Email marketing is unquestionably one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to engage customers and grow your business. But with so many email marketing software and tools available, deciding which is best for your business can be overwhelming.
Here’s a detailed comparison of two such platforms: ConvertKit and Mailchimp.
ConvertKit
With over a million users, ConvertKit is a newcomer in the email marketing industry. It allows you to manage your personalized drip email marketing campaign. Emails can also be used to announce new product launches or sign up subscribers for new services.
It’s easy to create custom landing pages, opt-in forms, and workflows with ConvertKit! In addition to selling digital products, it integrates with third-party tools to help you grow your email list and Facebook audience.
Mailchimp
You’ve probably heard of Mailchimp as an email marketer. It’s one of the most widely used all-in-one email marketing platforms. You can use Mailchimp’s AI-powered creative assistant to create your website, launch your online store, and increase sales.
The platform also includes a drag-and-drop editor and automated email segmentation based on geolocation and purchase history.
ConvertKit vs. Mailchimp: Major features in common
They both offer A/B testing and marketing automation.
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Marketing automation
Both platforms support drip campaigns and lead generation.
ConvertKit’s visual email automation tool lets you send targeted content to a segmented audience. By connecting events, actions, and conditions, you can build custom email sequences and funnel paths.
Mailchimp’s marketing automation removes manual tasks and allows you to focus on your core business. You can use pre-built workflows to welcome new subscribers or remind customers about abandoned carts.
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A/B testing
ConvertKit lets you compare two subject lines’ performance with your audience. After four hours of testing the highest open rate, it automatically sends the winning variant to the remaining 70% subscribers. 1000 or more recipients work best.
However, Mailchimp allows you to test four variables: subject line, send time, content, and sender name. You can send up to three versions of each variable type to different groups of subscribers. You can then choose a winner based on open rate, click rate, or total revenue.
A/B testing is available in all Mailchimp plans except the Free, but advanced multivariate testing is only available in the Premium plan.
Unique features of ConvertKit and Mailchimp
Both platforms have some unique features and approaches to certain workflows.
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ConvertKit forms
Unlimited sign-up forms are responsive, customizable, and GDPR-compliant. You can embed a form on any page of your website, blog, sales page, or landing page hosted by ConvertKit or your own domain.
There are dozens of pre-designed templates with fully customizable fonts and colors. You can set up incentive emails and double opt-ins, or auto-confirm email subscribers who sign up via a form.
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ConvertKit segments & tags
Unlike Mailchimp, ConvertKit puts subscribers first, so you don’t have to pay twice for the same subscribers on different lists. You can segment your audience by first name, subscription date, purchase behavior, or other demographic data.
Tags allow you to track subscriber actions and send targeted emails using the segment builder. For example, you can categorize your subscribers by whether they signed up for your newsletter or a back-in-stock alert.
Subscribers can also have multiple tags applied at once. In the ConvertKit dashboard, go to Subscribers, then Grow to find the tags option.
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Mailchimp templates & mobile app
Like ConvertKit, Mailchimp has hundreds of themed templates ranging from newsletters to event invitations. In addition, you can import custom HTML templates. With a drag-and-drop editor, even non-designers can create eye-catching emails.
Unlike ConvertKit, Mailchimp has a mobile app that lets you create campaigns, send emails, and track results. The mobile app can also create simple one-click landing pages that convert.
In Summary: ConvertKit or Mailchimp
Both Mailchimp and ConvertKit have easy-to-use interfaces and good customer service. ConvertKit’s tagging system keeps costs down, and Mailchimp’s design tools help create professional-looking emails.
Both tools are expensive for beginners and could be improved. ConvertKit is difficult to use for non-technical people, and the template library is small. However, Mailchimp’s list management features can be confusing and raise costs for duplicate contacts.
With ConvertKit, you can focus on simple email marketing and list management. Larger organizations and e-commerce businesses can use Mailchimp for branding and reporting. Your company’s unique needs determine the best email marketing automation tool for you.