Boost Engagement and Grow Your Audience
Creating a community and engaging with your customers is a great way to increase your sales. If you’re in a service-based industry, provided value-added content may be a way to remind your customers that you are the expert in your field that they should trust. A newsletter is a powerful tool for engaging your audience, building relationships, and driving business growth.
Choosing a newsletter service can feel overwhelming because there are so many options, each catering to different needs, budgets, and levels of expertise. We’ve tried to help you narrow down the choices, features, analytics, and pricing for the newsletter options to use with your WordPress website.
Note on Pricing: Since plugin rates fluctuate, we will be ranking pricing on a $ (Budget-Friendly) to $$$ (Enterprise/Premium) scale.
MailPoet
MailPoet is a good choice for WordPress users seeking an integrated email marketing solution. Here are several reasons why someone might choose MailPoet as their WordPress newsletter plugin:
Key Features:
- Create and send newsletters directly from WordPress.
- Drag-and-drop email builder with templates.
- Automated welcome emails and post notifications.
- Manage subscribers and segments within WordPress.
- Reliable email delivery without relying on a third-party service
- WooCommerce integration for e-commerce stores.
Pros:
- Fully integrated into the WordPress admin interface.
- This integration means you can send in WordPress without limit.
- Allows for e-commerce, like product recommendations and cart status updates.
Cons:
- Requires you to send from an email linked to the WordPress domain (e.g., name@yourdomain.com).
- Your site must be reviewed by MailPoet before you can use their service.
Pricing: $ – $$
We recommend MailPoet for Businesses. Businesses can use newsletters to promote products, sales, and updates. But if you don’t want to push products and sales on your clients, maybe providing a “news you can use” type newsletter can remind your customers that you’re the expert in your field to trust.
Newsletter
The Newsletter plugin is a free, user-friendly WordPress tool ideal for small businesses and bloggers. Here are some reasons why you might choose this option for your WordPress newsletter plugin:
Key Features
- Unlimited subscribers and newsletters.
- Built-in drag-and-drop editor.
- Advanced targeting and segmentation options.
- Supports SMTP for better email deliverability, but this option may require additional setup costs
- Integrates with popular WordPress newsletter plugins like WooCommerce and Contact Form 7.
Pros:
- The free tier has no sending limits.
- Using this plugin is easy and has little impact on your site.
Cons:
- Relies on your server and requires configuring an external SMTP service (which may incur additional costs/setup).
- Lacks advanced automation options (scheduling) as well as analytics.
Pricing: $
We recommend Newsletter for Municipalities. Municipalities may find newsletters beneficial to raise awareness of community happenings. You can also use this as a showcase for what you are doing to support your citizens.
MailChimp
Mailchimp is a great choice for users who want a robust tool with seamless WordPress integration. Here is a deeper dive into this WordPress newsletter plugin:
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with Mailchimp’s platform.
- Easy opt-in forms and custom fields.
- Integrates with WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and Contact Form 7.
- Built-in analytics and reporting.
- GDPR compliance options.
Pros:
- Includes in-depth analytics.
- Easily integrates with third-party web tools.
- Works independently of your WordPress server performance.
Cons:
- The dashboard is very complex, making it hard to learn and comprehend.
- You can’t do much within the free tier.
- Is external to the WordPress dashboard.
Pricing: $$ – $$$
We recommend MailChimp for bloggers. Bloggers can use newsletters to share new posts and grow readership. If you wish to share new posts, choosing a WordPress newsletter plugin that allows you to share posts automatically from your WordPress blog will help you work smarter, not harder. Bloggers can also use the in-depth analytics it provides to grow their reader base.
FluentCRM
FluentCRM is a cost-effective, self-hosted email marketing and CRM solution for WordPress users who need advanced automation, segmentation, and integration features without relying on external platforms.
Key Features:
- Manage email campaigns and segment contact lists.
- Self-hosted solutions, running right inside of WordPress.
- Robust analytics and workflows available.
- GDPR Compliance.
- SMTP for better deliverability, but this option may mean a higher setup cost.
- LMS, Membership and eCommerce support.
Pros:
- The service has a flat fee, regardless of the number of subscribers.
- Automation is made easy.
Cons:
- The free version is very minimal in its offerings.
- Lacks a built-in landing page builder (which you would use for sales pages or forms).
Pricing: $$
We recommend FluentCRM for freelancers. Freelancers often have to work harder to find and keep clients. Newsletters can be a handy tool to showcase your expertise and attract clients.
Email Subscribers & Newsletters (Icegram)
Email Subscribers & Newsletters (AKA Icegram) is perfect for beginners and small businesses looking for a budget-friendly, all-in-one WordPress newsletter plugin to collect leads, send automated newsletters, and track performance without requiring advanced technical skills.
Key Features:
- Collect leads and send automated newsletters.
- Scheduling options for regular emails.
- Tracks email opens and clicks.
- Supports HTML templates.
- GDPR-compliant subscription forms.
Pros:
- Setup is quick and simple.
- Serves as a budget-friendly option that gets the job done.
Cons:
- Customizing layouts requires basic HTML/CSS knowledge.
- Is inherently more limited in its offerings (specifically automation).
Pricing: $
We recommend Icegram for E-commerce stores. E-commerce stores can use newsletters to promote new products and sales. I’m sure we’re all subscribed to at least one online shopping newsletter… Think about the engagement, holiday news, new product offers, and sales alerts that show up in your inbox.
Whether you’re just starting or you’re a seasoned business owner/blogger, a newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your customers or leads.
How to Simplify the Decision?
- Set Goals: Define whether you need basic newsletters, lead generation, or complex automations.
- Test Free Plans: Start with trials to compare usability and features.
- Check Integrations: Ensure it works with your existing tools (CRM, website, and payment systems).
- Compare Pricing: Factor in growth costs and hidden fees.
- Assess Support: Prioritize platforms with responsive customer service.
If you need help making the decision, feel free to ask your IT department or your website developer.
For more information, you can contact us here.
