Most people think that email and SMS marketing are two separate marketing tactics that require separate tools. The reality, however, is that there are email and SMS marketing software solutions that can seamlessly integrate both and help you achieve great results.
There are many benefits to integrating your SMS and email marketing campaigns using a single tool.
First, by running a multichannel campaign, you can simultaneously engage potential customers on two channels, improving conversions. According to our internal data, Omnisend campaigns involving both channels had 429% more likelihood of conversions.
Second, it’s easier to track the results driven by each channel compared to the other.
But which tools should you consider and how can you make the right choice?
Keep reading to find the answers.
How to choose the best email and SMS marketing software
Given the number of options available in the market, it becomes difficult to choose the best SMS and email marketing software solution.
While some may seem to offer more features, they may be a lot more expensive. Some tools will also have deceptive or variable pricing which may seem affordable at first glance but are actually quite expensive.
You need to be careful not to make a hasty decision by simply glancing through the features offered. Here’s a useful guide on which factors to consider and how to effectively compare the various options to make an informed decision.
Features
Choose software solutions that offer all essential features, along with advanced features.
Here’s a list of some must-have features:
- Drag-and-drop, intuitive email builder
- Customizable email and SMS templates
- Dynamic segmentation and personalization
- Split testing, analytics, and reporting capabilities
- Send-time and deliverability optimization
- Automation, scheduling, trigger-based messages/emails
- Seamless integration with other tools and platforms
- TCPA compliance
Here are some features that not all tools offer but are a great addition and provide more value:
- Free SMS credits with all plans, to keep SMS marketing costs in check
- Seamless integration of email and SMS marketing campaigns
- Smart list-building features, including landing pages, forms, pop-ups, etc.
While most software solutions offer essential features, the above-mentioned features are what set one tool apart from others. That’s why, you should look for these in addition to the essential features when comparing various email and SMS marketing software.
Ease of use
Another important criterion for selection is ease of use. Even if a platform offers tons of advanced features, it would be practically useless if you are not able to utilize them properly.
Read user reviews to see what people are saying about a tool’s user interface. A software solution with a clunky and buggy interface will consume a lot of time and is generally not worth it.
Opt for software with a drag-and-drop email builder, customizable templates, pre-built workflows, etc. These features help save time and deliver better results.
Omnichannel marketing
Look for tools that go beyond email marketing and offer add-on features like SMS marketing and marketing automation.
The best email and SMS marketing software solutions combine both campaigns to create an omnichannel integrated campaign. This allows you to connect with your leads and engage them using different channels, improving the likelihood of conversions.
Omnisend, for example, integrates multiple channels to empower you to create omnichannel marketing campaigns.
Price
Price, of course, is an important factor to consider when selecting an email and SMS marketing software solution.
When comparing prices, however, do pay attention to variable pricing and SMS credits. Tools that offer free SMS credits, like Omnisend, are preferable. Tools that charge per SMS and don’t offer any free credits can get expensive quickly.
Some software solutions offer SMS as an add-on service, which will cost more.
Also, check the number of contacts and emails a plan is offering per month to make a like-for-like comparison. If the number of contacts and monthly emails included in a plan are too low, you will end up paying more than you estimated.
The best way to avoid this problem is to estimate an approximate number for your business and use that to check and compare the prices of various tools.
Brand fit
Keeping all the previous factors in mind, you need to make a final choice depending on your specific requirements. Every business has unique needs and may not require all the features that a premium tool offers.
Make a list of requirements and choose a platform that offers those features at the most affordable rates.
If you have an ecommerce brand, for example, Omnisend and Klaviyo are two of the best email and SMS marketing software for you. Both offer specialized ecommerce features and omnichannel marketing capabilities. Klaviyo, however, is the more expensive of the two.
Similarly, if you need an all-in-one email marketing, CRM, sales, and marketing automation tool, then you may consider ActiveCampaign.
If you need international messaging for your SMS campaigns, Omnisend and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) are the best options for you.
Basically, define your requirements first and then look for email and SMS marketing software that meet those specifications, within your budget.
Customer support
Lastly, make sure that you compare the customer support options offered by each tool before you make a choice.
After all, you will need immediate support if anything goes wrong with your email and SMS campaigns. And a slow and non-responsive support team can cause you to lose leads and result in monetary losses as well.
Some tools offer only email and chat support, while others like Omnisend offer 24/7 phone, chat, and email support. It also assigns a dedicated customer success manager for high-value clients.
To assess the quality of service and level of customer support, check for user reviews and ratings on trusted review sites like TrustRadius and Get App.
Omnisend, for example, has a 4.7/5 rating on Get App.
Now that you have a clear idea of how to make a choice, check out our top 5 picks for the best email and SMS marketing software.
1. Omnisend
Omnisend is one of the best email and SMS marketing software for a simple reason—it offers a great set of features at a competitive price. Even though it offers advanced features, it has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that even beginners can use.
Some of its email marketing features include an easy-to-use email builder, customizable email templates, pre-built email automation workflows, A/B testing, segmentation, etc.
It can also help you run high-converting SMS campaigns with pre-built automated SMS sequences, high-throughput toll-free numbers, international messages, and more.
Omnisend can easily integrate your email and SMS marketing campaigns and provide in-depth analytics and reporting options.
Want to know the best part?
It offers a free plan that gives you access to all important features, so you can truly test it out and see if it meets your needs. And you get 24/7 email & live chat support, where their team will answer your questions and solve your problems quickly and efficiently.
Overall, if you want the best set of features at an affordable price, Omnisend is one of the best email and SMS marketing software for you.
Pros
- International messaging
- Email and SMS automation
- Pre-built email and SMS workflows
- Various list-building forms to collect contact details
- Free plan with access to advanced features
- Full TCPA compliance
- Award-winning 24/7 customer support
- Awesome ecommerce features
- Seamless integration with various ecommerce platforms
Cons
- SMS marketing is not available separately
- The full set of tools can be best utilized by ecommerce brands
Pricing
- Free: Up to 250 contacts and 500 emails per month
- Standard: Starts from $16 per month
- Pro: Starts from $59 per month (comes with free SMS credits)
2. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a popular choice among the best email and SMS marketing software, offering great features for both.
Just like any good email and text marketing software solution, ActiveCampaign offers customizable email templates, an easy-to-use email builder, and email automation.
What makes it stand out is the fact that it also offers sales and CRM features with its email marketing plans.
Some of its advanced features include predictive sending, split automations, attribution reporting, and customized reports.
When it comes to text marketing, it offers features like appointment reminders, SMS messages to event attendees, confirmation or coupon code delivery, flash sale notifications, etc.
Please note that SMS is available as an add-on with Plus and above plans and is not available with the Lite plan.
Now, let’s check out its pros, cons, and pricing to assess what makes it a good email and text marketing platform.
Pros
- Email signup forms work exceptionally well
- Advanced email segmentation and trigger options
- Ability to link multiple landing pages to a single email
- Excellent customer support per user reviews
- Great marketing and automation tools
- Offers a 14-day free trial, no credit card required
Cons
- The features and interface require a learning curve
- Can add more customization options for landing pages and forms
- SMS is only available as an add-on with higher-tier plans
- SMS marketing is available only for a limited number of countries
Pricing
- Lite: $29 per month, billed annually
- Plus: $49 per month, billed annually
- Professional: $149 per month, billed annually
- Enterprise: Custom
3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use email and SMS marketing software with decent features, then Brevo is a great option for you.
Unlike ActiveCampaign, Brevo offers SMS marketing features with all plans, including the free plan.
You will get features like customizable email templates, a drag-and-drop editor, marketing automation, send-time optimization, email segmentation, A/B testing, and more. It also offers basic reporting and analytics.
SMS and WhatsApp campaigns are available with a pay-as-you-go pricing model and you can get prepaid credits for sending text messages. You do get 1000 free WhatsApp messages every month, but no free SMS credits like Omnisend.
Key features include bulk SMS, international messaging, SMS personalization, and automation.
While Brevo does offer integrated email and SMS campaigns, the pricing for the latter can vary depending on the number of messages and country. So, it’s not the most cost-friendly option for SMS marketing.
Pros
- Advanced segmentation
- Customizable sign-up forms
- Email and SMS personalization
- International messaging to over 200 countries
- Deliverability optimization
- Easy-to-use email builder
Cons
- Phone and chat support is only available with higher-tier plans
- Advanced reporting and features are not available with free and Starter plans
- Pricing can skyrocket for both SMS and email as the volume increases
Pricing
- Free: Up to 300 emails/day
- Starter: Starting from $25 per month (20K emails)
- Business: Starting from $65 per month (20K emails)
- Enterprise: Custom
4. GetResponse
GetResponse is a great tool for sending various types of emails from transactional emails to newsletters. It not only offers customizable templates but an AI-powered email generator that you can use to create engaging emails in no time.
It also offers an extensive library of design resources like stock photos and GIFs that you can use in your emails. It is one of the best email and SMS marketing software when it comes to design aspects.
It boasts high deliverability rates and perfectly-timed emails, and offers dynamic content for email personalization.
It also offers SMS marketing with features, such as automated workflows, bulk messaging, personalization, etc.
Pros
- AI-powered email generator and subject line tester
- 99% email deliverability rates
- Send-time optimization
- Email personalization and dynamic segmentation
- Landing page, website, and sign-up form builder
- In-depth email analytics and reporting
- Offers a free trial, no credit card required
- Trigger-based SMS marketing using GetResponse MAX
- Advanced email automation workflows
Cons
- SMS is available only with the highest-tier plan and is expensive
- Free and starting level plans have limited features
- Users complain about poor service and refund policy
Pricing
- Free: 2,500 emails per month
- Email Marketing: Starting from $19 per month
- Marketing Automation: Starting from $59 per month
- Ecommerce Marketing: Starting from $119 per month
- MAX2: Custom
5. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is one of the email and SMS marketing software that are great for ecommerce brands, like Omnisend. It is, however, more expensive.
It offers great email list building, segmentation, and automation features, along with essentials like templates and an easy-to-use email builder. It also ensures high deliverability and offers email personalization to get better results.
When it comes to SMS marketing, it offers all important features, such as automation, personalization, dynamic segmentation, smart sending rules, and more.
It also allows two-way texting in some countries and has built-in contact cards so your recipients immediately recognize your brand.
Overall, Klaviyo offers the most robust SMS marketing features, good enough for running enterprise-level integrated email and SMS marketing campaigns. If you have a large ecommerce business and a big marketing budget, then Klaviyo is the perfect solution for you.
But it’s not the most cost-effective option for small and mid-sized businesses owing to the expensive pricing. Also, small businesses may not need all the advanced features and tools that it offers.
Pros
- 60+ pre-built automation workflows/templates
- 80+ customizable email templates
- Integration with major ecommerce platforms
- 300+ integrations with various tools
- Free SMS/MMS credits with all paid plans
- Smart list-building features for both email and SMS
- Advanced SMS marketing features and integration with email
Cons
- The pricing can soar rapidly with the number of contacts and monthly emails sent
- The interface is not the most user-friendly and takes some time to get used to
- SMS marketing features are not available separately
- Could offer phone support and dedicated account managers for paid plans
- SMS marketing is available only for a limited number of countries
Pricing
- Free: 250 contacts and 500 emails per month
- Email: Starting from $20 per month (500 contacts, 5000 emails, and 150 free SMS credits)
- Email and SMS: Starting from $35 per month (500 contacts, 5000 emails, and 1250 SMS credits)
- Klaviyo One: Custom
Ready to make the right choice?
Hopefully, you now have a clear idea of how to choose the right email and SMS marketing software solution, compare various options, and look for the right set of features.
Don’t just look at features and prices in isolation, but make a smart comparison by considering monthly limits and variable pricing.
Also, see if a company is offering SMS as an add-on or if it’s included in their plans. Companies that offer free SMS credits are the best and most affordable options.
Source from Omnisend
Disclaimer: The information set forth above is provided by Omnisend independently of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com makes no representation and warranties as to the quality and reliability of the seller and products.
