Are You Using Autoresponders to Follow Up With Your Lists?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
As the term suggests, autoresponders automate your email marketing which saves you time.
If you set up your autoresponders correctly, subscribers receive the right messages from you at the right time without you having to send them manually.
There are a lot of powerful, free autoresponder tools online to help you grow your email list and nurture leads.
Why do you need an autoresponder email service?
As a marketer, you can use autoresponders to set up a series of emails and then send those messages automatically based on certain rules, conditions, and user actions.
For example:
Lots of bloggers use an autoresponder sequence to notify existing subscribers of new posts on their blog or to welcome new subscribers.
There are various types including stand-alone autoresponders specifically designed to automate the sending of pre-written email sequences based on triggers, such as a customer signing up for a newsletter.
With the correct autoresponder, you can create advanced workflows that automatically send the right email to the right person, at the correct time.
Automated emails can re-engage disinterested buyers and keep them engaged, drive more people to your website, get you more sales, and more.
So, should you stop manually sending out autoresponder messages?
The answer is no, since email automation isn’t always the best way to go.
There will be lots of times when it will make more sense to send them manually.
For instance, sales announcements and general news updates, messages celebrating festive occasions and seasonal promotions.
What are the best free autoresponders?
You can get autoresponders from most top email marketing companies, however, when you’re just starting out, paying for email marketing can add a lot of expense to your website-building costs.
Following are some of the best free autoresponder tools to help you get started no matter what size budget you have.
1. Constant Contact
According to research, Constant Contact is the best email marketing software in the world.
Pros
Some of the pros include:
~ You can sign up for a free trial without entering your credit card details. You’re charged only if you actively choose to continue using it.
~ It’s fast and easy to create an account. Just click a few options and Constant Contact will display some helpful resources based on your answers.
~ If you have a WordPress website, enter your website’s URL and get a unique branded email template with the colors, images, and logos from your site.
~ Choose from a hundred plus ready-made email templates.
~ The drag-and-drop functionality is very easy to use, even for beginners, which is especially helpful if you are new to email marketing.
~ The Constant Contact support team is easy to reach via live chat software, phone, and email.
~ There’s also a library of resources and online training. In the United States, you can even go to their in-person live seminars.
Cons
A couple of cons:
~ Constant Contact doesn’t offer a free-forever plan. After the 60-day free trial, you’ll need to pay in order to keep using your email list. If you want to continue, you can get 20% off using the Constant Contact coupon.
~ After the free trial period, to keep using the automated features, you’ll need to pay for the Email Plus plan.
Pricing
Constant Contact’s Lite plan starts at $12 per month. However, if you want to use the email automation templates, you’ll need the Standard plan, which starts at $35 per month. For custom automations, the Premium plan starts at $80 per month.
2. Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is a marketing automation platform that combines both email and SMS marketing, so you can send SMS text messages to your WordPress users.
They’re one of the fastest-growing email autoresponder platforms in Europe.
Pros
~ Brevo has a generous free-forever plan that allows you to store as many email contacts as you want. You’re just limited by how many emails you can send each day.
~ The majority of Brevo’s tools are available on their free plan including the digital marketing automation tools.
~ On the free plan, you get access to email support, so you can contact the support team if you’re having problems.
Brevo’s marketing automation tool has a user-friendly drag-and-drop Workflow Editor that allows you to create powerful automations without having to write any code or learn complex tools.
~ You can track the actions that each contact takes on your website, like purchasing a product, and send transactional emails based on their behavior.
~ Brevo has a fully customizable sign-up form so you can add email subscriptions to your WordPress blog or website.
~ There are over 40 responsive email templates that look just as good on mobile and smartphones, as on mobile devices. With the intuitive drag-and-drop editor you can also create your own templates.
~ If you are creating an email marketing campaign for a client, then they may have provided some ready-made HTML assets. To save time, you can upload these HTML templates to Brevo, and then use them as the basis for your campaign.
Cons
~ All emails sent from a free plan have Brevo’s branding, which can make your campaigns look non-professional. The paid Starter plan also has the Brevo branding, which can be removed by purchasing a $10.80 per month addon.
~ Although the marketing automation tools are included in the free plan, these tools are limited to 2000 contacts on both the free and Starter plans which can make it hard to grow your email list.
~ The free plan has a 300 emails per day limit which can seem like a lot when you are just starting out, but you can hit this limit very quickly. With that in mind, you shouldn’t choose Brevo simply because they offer a free-forever plan.
Pricing
Unlike some other email providers, Brevo’s free plan is completely free, forever, with no limit on how many contacts you can create.
If you need to send more than 300 emails a day, you’ll have to upgrade to one of their paid plans, which start at $8.08 per month.
But, be aware that Brevo’s plans are always based on how many emails you send each month, and not on the size of your email list.
3. HubSpot is a popular marketing automation platform and one of the best CMRs for small businesses. They have a free plan that’s a perfect introduction to HubSpot’s all-in-one marketing platform.
Pros
~ The free plan includes a CRM that creates a contact record for each subscriber. You can use this information to create personalized email campaigns that feature the most relevant subject lines, links, attachments, and content.
~ HubSpot’s free plan includes many tools that can complement your email marketing. This includes a popup form builder, live chat, ad management, and more.
~ The email editor has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that lets you easily create a call to action, add images, and customize the email to match your own branding.
~ You can schedule emails to arrive in the subscriber’s inbox at the best time, regardless of time zone differences.
~ Optimize your emails for different devices.
~ HubSpot has a selection of goal-based templates that you can choose from, or you can build your emails entirely from scratch.
~ You can use HubSpot’s email analytics tool to analyze your campaigns.
~ Integrates with Uncanny Automator, which is one of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses. You can use Uncanny Automator to automatically add visitors, customers, and event attendees to your HubSpot mailing lists.
Cons
~ You cannot remove the HubSpot branding on the free plan, which can make your business seem less professional.
~ You’re limited to 2,000 emails per month and 1,000,000 contacts with the free plan.
~ Advanced features like A/B split testing and email segmentation are only included in HubSpot’s higher-tiered paid plans. When your business starts growing, you may need to upgrade to a paid plan to get the most out of your email list.
Pricing
The free plan allows 2,000 emails per month and a generous 1,000,000 contacts. It also comes with all of HubSpot’s free tools, including a CRM, forms, landing pages, live chat, and more.
Paid plans start at $15/month per 1,000 subscribers.
4. GetResponse is an all-in-one email marketing platform.
~ It’s built to help you grow your audience, engage with customers, and make more money online without having to hire huge team to manage it all. And more than 100,000+ businesses trust them to help them do just that.
~ Additionally, they’re GDPR compliant and offer award-winning 24/7 customer support in eight different languages.
~ With GetResponse’s autoresponder, you can connect and build relationships with new subscribers without lifting a finger.
~ Plus, you can recycle old content, sell your products, celebrate milestones, etc.
~ GetResponse offers special tiers for mid-sized and larger companies.
~ They have a 30-day free trial.
You’ll have to upgrade to a higher plan if you need more than one user or sales funnel. Plus, you get an automation builder with five workflows on the Plus plan.
5. AWeber, founded in 1998, is one of the most established autoresponder tools. This popular email marketing service has powerful autoresponder features and also offers a free plan that lets you send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers.
Pros
~ AWeber’s free plan contains all the elements you’d expect from a premium plan, including a drag-and-drop editor, hundreds of templates, and access to thousands of professional stock images.
~ Ready-made landing page templates so you can create high-converting landing pages for your email campaigns.
~ AWeber has powerful automation and segmentation tools that allow you to create some very detailed autoresponder series.
~ Integrates with lots of other services, including OptinMonster, Unbounce, Elegant Themes. Etc.
~ If you’re selling online, AWeber integrates with all the top eCommerce solutions, including Easy Digital Downloads, WooCommerce, Etsy, Shopify, and others.
~ On the free plan, you can access all the support materials, including master class sessions and live webinars.
~ AWeber regularly brings out new features that all customers can access, including those on the free plan.
~ It allows subscribers to fill out forms, purchase products, book meetings, and more without leaving their inboxes with the AMP interactive email feature.
~ You can web push notifications to people who’ve opted into receiving them.
~ They offer 24/7 customer support.
Cons
~ AWeber’s free plan limits you to 3,000 emails per month and 500 subscribers.
~ You’re limited to 1 landing page and 1 email automation.
~ The free version has the AWeber branding, with no way to remove it. ~ If you do upgrade, then AWeber definitely isn’t the cheapest option out there. It has more features than some other email autoresponders, but they are pricey.
Pricing You can send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers using the free AWeber plan. If you want to add more contacts or send unlimited emails, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the pro plans, which start at $12.50 per month when billed annually.
This list only covers 5 autoresponders. According to research these are the best out there.
If you want to start or grow an email list, make more sales as an ecommerce store or service provider, or nurture visitor relationships, you need an email autoresponder.
Just carefully do your research and choose the best one for your purpose, because you may not be able to change things later.
Are You Using Autoresponders to Follow Up With Your Lists?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
As the term suggests, autoresponders automate your email marketing which saves you time.
If you set up your autoresponders correctly, subscribers receive the right messages from you at the right time without you having to send them manually.
There are a lot of powerful, free autoresponder tools online to help you grow your email list and nurture leads.
Why do you need an autoresponder email service?
As a marketer, you can use autoresponders to set up a series of emails and then send those messages automatically based on certain rules, conditions, and user actions.
For example:
Lots of bloggers use an autoresponder sequence to notify existing subscribers of new posts on their blog or to welcome new subscribers.
There are various types including stand-alone autoresponders specifically designed to automate the sending of pre-written email sequences based on triggers, such as a customer signing up for a newsletter.
With the correct autoresponder, you can create advanced workflows that automatically send the right email to the right person, at the correct time.
Automated emails can re-engage disinterested buyers and keep them engaged, drive more people to your website, get you more sales, and more.
So, should you stop manually sending out autoresponder messages?
The answer is no, since email automation isn’t always the best way to go.
There will be lots of times when it will make more sense to send them manually.
For instance, sales announcements and general news updates, messages celebrating festive occasions and seasonal promotions.
What are the best free autoresponders?
You can get autoresponders from most top email marketing companies, however, when you’re just starting out, paying for email marketing can add a lot of expense to your website-building costs.
Following are some of the best free autoresponder tools to help you get started no matter what size budget you have.
1. Constant Contact
According to research, Constant Contact is the best email marketing software in the world.
Pros
Some of the pros include:
~ You can sign up for a free trial without entering your credit card details. You’re charged only if you actively choose to continue using it.
~ It’s fast and easy to create an account. Just click a few options and Constant Contact will display some helpful resources based on your answers.
~ If you have a WordPress website, enter your website’s URL and get a unique branded email template with the colors, images, and logos from your site.
~ Choose from a hundred plus ready-made email templates.
~ The drag-and-drop functionality is very easy to use, even for beginners, which is especially helpful if you are new to email marketing.
~ The Constant Contact support team is easy to reach via live chat software, phone, and email.
~ There’s also a library of resources and online training. In the United States, you can even go to their in-person live seminars.
Cons
A couple of cons:
~ Constant Contact doesn’t offer a free-forever plan. After the 60-day free trial, you’ll need to pay in order to keep using your email list. If you want to continue, you can get 20% off using the Constant Contact coupon.
~ After the free trial period, to keep using the automated features, you’ll need to pay for the Email Plus plan.
Pricing
Constant Contact’s Lite plan starts at $12 per month. However, if you want to use the email automation templates, you’ll need the Standard plan, which starts at $35 per month. For custom automations, the Premium plan starts at $80 per month.
2. Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is a marketing automation platform that combines both email and SMS marketing, so you can send SMS text messages to your WordPress users.
They’re one of the fastest-growing email autoresponder platforms in Europe.
Pros
~ Brevo has a generous free-forever plan that allows you to store as many email contacts as you want. You’re just limited by how many emails you can send each day.
~ The majority of Brevo’s tools are available on their free plan including the digital marketing automation tools.
~ On the free plan, you get access to email support, so you can contact the support team if you’re having problems.
Brevo’s marketing automation tool has a user-friendly drag-and-drop Workflow Editor that allows you to create powerful automations without having to write any code or learn complex tools.
~ You can track the actions that each contact takes on your website, like purchasing a product, and send transactional emails based on their behavior.
~ Brevo has a fully customizable sign-up form so you can add email subscriptions to your WordPress blog or website.
~ There are over 40 responsive email templates that look just as good on mobile and smartphones, as on mobile devices. With the intuitive drag-and-drop editor you can also create your own templates.
~ If you are creating an email marketing campaign for a client, then they may have provided some ready-made HTML assets. To save time, you can upload these HTML templates to Brevo, and then use them as the basis for your campaign.
Cons
~ All emails sent from a free plan have Brevo’s branding, which can make your campaigns look non-professional. The paid Starter plan also has the Brevo branding, which can be removed by purchasing a $10.80 per month addon.
~ Although the marketing automation tools are included in the free plan, these tools are limited to 2000 contacts on both the free and Starter plans which can make it hard to grow your email list.
~ The free plan has a 300 emails per day limit which can seem like a lot when you are just starting out, but you can hit this limit very quickly. With that in mind, you shouldn’t choose Brevo simply because they offer a free-forever plan.
Pricing
Unlike some other email providers, Brevo’s free plan is completely free, forever, with no limit on how many contacts you can create.
If you need to send more than 300 emails a day, you’ll have to upgrade to one of their paid plans, which start at $8.08 per month.
But, be aware that Brevo’s plans are always based on how many emails you send each month, and not on the size of your email list.
3. HubSpot is a popular marketing automation platform and one of the best CMRs for small businesses. They have a free plan that’s a perfect introduction to HubSpot’s all-in-one marketing platform.
Pros
~ The free plan includes a CRM that creates a contact record for each subscriber. You can use this information to create personalized email campaigns that feature the most relevant subject lines, links, attachments, and content.
~ HubSpot’s free plan includes many tools that can complement your email marketing. This includes a popup form builder, live chat, ad management, and more.
~ The email editor has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that lets you easily create a call to action, add images, and customize the email to match your own branding.
~ You can schedule emails to arrive in the subscriber’s inbox at the best time, regardless of time zone differences.
~ Optimize your emails for different devices.
~ HubSpot has a selection of goal-based templates that you can choose from, or you can build your emails entirely from scratch.
~ You can use HubSpot’s email analytics tool to analyze your campaigns.
~ Integrates with Uncanny Automator, which is one of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses. You can use Uncanny Automator to automatically add visitors, customers, and event attendees to your HubSpot mailing lists.
Cons
~ You cannot remove the HubSpot branding on the free plan, which can make your business seem less professional.
~ You’re limited to 2,000 emails per month and 1,000,000 contacts with the free plan.
~ Advanced features like A/B split testing and email segmentation are only included in HubSpot’s higher-tiered paid plans. When your business starts growing, you may need to upgrade to a paid plan to get the most out of your email list.
Pricing
The free plan allows 2,000 emails per month and a generous 1,000,000 contacts. It also comes with all of HubSpot’s free tools, including a CRM, forms, landing pages, live chat, and more.
Paid plans start at $15/month per 1,000 subscribers.
4. GetResponse is an all-in-one email marketing platform.
~ It’s built to help you grow your audience, engage with customers, and make more money online without having to hire huge team to manage it all. And more than 100,000+ businesses trust them to help them do just that.
~ Additionally, they’re GDPR compliant and offer award-winning 24/7 customer support in eight different languages.
~ With GetResponse’s autoresponder, you can connect and build relationships with new subscribers without lifting a finger.
~ Plus, you can recycle old content, sell your products, celebrate milestones, etc.
~ GetResponse offers special tiers for mid-sized and larger companies.
~ They have a 30-day free trial.
You’ll have to upgrade to a higher plan if you need more than one user or sales funnel. Plus, you get an automation builder with five workflows on the Plus plan.
5. AWeber, founded in 1998, is one of the most established autoresponder tools. This popular email marketing service has powerful autoresponder features and also offers a free plan that lets you send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers.
Pros
~ AWeber’s free plan contains all the elements you’d expect from a premium plan, including a drag-and-drop editor, hundreds of templates, and access to thousands of professional stock images.
~ Easily add AWeber to your WordPress website using the.
~ Ready-made landing page templates so you can create high-converting landing pages for your email campaigns.
~ AWeber has powerful automation and segmentation tools that allow you to create some very detailed autoresponder series.
~ Integrates with lots of other services, including OptinMonster, Unbounce, Elegant Themes. Etc.
~ If you’re selling online, AWeber integrates with all the top eCommerce solutions, including Easy Digital Downloads, WooCommerce, Etsy, Shopify, and others.
~ On the free plan, you can access all the support materials, including master class sessions and live webinars.
~ AWeber regularly brings out new features that all customers can access, including those on the free plan.
~ It allows subscribers to fill out forms, purchase products, book meetings, and more without leaving their inboxes with the AMP interactive email feature.
~ You can web push notifications to people who’ve opted into receiving them.
~ They offer 24/7 customer support.
Cons
~ AWeber’s free plan limits you to 3,000 emails per month and 500 subscribers.
~ You’re limited to 1 landing page and 1 email automation.
~ The free version has the AWeber branding, with no way to remove it.
~ If you do upgrade, then AWeber definitely isn’t the cheapest option out there. It has more features than some other email autoresponders, but they are pricey.
Pricing You can send 3,000 emails per month to 500 subscribers using the free AWeber plan. If you want to add more contacts or send unlimited emails, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the pro plans, which start at $12.50 per month when billed annually.
This list only covers 5 autoresponders. According to research these are the best out there.
If you want to start or grow an email list, make more sales as an ecommerce store or service provider, or nurture visitor relationships, you need an email autoresponder.
Just carefully do your research and choose the best one for your purpose, because you may not be able to change things later.
So, are you using autoresponders to follow up with your lists?
Try this viral mailer that pays