There are many reasons online businesses are valued now more than ever. In fact, according to a recent study by business tycoon McKinsey Digital, “75 percent of people using digital channels for the first time indicate that they’ll continue to use them when things return to normal.”
Whether your business has shifted from communicating from in-person to providing testimonials or sales promotions online in light of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, it’s essential to make the most of your time by managing your email workflow using an email marketing platform in 2022, and beyond.
What is an ESP?
Email Service Providers (ESPs) are tools that can help revolutionize the way you do business. Not to be confused with an MTA, the back-end software that sends your emails, ESPs are front-end platforms that allow users to set up subscriber lists, create templates, and schedule their messaging and email marketing campaigns.
Also read: Email Marketing Acronyms: The Complete Guide
That said, many ESPs come in all different shapes and sizes. So, without having to take the time to consider which key is the right fit, read our round-up to get all you need to know on the ways to gauge suitability for your business in 2022. We’ve evaluated some of the top-rated ESPs below.
12 Top-Rated ESPs this Year
- Hubspot
- MailChimp
- SendGrid
- Constant Contact
- Mailgun
- Phonexa
- Sailthru
- DotDigital
- Emarsys
- Klaviyo
- Ometria
- AWeber
- Emercury
Phonexa: Phonexa’s email marketing platform, E-Delivery, gives marketers a platform containing all the tools they need to build and implement email marketing campaigns of any size. One of the defining features of the E-Delivery platform is advanced data analytics and advanced reporting. See how your messaging is performing in real-time – from hourly and geolocation reporting to understanding recipient open rates down to the minute. Phonexa takes a granular approach to measuring the success of each email.
Hubspot: Hubspot quite honestly is one of the kingpins of the marketing industry, and their reach isn’t just limited to digital or B2B business. Their enterprise email marketing integrates seamlessly with their CRM platform, Sales and Marketing Hub, and is compatible with eCommerce business running through Shopify as well. For those of you genuinely looking to round out all of your inbound marketing efforts in addition to email marketing, Hubspot’s ESP might be the right tool for you.
MailChimp: It might be their cheeky winking monkey logo or their competitive pricing, but regardless of the reason, MailChimp is one of the most well-known ESPs in the industry. MailChimp has made it possible for all businesses, big and small, to start an email marketing service. As they’ve grown, so has their ability to support different third party applications. Many marketers choose MailChimp for the Magneto and Shopify integrations and the ability to coordinate social media ad campaigns.
SendGrid: While SendGrid is listed as a “Bigger Player,” this doesn’t mean that their services are only for large corporations. With over 82,000 customers, SendGrid truly has a solution for everyone. From a robust services team to innovative solutions powered by AI, SendGrid sits at the top of all major industry groups.
Constant Contact: A champion of growing businesses online, Constant Contact’s email marketing tool is formed around segmenting your audience and striving for a personalized message to experience growth. They offer segmented and automated email capabilities that will easily integrate with your social campaigns as well. If you’re a small or mid-sized business looking to grow your business and work “smarter, not harder,” Constant Contact may be the correct ESP for you.
MailGun: Developers everywhere rely on MailGun for their email development and deliverability. Build with an eye for API, high-volume senders will have a seamless time and a team of engineers to support them. Better yet, users can save individual code samples in specific languages and frameworks for later use.
Sailthru: While Sailthru is one of the smaller and lesser-known companies than the players above, they are just as efficient. Sailthru’s customers have benefited explicitly from their mobile email marketing templates and nimble adaptations for audiences using a smaller screen. Personalization is essential within the ESP and the company as well – from a full customer success team, and implementation experts to Sailthru academy, a custom training resource for their products, Sailthru is determined to make each of their customers successful.
DotDigital: While many ESPs are code-free and don’t require any IT support, DotDigital’s customers are a bit more tech-savvy. DotDigital’s EasyEditor tool allows users to create, save, and reuse HTML templates. Like Sailthru, it’s been reported that DotDigital’s mobile rendering capabilities are well above average too.
Emarsys: Many small businesses, especially when they are forced to run digitally, can be overwhelmed with many different tasks and have very little time to analyze data and make informed decisions. This is where Emarsys can help. Coined as an omnichannel customer engagement platform, choosing Emarsys as an ESP will allow your business to be driven by data,
Klaviyo: If you’re looking for a tool that acts as a sort of megaphone for your digital business, Klaviyo may be the best ESP for you. Low in cost but high in value, Klaviyo allows users to try their platform for free before unlocking additional features through paid membership.
Ometria: Don’t have a Data Scientist on your staff? Not to worry, Ometria can act like that for you. This AI-powered ESP uses data to support marketers and create scalable personalized experiences across all channels, from email marketing to eCommerce.
AWeber: This ESP is a small business superhero, claiming 90% of the heavy lifting in structure and design, allowing for 10% of creativity for a small team to add some flare of their own. AWeber’s prebuilt email templates and a campaign marketplace also support small teams through their email marketing journey.
Emercury: This easy-to-use mail platform features deliverability management and insight, along with multistep email automation and broadcast mailing. Emercury also offers superior support, helping every customer with a custom strategy to succeed.
Learn more about how top ESPs, email marketing, and how networks like MailCon can help amplify your brand’s voice even further for 2022, and beyond!
