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Being a blogger or having an online business has limitations when it comes to marketing. Doing business purely online has some advantages and disadvantages compared to having a physical store. It doesn’t mean though that you don’t have a great number of possibilities to do some creative marketing strategies.
You can take advantage of many forms of online marketing, like social media, websites, promotions, ads and much more. One of the most important forms of online marketing though is through email marketing. Some may not see this as their top priority but once you dive into your business more, the more you see it as a great tool to reach out to more customers and build a loyal relationship. I have tried two different email service providers for my blog so I am giving you the run down of MailChimp vs. ConvertKit.
MailChimp Pros & Cons
Email marketing can be implemented through tools such as MailChimp. It is a simple to use tool that will get you started in growing your email list. If you are new to the industry and have only about two thousand subscribers, MailChimp offers their services for free if you have less than 2,000 subscribers (however there are some limitations, like no automation).
If you want automation or have a bigger following then, you be charged a monthly fee. The more subscribers you have the more you will have to pay. One of MailChimp’s glaring flaws is how they count subscribers. Let’s say a subscriber already signed up for one of your opt-ins, and then he or she decides to sign up for an additional opt-in on your site. Even if they are using the same email, MailChimp will treat that person as a new subscriber and charge you again. Seems pretty unfair, doesn’t it?
Upfront, MailChimp doesn’t seem that pricey compared to other email marketing programs, but because of this, you may find that you are paying as much or more since the are double dipping on your subscribers.
MailChimp’s services are limited especially if you are really getting serious with your email marketing. This is where ConvertKit comes in.
Why ConvertKit?
ConvertKit is not as well known as MailChimp, but it is definitely starting to get the popularity vote amongst big-name bloggers. It’s a bit more expensive than MailChimp, but the flexibility and the features you can use are well worth it.
First, ConvertKit does not charge you again for the same email in multiple subscriptions or opt-ins. At least on that note, you are sure you can save. ConvertKit works much more effectively than MailChimp, with more ways to get creative and be more specific to each of your subscribers with how and what to market to them.
I initially started with MailChimp but a couple of months ago I made the switch to ConvertKit. I honestly could never go back now.
7 Reasons why you need to switch from MailChimp to ConvertKit:
1. Statistics/Analytics
Unlike MailChimp, ConvertKit gives you detailed analytics of what is going on with your subscribers. It is to know and study these numbers. These statistics show exactly which lead magnets, subscriptions, newsletters and other opt-ins you use on your site are doing well and which ones aren’t. It also shows you the number of visitors, subscribers, and conversions for each form on your website.
ConvertKit is also a subscriber-based system, not a list based system so you don’t have to worry about subscribers being double (or triple) counted.
2. Customizable Forms
ConvertKit offers simple designs that are customizable to the basics like color, font, call to action, buttons and more. You can customize the style and how it will appear on your blog. You can choose it to be in-line, modal or slide in. It’s basic and does its job well for those who don’t need something fancy.
3. Sequences
One of the best things about ConvertKit is their sequences feature. This is when you send a specifically timed and sequenced email to your subscribers based on what they signed up for. These are automated so all you have to do is to program it and watch it do its job. It’s great not to have to think about following up or taking the next step for each group of subscribers all the time! It lets you customize the send dates, send times and even to exclude specific subscribers.
4. Opt-in Forms
ConvertKit’s opt-in forms have a much more pleasing aesthetic. They are easy to customize and look more professional on your site. I noticed a significant increase in opt-ins when I made the switch. I think this is because the opt-in boxes within my posts are more eye catching and make it easier for the reader to submit their information.
For example, here is the opt-in box for my free Pinterest course Pinterest Primer. Doesn’t it look nice? 😉
5. Resend Emails
It can happen that some people subscribe but not follow through. Let’s face it; sometimes your email might just go unnoticed or unopened. ConvertKit identifies which emails haven’t been opened and can resend them. Wait at least a few days before resending so you don’t appear spammy. This is a great tool especially to follow up for those very important emails.
6. Tagging
Tagging is one of the best features in ConvertKit that is a HUGE step ahead of MailChimp. MailChimp only lets you segregate your subscribers by list, but ConvertKit lets you tag per subscriber or per list and customizes it to cater to what each of them like or what you think they would be interested in.
This way you won’t miss an opportunity in offering your subscribers on multiple lists something new and you won’t be offering them something they wouldn’t want to be offered.
The tagging feature was huge for me when I launched my course. I was able to tag people that clicked on the link to my sales page, those that had opt-ed into Pinterest related freebies on my site and even those that weren’t interested in hearing about the launch. That strategy alone helped me save dozens of subscribers!
7. Automation
Emailing your subscribers can take up a lot of time, especially when you have thousands of them! That’s why ConvertKit’s automated rules are a lifesaver. If a subscriber does a specific action, then it will trigger another action. Kind of like the Newton’s Third Law of every action gets a reaction.
My favorite way to use automation is to trigger a sequence when someone clicks on a link. So, if for example, someone clicks the link to my sales page, but does not buy, I can send them through a sequence that talks about the topic and provide more value. Because the clicked I know they have some level of interest in the course so this is a great way to retarget them.
There are many more ways to take advantage of ConvertKit. There are more features that you can explore and apply to your new or already growing online business. They have an excellent customer service and will help you have a smooth transaction if you decide to move to ConvertKit.
