In the dynamic realm of online marketing, email newsletters remain among the most prominent tools for businesses seeking effective and immediate communication with their customers. Here’s what I mean:
As we navigate 2023 and step into 2024, the right email newsletter tool can make all the difference when it comes to a brand’s customer-centric marketing strategy.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the four best email newsletter tools that truly stood out in 2023, and see what it is that you’ll need to look for in an email newsletter tool to navigate the remaining months of 2023 and reach beyond 2024.
Email Newsletter Tools: The Core Criteria
Out of this wide variety to choose from, picking out an email newsletter tool in 2023 is something that needs quite the research. However, ensuring that you’ve got the right tool requires a keen assessment of the core factors that you can tailor to your business.
The first thing to look for is the ease of use and the short learning curve. Of course, this is a bit subjective, so make sure you test out and read reviews on as many newsletter platforms as you can.
However, keep in mind that you need your platform to save you time while ensuring accessibility and ease of use. Especially if you’re a small team with limited resources.
After that, make sure features and functionalities suit you. Of course, you need to look for the necessary features like A/B testing, a variety of newsletter templates, and automation capabilities.
Prioritize tools that provide robust automation features and allow you to set up automated campaigns that work. At the same time, look into the tools that offer customization options as well.
Branding elements, layouts and color scheme adjustments contribute to a brand’s image, after all. Some of the most notable newsletter tools, like Brevo, Moosend, or Mailchimp, sport all the aforementioned features.
However, they come with a lot of different functionalities. A solopreneur could be looking for Moosend’s all-around solutions, while a seasoned designer could dislike Mailchimp’s email branding if they’re using the free plan.
Of course, to ensure that those features are for you, you’ll need to look into tools that offer free trials or plans and look into the terms and conditions of the pricing structures. Carefully review pricing plans and scalability options.
Also, see if there’s any hidden cost and try to balance between cost-effectiveness and rich features.
But what are the newsletter tools that really worked for email marketers in 2023? And what can they do for marketers beyond 2023 and well into the future?
Newsletter Tools: The 4 That Stood Out in 2023 (And Why)
Now, without further ado, let’s delve into the best newsletter tools of 2023, and see why users preferred them in the vast pool of marketing tools.
AWeber: Entrepreneurs’ Favorite
AWeber is a strong and reliable presence in the field of email marketing. As a well-established tool with demonstrated resilience, it has won over the hearts of plenty of marketers, especially entrepreneurs who look for a long-standing email solution.
While it may come with some benefits, such as its brand new writing assistant, there are some cons to the tool as well.
Key Features
Why is AWeber a standout choice? Here are some core factors:
- A wide variety of pre-made templates
- A highly regarded customer support team that’s online round the clock
- A high deliverability rate
AWeber Cons
No platform comes without any drawbacks. According to some users, the platform’s most prominent cons are the following:
- Some features could feel a little outdated or not as advanced
- Limited automation features, especially in the lower tier and free plans
Pricing
AWeber sports a free plan with quite limited capabilities. It supports only one email list and up to 500 subscribers. Its paid plans start at $12.5/month, billed annually.
Moosend: A Fortune-500 and SMB Favorite
Moosend is one of the most popular email marketing and marketing automation tools out there. It rose to fame mainly due to its user-friendly interface and short learning curve, and its robust features that enticed brands both big and small.
Key Features
Why is Moosend so popular? Let’s see:
- It sports a powerful Drag-and-Drop email editor
- Offers advanced segmentation through conditional blocks
- Has powerful automation recipes that are fully customizable
- Sports lead-gen elements like subscription forms and landing pages
Moosend Cons
As with anything, there are cons in using Moosend. The most prominent are:
- There is no built-in CRM tool
- There are no native SMS or social media options
Pricing
Moosend offers a free trial for 30-days. There is no credit card needed and there is no pressure to buy after that. Its pricing plans start at $7/month, billed annually. Moosend’s lowest tier covers most features and up to 500 unique subscribers.
Mailchimp: Fan Favorite
Mailchimp is a fan favorite amongst many email marketing and marketing automation tools. Its free plan is one of the best-liked in the market, as well as its beautiful email templates. However, despite it being one of the most popular, it can come with some drawbacks as well.
Key Features
Mailchimp, much like every other marketing tool, can help you create beautiful newsletters and manage your data in a way that entices your audience. Let’s see what it’s most loved for:
- Its powerful automation features
- Its A/B testing options
- Its comprehensive reporting and analytics options
Mailchimp Cons
Despite its popularity, there have been users that report some cons of Mailchimp. The most prominent are:
- The fact that it can get quite pricey quite fast
- The Mailchimp logo on the free and low-tier plans could lead to branding inconsistencies
- The customer support lacks efficiency for some users
Pricing
Mailchimp offers a free plan that can become pricey as you grow, as it covers limited features. Its prices start at $13/month and cover all the basic features, but leave out advanced automation.
Brevo: New Favorite
Brevo is Sendinblue’s “new self”. Its minimalistic approach and advanced email builder are among the most prominent and popular features.
Generally speaking, it’s an easy-to-use platform with great content tools that build beautiful newsletters as well as SMS options. But not everything is perfect when it comes to newsletter tools and platforms.
Key Features
Brevo is best known for some core features that marketers love. Here’s what I mean:
- Contact details are well and easily organized through segments
- Its UI is simple and intuitive
- It sports a wide variety of design tools and templates
Brevo’s Cons
As expected, there are some weaknesses to this platform as well. Let’s see what those are. According to users:
- They could do better with a free A/B testing option
- There are no tags to sort out and filter your contacts
- The platform’s reporting features need a little more work
Pricing
Brevo sports a free plan that covers only up to 300 emails/day. This number is a bit low, especially if you’re scaling up your business, and since there is no limit to the number of contacts on the free plan. The prices start at $25/month.
The Takeaway
Picking out an email marketing and marketing automation platform isn’t the easiest thing to do. However, checking out each platform and taking advantage of its free trials and plans can give you that much more insight into what you’re supposed to be looking for.
While there are many factors to consider, in the end, you ought to pick out the platform that can create beautiful email newsletters and help you build an appealing narrative through core features and beautiful designs.
