What small business owners need to know about email marketing

With new forms of digital marketing emerging at a rapid pace, many small business owners might wonder: “Is email marketing still important?”

The data suggests the answer is a resounding “yes!”

Back in 2016, Google found that 71% of individuals use their phones to check their email. More recent data suggests approximately 3.9 billion people worldwide used email in 2020. This number is estimated to grow to 4.48 billion by 2024, according to a study by Statista, and up to 4.6 billion users in 2025.

That said, small businesses could benefit from email marketing, making it essential to create a strong email marketing strategy to help you connect with your target audiences by keeping them up-to-date on new products or services. 

There’s a smarter and more efficient way of doing email marketing right than merely building a list and sending out hundreds or thousands of emails.

It’s useful to research email marketing tips and use software, tools, and other online resources that work for you. They can help you automate the process, freeing up time for you to focus on more critical tasks. 

The best part? These tools can help small businesses increase sales at an affordable cost. In fact, some of the most popular services charge as little as US$9 a month. Some are even free. 

If you’re ready to get the word out for your small business, here are some of the best email marketing services you could sign up for today:

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a popular email marketing software widely-used because of its features. They take care of what most businesses need, without being overly complicated or confusing. With it, small businesses can schedule campaigns, conduct A/B testing, and get reports that include open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and more. It also boasts the most generous free-forever plans amongst its competitors.

Mailchimp’s free plan includes up to 2,000 contacts and up to 10,000 monthly email sends. Its platform is one of the easiest to get used to with drag-and-drop features that allow small business owners to stylise emails.

ActiveCampaign

Over 150,000 small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs are using ActiveCampaign. This email marketing software is especially ideal for those most interested in automation. In fact, it has hundreds of pre-built automations that help users personalise campaigns for each and every subscriber. If you’ve never used an email marketing tool before, you’ll be heartened to note that there are numerous guides to help you through. 

ActiveCampaign offers users a 14-day free trial. You could also subscribe to one of their four paid plans, which can be paid  monthly or annually. Monthly fees range from US$9 to US$229. Nonprofits enjoy a 20% discount overall. The cost of each plan also depends on the number of contacts on your mailing list. 

Constant Contact 

Constant Contact has been a trusted leader in small businesses marketing for over 20 years. It is especially popular among beginners looking to swiftly manage email lists, contacts, email templates, marketing calendars, and more. The platform also offers reporting, built-in and social media sharing tools, a free image library, and effective integrations like Facebook Ads and Shopify eCommerce. You could even free up your schedule by using its professional template design and marketing services.

To give it a go, small business owners could begin a month-long free trial. Moving forward, two plans are available that range from US$20 to US$45. The “plus” option hosts 10 users, offering ecommerce segmentation, customisable pop-up forms, RSVP, polls, coupons, to name a few.