful if you are selling a product or services)
    • Send targeted emails (drip campaigns, broadcasts and one-off emails)
    • Ability to track your email marketing performance
    • Effortlessly capture email addresses (instead of using plugins)
    • Drip natively integrates with dozens of applications and platforms
    • Availability of free plan (for 100 email subscribers)

    As you can see above, Drip does offer more advantages when compared to ConvertKit and MailChimp.

    But hey, Drip has its disadvantages too!

     

    Disadvantages using Drip

    • Overall pricing is more expensive when your list is small (price improves once your list grows)
    • Not suitable for beginners and newly started bloggers
    • Too many features which may lead to confusion for beginners
    • The free plan is only for 100 email subscribers

     

    My personal recommendations for using Drip

    Drip is not for everyone. As a matter of fact, the same goes for MailChimp and ConvertKit. Drip is the best email marketing automation software if you know exactly what you are selling.

    I use Drip for this website because I wanted to create powerful marketing automation funnels to deliver the right content to the right audience.

    The Goal: Create powerful marketing automation funnels

    Start here: Click here to see Drip in action now!

     

    MailChimp vs ConvertKit vs Drip – Summary

    Phew!

    This is a long comparison between the top three email marketing automation systems in the market today. What do you think?

    Would you go for:

    • MailChimp which is the best free email automation system?
    • ConvertKit if you are a blogger or marketer who wants to better manage your subscribers?
    • Or like me, going for Drip because you want to have powerful email marketing automation features to maximize revenue and engagement?

    Leave a comment below and I’m happy to hear your thoughts.

  • ConvertKit vs MailChimp: The Best Email Marketing Solution #60DaysBloggingChallenge Day 4

    ConvertKit vs MailChimp: The Best Email Marketing Solution #60DaysBloggingChallenge Day 4

    ConvertKit vs MailChimp.

    In today’s #60DaysBloggingChallenge, I’m going to compare two powerful email marketing services, ConvertKit and MailChimp.

    Before I start, I would like to highlight that I’ve been using MailChimp (paid account) for over three years before finally moving over to ConvertKit in September 2016.

    So, here’s the layout of this article. I’ll be starting off with a brief introduction of ConvertKit and MailChimp, followed by a summary of their advantages and disadvantages. I certainly hope that you find this comparison, ConvertKit vs MailChimp useful and please share this post around on social media.

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    BONUS: Like email marketing? Read my latest comparison between MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip for 2017! Read more.

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    CONTINUE READING

  • 3 Disappointing Truth About MailChimp Email Marketing Solutions

    3 Disappointing Truth About MailChimp Email Marketing Solutions

    [et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text]​MailChimp Email Marketing Services. This post was published on 9th July 2013 and it is time for an update because there are a lot of things that had changed over the years. Not only MailChimp had changed, everything from list building to email marketing solutions had evolved with technology. So, are you planning to use MailChimp for email marketing or already using MailChimp but is actively looking for alternatives? Today, I’m going to share some important things you should know about disadvantages using MailChimp which can impact your email marketing strategy dearly. ​This article is not about flaming or putting MailChimp down. Instead, it is just several small information which could affect you, your website or business if you are not careful with. More importantly, these disadvantages might impact your online marketing strategies! ​BONUS RESOURCE: ​Click here to learn more about MailChimp competitors (ConvertKit and Drip) here!

    ​What is MailChimp (or ChimpMail)?

    ​MailChimp has came a long way and over the years, it had it shares of improvements done to email marketing. MailChimp is currently the market leader for free email marketing solution. Here’s what MailChimp looks like in the past. mailchimp reviewmailchimp reviewmailchimp review ​It’s bloody old school to say the very least!  Those days, the tagline for MailChimp is “Send Better Emails” and now, the latest MailChimp tagline is “Marketing Platform For Small Businesses.” While MailChimp may have changed its logo, branding and tagline, the same old MailChimp email marketing ​model (which are highly sought after) remains:
    • ​Forever free account for email marketing
    • ​Manage up to 2,000 email subscribers free
    • ​Send up to 12,000 emails per month for free
    I know thousands ​of businesses around the world who stand by MailChimp when it comes to ​email marketing service. ​Even bloggers (both beginners and professionals) use MailChimp to manage their email lists! So, why is MailChimp such a popular email marketing service? I bet it has nothing to do with the chimpanzee who dressed up as a postal service previously. While I think that it is a great mascot as it serves a good balance between fun and work, the new mascot for MailChimp looks better and portrays quality. new MailChimp looksnew MailChimp looksnew MailChimp looks ​MailChimp got its name and fame by offering pretty much forever free email marketing solutions to those who need it. Small business owners, email marketers, bloggers and entrepreneurs use MailChimp because of the excellent pricing structures and of course, very good delivery rates. In short, MailChimp is an online email marketing solution to manage your contacts, send emails and track results. It offers forever free membership for the first 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails monthly. For me, forever free email marketing solution is very tempting and mouthwatering feature especially when you are new in blogging or Internet marketing industry. We are always trying to grow our mailing list and ​if you are just starting a new venture, you wouldn’t want to spend $20 to $100 a month for premium email marketing services. ​Hey, I get it … I’ve been there myself! When I first started Marketing Lancers (digital marketing agency in Malaysia), the entire company’s was going on lean marketing/setup. Minimum staffs and leveraging as many free tools as possible to reduce the overall cost. With the very interactive user interface, excellent back-end dashboard and​ forever free MailChimp email marketing services, ​your email marketing problem is solved, right? Well, I wished that was the case but it isn’t. There are some MailChimp weaknesses and disadvantages which you should be well aware off, or else they are going to bite you where it hurts the most (destroying your email list). ​Carry on reading to learn more about MailChimp email marketing solution. ​BONUS: If you want to learn how to use MailChimp effectively, here’s an awesome guide for you. The Complete Guide In Using MailChimp Email Marketing ​Solution (Step By Step Guide).

    1. No affiliate marketing with MailChimp

    The single biggest problem with MailChimp email marketing solution is their legal policies. MailChimp legal policies is pretty strict especially for many bloggers and work from home Internet marketers. Why? I got this shot from the main website (source below).

    ​Prohibited Content on MailChimp

    Please don’t use MailChimp to send anything offensive, to promote anything illegal, or to harass anyone. You may not send:
    • ​Pornography or other sexually explicit emails
    • ​Email offering to sell illegal goods or services
    • ​Emails that violate CAN-SPAM Laws
    • Alternate Comment TimesMarketing or commercial email with permission
    Some industries have higher-than-normal abuse complaints, which can in turn jeopardize the deliverability of our entire system. Nothing personal, but in order to maintain the highest delivery rates possible for all our customers, we can’t allow businesses that offer these types of services, products, or content:
    • ​Escort and dating services
    • ​Pharmaceutical products
    • ​Work from home,make money on online, and lead generation opportunities
    • Alternate Comment Times​Online trading, day trading tips, or stock market-related content
    • Alternate Comment Times​Multi-level marketing
    • Alternate Comment TimesAffiliate marketing
    • Alternate Comment TimesCredit repair and get out of debt opportunities
    • Alternate Comment TimesMortgages and loans
    • Alternate Comment TimesNutritional, herbal, and vitamin supplements
    • Alternate Comment TimesAdult novelty items or references
    • Alternate Comment TimesList brokers or list rental services
    ​If you send this sort of content, most email services providers won’t be able to help you. You might want to look into setting up your own mail server. MailChimp’s Delivery Guide explains how that works. Source: MailChimp Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you blown? For the benefit of the doubt, I understand that MailChimp wants to protect its delivery rate but do you agree that MailChimp terms is not even an advantage to consider for online marketers and bloggers? I was made aware thanks to Adrian and you can read it all here (comment section). Personally, I wouldn’t mind the first few disadvantages but not allowing affiliate marketing is definitely the stop point for me. As a​ professional and seasoned affiliate marketer, using MailChimp email marketing solution means that I’m at risk of losing my whole email list​ and more importantly, going to impact my affiliate earnings severely! I could be wrong but Internet marketing is either selling/promoting products (affiliate marketing) or creating some sort of lead generation for business. ​ ​Editor’s Note ​If you are in the affilaite marketing niche like I do, I recommend you to understand the terms and conditions of MailChimp before using it. ​MailChimp has the tendency to remove your account without any notice and this means that all your hard work will just go straight into the drain! When it comes to MailChimp abuse reports, the risk is high and you need to know that you are not allowed to promote any affiliate products (apart from your own) using MailChimp.

    ​2. MailChimp pricing structure is misleading

    This MailChimp review is not complete without talking about the MailChimp pricing structure. MailChimp pricing structure is really bad. Take a look at both of these screenshots. MailChimp PricingMailChimp Pricing ​Basic pricing structure MailChimp 2000 SubscribersMailChimp 2000 Subscribers ​When you have more than 2,000 subscribers ​For me, the MailChimp email pricing structure is really misleading. Compare both the left and right side of the images. Let’s assume you are at 2,000 email subscribers and you are required to go for paid email marketing by MailChimp. You are no longer paying $10 but $30 for 2,000 email subscribers (up to 2,500 email subscribers). Do you see the big jump in pricing? That’s an additional of $20 on top of the base $10 per month! For bloggers, this is definitely not worth the money and effort. Sure, professional email marketers (even other blog posts) will say that when you have 2,000 email subscribers, you will be able to make sufficient money from your list. But, is that the real truth? For a fact, I know many bloggers and Internet marketers who have more than 2,000 email subscribers and not making a single cent from email marketing. If I’m putting myself in the shoes of new bloggers or low-income online marketers, MailChimp pricing is definitely one of the biggest disadvantages using MailChimp. Plus when include in the terms and conditions of not allowing affiliate marketing, it gets even worse! I will not be surprised the number of bloggers who have this question in mind, “How do I make money with email marketing with MailChimp?” Personally, I rather pay for AWeber anytime of the day compared to MailChimp based on the pricing structure (no offense, MailChimp).

    ​3. MailChimp support is bad

    ​Based on industry standards, MailChimp has one of the worst support you can ever image. mailchimp supportmailchimp support ​If you are using MailChimp free account, support will only be given to you on the first 30 days via email only (refer above). Yes, I know EXACTLY what you are thinking. MailChimp Support EmailMailChimp Support Email ​It is rather safe to say that when you use MailChimp free account, there is absolutely NO support given and I can’t even imagine MailChimp has such feature. Sure the knowledge base for MailChimp is very detailed but in today’s business world, data suggests that customers see fast, friendly and consistent customer service as the gold standard. 

    ​Should I ​still use MailChimp?

    ​I think this is one important question to cover. MailChimp has many disadvantages but I still use MailChimp for some of my blogs and businesses. When it comes to email marketing, MailChimp is pretty awesome and has a very unique pricing model. If you are a small to medium sized business and doesn’t require much from an email marketing solution, MailChimp is an excellent choice. If mailing list is under 2,000 email subscribers and you are not willing to pay for an email marketing solution, this ChimpMail is worth the try. ​The most important factor when considering using MailChimp is that you are not opening in the industry or markets which they do not allow (refer to their terms above). MailChimp is just like any other email marketing solutions such as AWeber and Convertkit. It is common to have emails delivered via MailChimp going to spam. This happens! The problems (in most cases) don’t sit on MailChimp servers but most of the the time, the email domain that you used or the content in the email that triggers the spam filters. Here are some samples:
    • Using Gmail or Yahoo to send email
    • Having words like “free” and “sale” in the email body

    What’s your thought on MailChimp?

    What do you think about MailChimp and all these issues? Again, this doesn’t prove or mean that MailChimp is bad choice for email marketing. I got to admit that the above sounds a little … biased … but I promise I’m not! Maybe, just a little frustrated as an avid Internet marketer myself. If you’re able to live with it (like the thousands who do), why not right? MailChimp offers:
    • ​Free and pay as you go (services)
    • ​Acceptable level of reliability (delivery)
    • ​Simple to use and intuitive dashboard/email marketing features
    Personally, I would use MailChimp if I’m running a small blog or a non-business site. However, I would rather pay a little bit more to have a better service especially when it comes to business matters. Moreover, Internet marketing is all about the ‘list’ and without one, you are basically nothing. My only concern about MailChimp are their terms and MailChimp pay as you go mechanics which can be very expensive as you grow your email list. Are you convinced with what I have to say about MailChimp? If you are thinking that hey, MailChimp is free to sign up and no strings attached, go ahead and register your free account here. Moreover, you have nothing to lose, right? Now, what’s your take on this? Will MailChimp be able to restore confidence among its member? Hit the reply button below and tell me what you think. Thinking twice of MailChimp or looking for another email marketing provider? How about AWeber? Try it out for FREE today (plus 30 days money back guarantee)! And if AWeber is not your cup of tea, here are 4 more MailChimp alternatives to start your email marketing campaigns today. Read here. Overall, there are many other MailChimp alternatives that you could use. It all boils down to your email marketing requirements and the budget you can afford to commit to every month. If you like this article, could you please share this for me using the button below?[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
  • AWeber vs MailChimp – The Best Email Marketing Services

    AWeber vs MailChimp – The Best Email Marketing Services

    This article about email marketing services is dedicated to my blogger friend, Bren Lee from My Girly Parts who asked me about the differences between MailChimp and AWeber. So Bren, this is for you and hope you liked it.

    You have probably heard about ‘money is in the list’ hundred of times now. If not, you better read this article not once … but twice.

    Why? Because this is the most basic blogging 101 for beginners and professional bloggers alike!

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    Latest Update: Like email marketing? Read my latest comparison between MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip for 2017! Read more.

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    Did you noticed that there are those newsletter signup boxes on your favorite websites? Yes, now you got the point.

    Before that, let’s take a quick look on what makes AWeber and MailChimp different using the slide below:

    The importance of a mailing list

    I am just keeping this short and sweet. You may have tons of traffic coming from search engines and referral traffic. However, do you know how to promote an article which has a super high rate of success?

    Let’s take an instance that you have 100 subscribers. This means that you have at an average of 90 eager, ready to share and loyal readers who will read your writings. And, you may write something bad and they would probably still say you are good.

    Talking from a point of an Internet marketer or emarketer, a mailing list means you are going to promote a products to people who are willing to listen and probably close a sale with them.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a blogger, copy writer or Internet marketer … you need a mailing list. I call it … the black book.

    What to look for in an email marketing service provider?

    There are many choices you can choose from nowadays which consist of both free and paid ones. As for the record (as of now), I do not have a huge subscribers list like what most bloggers have and I’m still trying to grow my list. If you want to join my list, you can signup here:

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    I’m a tough customer and it would take me quite a lot of convinces before I actually try on an email marketing service. This are what I am expecting to get:

    1. Easy to use (UI, integration etc)
    2. Templates
    3. Scheduler
    4. Auto responder
    5. Anti spam features
    6. A/B testings
    7. Pricing

    Now, let me tell you again. There are many choices when it comes to email marketing software and provider. After several research and reading lots of reviews, I decided to stick my head into both MailChimp and AWeber only. The rest doesn’t come close to what I what I want (more on that in a minute).

    I got to stress that I realized there are so many marketing tactics used by both the email marketing companies above which, at times is very confusing. I hope this article will give a brighter and clearer explanation of what these are and what they can offer. Most importantly, what you can expect from them.

    MailChimp – Send Better Email

    MailChimp offers excellent email marketing services with a low price
    MailChimp offers limited email marketing services for free

    I’m going to review MailChimp first since I came into contact with it earlier than others. Okay, I admit it … the word free kinda attracted me. Not only that, with over 100,000 die-hard supporters, I know that MailChimp is definitely a competitor in email marketing solutions.

    What I really love about MailChimp?

    1. Clean, clear and fun UI to use
    2. Drag and drop functions
    3. Very direct and not complicated settings and control panels
    4. Free

    What I dislike about MailChimp?

    1. Free account offers limited features
    2. Several options could be unlocked only after you completed certain tasks
    3. You can add anyone immediately as subscribers without comfirmation

    The first thing that attracted me to MailChimp (besides the bloody ‘free‘) is the user interface. It is basically very simple and is ideal for those who want to build a list fast. You can probably set up an email within 15 minutes. Maybe lesser if you know what you’re doing.

    I am also tempted with MailChimp’s integration module. It’s signup form can be integrated easily into nearly any widget and plugins. Yes, a big turn on when it comes to ‘bye bye coding work’.

    What I really don’t like about MailChimp is the fact that some important email marketing features are locked on free account (like A/B testing and auto responder). Of course, you can unlocked them by being more ‘active’ or doing more tasks before you are able to unlock them.

    What I mean is … give me a break! If you want to offer something, offer them in full.

    MailChimp is one of the best email marketing providers which offers free service
    Example of MailChimp Mailing List which I had done to run my research

    Another downside is that fact that you can basically add anyone into your subscriber’s list without their confirmation. This is not a good sign as you could easily be labelled as spam. You definitely don’t want when it comes to growing your mailing list.

    I still love MailChimp and it’s simply because it is freemium. The free account offers a maximum of 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails (per month). Anything more is all pay per use which is pretty cool for me.

    Important note (credits to Adrian Jock): Term and Condition changes on MailChimp which could affects you!

    MailChimp terms of use
    MailChimp has a small clause that disallow specific businesses to use their services.

    My verdict: You can grow your mailing list perfectly well with MailChimp. It is definitely a good choice for those who are tight on budget or even on a start up website. Since MailChimp offers a free email marketing service, I believe that it is a great platform to start it … of course, if you on the ‘allowed’ list as said by MailChimp.

    AWeber – Email Marketing Software and Email Marketing Services

    Aweber offers great flexibility and features when it comes to email marketing
    AWeber is one of the most popular paid email marketing provider in the world

    AWeber is a great email marketing service and yes, I am using AWeber. Even though I am using it, I will try my best to be as neutral as possible 🙂

    AWeber is not free but I’m willing to pay for it? Why?!

    What I love about AWeber?

    1. Detailed dashboard (UI)
    2. Many options and features when creating mailing list
    3. Auto responder
    4. Excellent promo ($1 for the first month)

    What I dislikes about AWeber?

    1. Limited templates
    2. Not free!

    I moved from MailChimp to AWeber simply because I wanted to try something new. And yes, it was recommended by my blogger friend, Adam Connell from Blogging Wizard. The $1 promo was more than just a deal for me. If I dislike it, I could just cancel the plan. Easy as that!

    Aweber dashboard offers complete and excellent detailed email marketing report
    This is how AWeber looks like on my test newsletter. A complete and detailed reporting tools at your finger tips.

    The first impression when I login to AWeber dashboard was “What the hell had I done?”. Okay, the UI isn’t as clean as what MailChimp is. Just see the screenshots above. AWeber dashboard is … detailed!

    Now, creating an email or auto responder (called as follow up message) in AWeber is no easy job. It’s simply because it is highly customizable. There’s a slight learning curve for setting up email on AWeber but once that job is done, you are going to rock it real hard!

    Hint: check out the two newsletter signup forms on my sidebar. That’s what I’m talking about!

    Once you have created a signup form, AWeber gives you the special placement ability to either grab the HTML code to place manually on your website, email the code to your web developer and even have AWeber to host the form for you. Pretty cool huh?

    Doing A/B testing is also easy using AWeber. You can immediately it do it regardless how many subscribers you have. That makes all the difference when compared to MailChimp.

    AWeber doesn’t allow you to add any subscribers to your list. You may send an email to invite them to your list and they would need to click on the confirmation link. This is absolutely great since you are also able to detect if they are just spam email or inactive followers. A huge +1 when it comes to spam control.

    Talking about spam, AWeber will give you a spam score after you completely editing your email or newsletter. You know … some words are deem spam. The lower your score, the better the chance the email will avoid the junk box.

    Lastly, what I dislike about AWeber is that it has very limited and ready-made templates. Okay, I know customization is the main topic here but for lazy people like me, customizing is time consuming. However, this is something I can live with since I customize all my emails and messages.

    More information: My complete AWeber review – Could AWeber possibly be the BEST email marketing solution?

    AWeber vs MailChimp

    I don’t think there is a clear winner in terms of functionality and features. You will not go wrong with either one of these email marketing providers. Trust me on that.

    As a recap, here’s what I think about AWeber and MailChimp.

    AWeber (Try now: Only $1 for the first month)

    • King of customization
    • Good report and analytic tools ready out of the box
    • Excellent spam control

    MailChimp (Try now: Free for 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails)

    • Extremely easy to use features
    • Powerful email marketing tool if used properly (with some patience)
    • Very affordable when it comes to financial matters

    Are you using any email marketing tools or services? Share your thoughts with me using the form below and let’s discuss.

    If you like this article, could you please share this for me using the red Google+ button below?