There’s a lot of Internet chatter regarding these two products, ConvertKit and MailChimp. Many of the articles are written by people who never used at least one of the products (I can tell by what they write). I’ve used both extensively, so here’s my take.
First off, there’s good news for those of you hoping to go free… not everyone needs a paid platform! It depends on what you will be using your email system for. I’ll explain.
You have heard time and again how important it is to build an email list, but you are not sure which direction to go. There are free options, and paid options, which are best for me? And how do I know?
True, this post is titled ConvertKit vs. MailChimp. It’s really about paid vs. free. Those happen to be the platforms that I think are best for most bloggers, providing both a free and paid option. There are other choices as well, and share those that I have used at the bottom of this post.
I’ve used both free and paid services, and they both serve a purpose. The truth is, neither can be judged without understanding your needs. It is your needs that determine which platform is best for you.
To help you understand which direction to go, I want to tell you a quick story…
I was helping a real estate investors association with a website and email list so they can better communicate with their members. [If you don’t already know this about me, I am NOT in the business of providing web services to other companies… my web knowledge and experience comes from marketing my own businesses.] I was helping the real estate investors association because I was serving as president of the organization at the time.
Prior to my involvement, the organization was emailing members by copying everyone’s name to a regular Yahoo email. This is not the right way to send email to a group, and it created a lot of hassles and delays, and some members were not receiving email.
This was a simple solution for me. Because we only had a few hundred members, and we had no need for fancy automated sequences, I implemented a free service for the organization. The platform chosen was perfect for our needs. Sending email to all members was now easy and quick, and our members began receiving their email in a very professional manner.
I told you this story for a reason…
The takeaway: Not everyone needs a paid email platform
What’s the difference, and how do I know what I need?
I prepared just 3 simple questions to ask yourself to help you figure it out. I am also going to tell you why I recommend those which I do, for both a free and a paid platform.
Question 1
How much email do you plan to send, and how many subscribers do you plan to have?
Okay, that’s really two questions, but you need to answer both to understand how many emails you send. If you send 7 emails to 2,000 subscribers, you are sending fourteen thousand emails.
If you don’t plan to send a lot of email, then a free service may work. Just remember, you get what you pay for. Free services limit the number of subscribers and the number of emails you can send.
Free services are banking on your need for more services, and that is why they are offering a free service in the first place. A good free service to start with is MailChimp (I’ve used it… more on that below).
If you are going to need more advanced services, then it’s better to choose the best platform that provides the best service for your needs. Let’s look at the next question.
Question 2
Are you running a business?
If you are running a business, the more you can automate efficiently, the more money you can make. Time is money, efficiency saves time. Email is the lifeblood of an online business, and quickly becoming the most important marketing tool of an offline business as well. Having a reliable and functional email service is important.
An email platform is way more than just sending email
It is a way you can connect with your customers, a way to communicate with them like never before.
Using a full-featured email platform allows you to assess and group your subscribers into neatly organized segments, so you can message them uniquely to their needs and wants.
ALL OF THIS AUTOMATED WHILE YOU SLEEP!
Imagine automatically sending an email to a prospect who opts-in, and in that email it asks a simple questions about what they seek, and then directs them to a sales sequence that is perfect for what they need! Imagine an easy and visual system allowing you to set this up quickly!
This is the benefit of the right platform!
If you are running a business, a paid platform can help you achieve this. I use ConvertKit (more on that below).
Question 3
Are you a blogger? I’m a blogger, so I can dive into this. Before blogging, I was in other forms of Internet marketing and so I understand the differences.
If you are blogging for fun, then you’re probably fine with a free option. I strongly suggest that you continue to build your list and connect with your audience. You never know what the future may bring… at some point you may choose to turn that hobby into a money machine!
If you are blogging with the intention of making money, automating sequences and segmenting your subscribers becomes a very important part of your process. Your time is valuable, and it is important to choose your tools wisely. A paid email platform is going to be best for you. I recommend ConvertKit because it is built by bloggers for bloggers. Whatever platform you choose, just be sure that you have access to all the features you need.
Making A Choice
There are lots of services to choose from, both free and paid.
If a free service is all you need, I recommend MailChimp. I have used it, so I am familiar with it. It has pros and cons, like any other. Your choices for opt-in forms are weak, but it’s a great option if you are looking to send broadcast (non automated) email to a group of people.
If you are looking for a powerful, yet easy to use platform, I recommend ConvertKit. ConvertKit was created by a blogger who could not find a platform that addressed his specific needs as someone making money online. It has quickly become the most popular platform among serious bloggers, and for good reason.
Seriously, I have personally used all of these platforms before ConvertKit (more on these platforms below):
- Constant Contact
- MailChimp
- SimplyCast
- 1ShoppingCart
- GetResponse
- Aweber
All of those platforms had their place, and I am not saying that they are bad – they’re not. In fact, they all serve a purpose and have their place depending on your needs. There are just factors that really need to be considered if you are seriously using email automation to grow your online business.
Here are some issues I have seen with other platforms:
- Poor deliverability (what’s the point if your email doesn’t get to the right person?)
- Limitations (some do not allow affiliate links)
- Confusing design
- Duplicate charging (most platforms charge for duplicate subscribers on multiple lists)
- Hard to use
- Too complex
- Bad customer service
And I can tell you that from ease of use AND power of function, nothing compares to ConvertKit. That’s why I use it.
In Closing
First, I just want to say if you have any questions regarding any of the platforms I have used, please reach out and ask me.
If it is your primary goal to send email to multiple people without breaking any spam laws, your list is relatively small, and you have no intention of making money from it, then a free option such as MailChimp will be great for your needs. Not just now, but for free into the future.
If you want to make money online, automate your processes, add sales funnels, or if you are a blogger who plans to earn your living online, then a paid platform such as ConvertKit would be ideal for your needs.
People have asked me if they can start with a free platform and then upgrade. The simple answer is yes, of course you can do that. It is not always worth it though.
If you know you are going to need a different service, then consider how long you will be running on the free service before switching. While ConvertKit provides help switching your subscribers from another service, you also have additional work to do. You will need to make new opt-in forms and modify existing or create new landing pages. You will also need to modify your website/blog for these new opt-ins.
If your free platform supports your needs as you grow into their paid services, then it is a no-brainer to start with the free version.
If you absolutely have no budget, then by all means, it is much better to get started on a free platform and begin building your list, than it is to wait until you can budget for an appropriate platform.
Resource Assessment
Of the products I have used, none are perfect. Your business may have different requirements and needs. I understand that. For that reason, I am proving a brief comment of my experience with each product.
- ConvertKit: Easy for multiple niches, easy automations. Landing pages are not so flexible. This is the platform I use (I don’t use their landing pages).
- Constant Contact: Find for a single niche (only one opt-in can be used) or offline business.
- MailChimp: Good to get started if you have no budget. You will be charged as your list exceeds the basic limit. Ok to grow with, but consider switching to an easier platform.
- SimplyCast: Complex, confusing, hard to navigate. Ugh! I do not recommend this.
- 1ShoppingCart: Good for ecommerce, product delivery and checkout. I haven’t used it in a while. Note that there are now a ton of (other) cost effective options for ecommerce.
- GetResponse: Good for beginners or advanced online marketers. They have funnels, automations, and landing pages, which is really nice.
- Aweber: Good solid service, and early pioneer on the business. I used them for a long time. My only peeve was that I needed to “re-opt” my subscribers if I wanted to market to them on a different list.
My advice is to choose something, anything! Just get started building your list. Yes, it’s that important.
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