The key for any successful business is an audience. These can be built through social media and public websites, but what if these mediums are taken away? What a company gives can be taken just as quickly, meaning the people you worked so hard to earn are no longer there. That’s why building a newsletter is important for any creator trying to succeed in the world of freelance or publishing.
I’ll be sure to write a couple posts about content and design for email newsletters, but today I want to go over the actual services available. The internet is a huge place and many sites offer options in regards to building and maintaining an audience through emails. Yet as I’ve learned, you don’t really know what you’re getting into until you signup. I recently switched email services, so I figured it was time to take you behind the curtain in order to see what’s available for your future newsletter.
Not a Sponsored Post!!
In my journey to find a platform that had all the features I wanted, I came across a ton of blogs with clearly sponsored info. I’d take their advice and try out the service, but found myself unsatisfied because I didn’t receive what I needed. I get it; people make money through sponsors and writing a post geared toward bringing them consumers.
Not my style. The information below is purely based on experience and frustratingly seeking something that worked for my blog. My goal is for you to learn what you’re getting into without subscribing to fifty different websites. Most have the same features, but all are a little different. With that, onward…
Mailchimp
Special place in my heart for Mailchimp because it was the first service I used for my newsletter. I could have 500 subscribers and send 1,000 emails per month without selling my soul. Once I got over 500, they’d start asking for $13/month for a standard plan (the price steadily increases with your number of subscribers). Didn’t hit that point though.
Along with sending emails, Mailchimp allows you to create surveys and popups for your website. They recently added a website feature where you can create a landing page and develop a blog through them, but I didn’t play with that section. Automations are also available, but only with a paid account. The downside to the free account is the lack of scheduling. And if y’all read my post about social media scheduling, I live off automatic posting.
They use a drag/drop block editor for email design that’s super intuitive. Tons of options regarding templates (free and paid) as well as constructing your own layout. There’s a branding suite available where you can select up to three colors, a couple typefaces, and a logo that are automatically set when you design certain elements. I didn’t frequent this feature because it asked for an upgraded plan to unlock more capabilities.
The free version allows one audience, but that was enough for me. Segmenting addresses in order to diversify which emails get sent where is easy. The information you can ask for from a landing page or popup isn’t restricted. You can even customize one in order to learn your subscriber’s favorite fairytale or greatest pet peeve. Mailchimp collects data regarding email opens, internal clicks to your links, bounces, unsubscribes, and more. All this data is free for you with your only limit being how many emails you send. You’re automatically notified when there’s an audience change (subscribe/unsubscribe) and when your email gets sent.
A small plus for Mailchimp is that they have an app you can use to send emails and make minor edits. Obviously there’s more capabilities on the website, but I found it helpful when I needed to send an email at a particular time and wasn’t near my computer.
HubSpot
Fed up with manually sending emails, I began my search for a new service. HubSpot crossed my path while I was researching examples and best practices for newsletter content and design. Their services include marketing, sales, customer service, CMS, and operations. All of which I don’t understand or need, so after a while I tried something different.
For those considering HubSpot, here’s the great Oz behind the sign up. They’re running a current deal of $30/month for a starter version of all their products, but you can buy whichever services match you for $18/month each. Marketing and Contacts would be your main touchpoints for a newsletter. The free version allows you to have seemingly unlimited contacts but only send 2,000 emails/month.
Aside from emails, there is a feature to create popup forms and a blog with landing pages. The sales tab allows you to make special deals that go out as a campaign. I haven’t toyed with this feature though, so not sure how it’ll work for you. Automations and posting through social media are available with the paid versions.
Everyone seems to have swapped to a block editor these days, and HubSpot is no different. With more column options, it’s easier to drag, drop, and create unique layouts. Scheduling is available, though automations require an upgrade. Contacts are easy to organize and import from other systems. Beyond that, it’s very similar to Mailchimp in regards to collecting data and learning details about clicks, bounces, and more. Simply more than I needed, so I moved on.
beehiiv
Remember when I mentioned sponsored articles? Beehiiv was a sponsored article find. Very heavy-handed, but I figured why not? You can get collect up to 5,000 subscribers before you have to pay $42/month. Unlimited emails, custom newsletter, analytics, popups. Seemed wonderful.
Then I signed up and discovered an interesting wrinkle. Each email created an article on a beehiiv-hosted website. If you’re looking to send an email every time you post an article, this is a good seemless way to do it. Your URL would be the collect all link from beehiiv and subscribers would receive the full article in their inbox whenever you post. My time was short, but I do believe you can schedule these posts.
The editor was another turnoff for me and actually made me realize I was crafting a website on top of a newsletter. With two editing views, you can see how the email and the webpage will appear. There are drag-and drop blocks, but the editing wasn’t super intuitive for me. I spent a lot of time being confused and trying to figure out what was so great about the site.
If you’re at ground zero of starting a blog, this is a good option. Especially if you want to have paid subscribers, but that will require a little green. Options like subscribe forms, custom domain name, recommendations, and more are available depending on how much you spend. I already have a site though, as you can see. This wasn’t what I wanted so I immediately bailed.
ConvertKit
I think I heard about this one before it got compared to beehiiv. Either way, I got a refresher. After 1,000 subscribers, you have to start paying $9/month and up to keep your newsletter going. Unlimited emails, or “broadcasts,” are at your disposal, though with limited features. Scheduling and embedded forms are available, but no automations.
Reason why ConvertKit is compared to beehiiv? It also creates a mini site that houses all of your emails. The Creator Profile can be customized to your personal branding, though the system also works with your current site. If you go this route, it’d be beneficial to update this feature because ConvertKit is in the beta for a Creator Network, a seeming Pinterest board of creators you can connect with and grow your audience through.
Primary drawback here is the lack of block editor. You can click to select blocks and craft personalized snippets of information, but there’s no menu with everything easy to access and see. Little more time-consuming than the previous options and the UI isn’t modern.
It does have its own perks like the ability to receive “tips” and sell products. However, y’all know me. My newsletter is a free gift to help others reach their potential. Next!
MailerLite
Mailerlite seemed just as obscure and lackluster as ConvertKit, but I needed something. Free version with 1,000 subscribers? Perfect. $9/month with a gradual increase to keep it going? Future me problem. 12,000 emails a month? More than enough. I signed up.
And got thrown into an approval process. Must’ve gotten hurt more than once. I wasn’t exactly into waiting around, especially for a second go around to doublecheck my findings, so I moved on.
Here are some details I think I remember correctly though: no scheduling (obvious turnoff), block editor with somewhat intuitive structure, popup forms, and a website builder. All the analytics you could desire are obviously included. Unlike some programs that let you create a personal template, Mailerlite doesn’t give freeloaders the opportunity. Limited automation is included for free, but all the good stuff is hidden behind a pay wall.
If you can’t tell from my lackluster details here, I was exhausted, frustrated, and at my wits end. I’d given my email to so many websites that I figured I’d have spam emails galore and random URL redirects whenever I browsed the internet.
Brevo (previously SendinBlue)
I considered going back to Mailchimp and dealing with my mediocrity until I fell upon SendinBlue, now Brevo. Their free plan includes unlimited contacts and 300 emails a day. Their starter plan removes the daily limit in exchange for $25/month. Restricts my future options, but I’ll survive for now.
You can create a landing page but no popup for collecting emails. No surveys either, but their automations are free to use for up to 2,000 contacts. And I’m realizing I didn’t define an automation. When you receive an email saying that you left something in your Amazon cart or get a coupon for your birthday, that’s a predetermined automation created by the company or individual based on your information or actions you did. Brevo allows you to create automations like these so you’re not checking your emails and keeping track of birthdays.
Their email editor is very similar to Mailchimp. Multiple template options based on branding you can predetermine, or you can customize. I even like that I can adjust the unsubscribe email for a unique goodbye rather than trusting whatever has been created. The editor is divided into sections which makes it easy to create columns and restructure entire chunks of information. And best of all, I can schedule emails.
Analytical details are included like opens, clicks, and more. There are restrictions like anything else, but for me, the scheduling and control of every step was a winner. My feelings will probably change later, but for now, it’s a-okay.
Final Thoughts: Importance of Analytics
Spent a lot of time going over these various websites, but I want to cover the one feature that’s included with all of them. Analytics on opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, and more are very important to keep an eye on. When an email goes out, this data is your ability to see if people open your content, jump to the full article, or get bored and race to the bottom of the page. Programs like Mailchimp and Brevo also track how often specific users open your email so you can send a special message to convince them to keep an eye out for you or just leave.
You can have thousands of followers on Instagram but only get two likes on your post. Same goes for newsletters. People sign up, but if they’re not engaged, then are they really a fan? I use these numbers to adjust what content I put in my emails and how they’re ordered so as to give my subscribers the information they want in a format that appeals to them. I’ve tried surveys to figure out what content works best and see what my subscribers like, but didn’t always get a response. That’s just how it works.
Don’t get bogged down by the numbers; use them to your advantage. Try out a certain template for a month, and switch it up if it doesn’t work. Try a new subject line and see what sticks. Not everyone will be pleased with your content. However, you can tailor yourself in a way that matches you and broadcasts your message in a clear and enticing way. Just requires a little finesse.
