One crucial factor to a successful event is getting your attendees to come but it starts with an irresistible email invite. Sending a targeted and personalized email invitation through a newsletter tool ensures that attendees receive and open it real time despite the busy mailbox.
Informing them also raise awareness about your upcoming event. This gives you that opportunity to get the presence of valuable attendees. By doing this, you’re confident enough to be always on top of your event planning activities because you got the right tools that reach and invite a targeted audience even globally.
Let’s see who wins your heart as we name and compare the features of these famous newsletter tools.
1. MailChimp - “the All-time Kickstarter”
Since 2001, MailChimp has become one of the largest and all-time kickstarter newsletter tools out there. Famous for its easy-to-use interface, forever free plan and who would forget the iconic chimp logo, Frederick von Chimpenheimer IV or Freddie for short.
Best to try the freemium plan first to enjoy delivering 12,000 emails per month and grow your subscribers up to 2,000. It’s for beginners too. In fact, most startups begin with this email marketing software.
There’s access to most of the features allowing easy creation and customization of signup forms and attractive campaigns. Thanks to its user-friendly drag and drop editor and a fantastic variety of templates.
Our main goal is to easily create attractive campaigns that will invite guests and compel them to come to your next events. MailChimp will take you on a step-by-step process so you don’t miss a thing or get lost in the middle of campaign creation. Send invitations automatically with its automation advanced feature as well.
It’s not that bad for a free plan. You can always upgrade to access the advanced features like most of the email marketing service provider. So you’ll need to avail their premium plans and see what best suffice your needs. Mind you, it can be quite pricey depending on your desired subscriber count. Worry not though for Mailchimp offers two types of plan, monthly and pay as you go so you can be as flexible as you want to.
What to love
- Easy to use interface
- Creative Templates
- Generous Freemium Plan
- Access to basic list management and campaign tracking tools (contact tagging, list groups, and segmentation, A/B Testing, reports, contact profiles
What to expect
- Pricey premium plan
- Advanced features (multivariate testing, comparative reports, compliance, and delivery insights.)
2. Sendgrid - “the Techie’s Choice”
Living up to their sole duty, Sendgrid continues to offer solutions to the challenges of email delivery. And by email delivery, we’re talking about tons and tons of emails every day. What Sendgrid does is ensuring that your emails, no matter how many, will surely land on your recipient’s inbox and not as spam. Successful sending and delivering of email are crucial to business transaction and communication that’s why some businesses give that tasks to the experts.
Sendgrid can also be a free newsletter tool which has access to essential features and sends 40,000 emails for 30 days only. After 30 days, you can either upgrade or remain using the free plan.
To code or not to code?
As event organizers, we understand that most of you don’t have the luxury of time to use its advanced technical features. Opting to code requires training and practice but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to learn. However, Sendgrid is more likely to have better options for technical features such as programming than the others as they started as an API company serving developers worldwide. It’s a good thing they provided an easier option for non-developers so it’s still manageable through the drag and drop editor.
Known for the specialty in bulk email delivery, Sendgrid features an IP white labeling which is very essential for sending emails to many. White labeling helps for branding and good for people who are particular and keen with brands.
Another good thing is that anyone with an account has access to their 24/7 customer service. Although it may seem confusing at first, you’ll eventually get used to its interface. More so, you get the basic email marketing service as well so it’s pretty good. To sum it up, we’d say this one is meant for professionals.
What to love
- Full access to email essentials (APIs, real-time analytics, webhooks, template editors ) for 30 days (trial)
- Fair pricing plans
- 24/7 customer service (phone, email, chat support)
- Stable and reliable email service
What to expect
- Lots of creative ideas you can do to modify templates
- Enjoy full campaign customization
- Difficulty level for beginners
- Not a lot of templates
- Advanced features that will demand you to learn how to use it
3. Campaign Monitor - “the Nifty Campaigner ”
Campaign Monitor believes in the beauty of simplicity. Over 2 million people and counting are loving their services. They offer a selection of email marketing solutions according to the needs of every type of company. That’s why small, medium and even large businesses love this email service because it’s simple, clear and intuitive. When it comes to building, sending and tracking your campaigns, Campaign Monitor is not the odd one out.
The pricing plan is also not bad for what you get. Just to create and send attractive invitations? you basically get the best of both worlds. Beautifully made professional templates and ease of use. As event organizers, we’re sure that’s two of the basic things you need.
Although Campaign Monitor has no free plan, you can still create a free account to see what’s it like from the inside when you purchase a premium plan. Access their templates and make it your own. No need to complicate it because they made email marketing simple and unforgettable.
What to love
- Beautiful designed templates
- Practical drag and drop editor
- Personalized customer journey
What to expect
- Limited customization of template unless you create your own
- Some bulk email marketing improvements
- No free plan
Combining Eventor app with any newsletter tool
Worry not though if you wish to find an event app compatible with any email marketing software that also serves as a newsletter tool. We, at Eventor, make sure that you get the ultimate help you deserve to be more productive. A faster way to check-in your guests in a paperless manner at the event, easily import your invitee lists. When you are ready to send invitations, simply import the list from Eventor.app to your favorite email marketing platform and create compelling campaigns. Here’s how to import the list you prepared if it’s your first time to use the app. It also has a strong GDPR compliant core so everything is secured and reliable. Truly a powerful all around guest management app that you surely want to try.
For those of you that struggle and wish to use their time doing something, you feel comfortable doing, let us help you! Our campaign managers can make beautiful digital invitation for you. Any Eventor paying user can get the electronic invitation as a service for just 300 USD.
So don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the chat!
The Takeaway
We tried each of them first hand and after careful scrutiny of each of the newsletter tools, here is the takeaway. Technical considerations come in handy — a strong GDPR compliance, an easy-to-use user interface, and a wide range of app integrations can be found.
Seriously, Mailchimp deserves its title. Easy navigation and simple newsletter tool with essential features to create and send a compelling invite. We recommend this as a perfect kickstarter for beginners.
Meanwhile, Sendgrid is a haven for techies out there. Excellent in handling bulk email delivery and the most essential IP white labeling feature. It’s not as user-friendly as MailChimp but if you’re up for a challenge to make the best out of your campaign, then this is for you.
Campaign Monitor is simply the perfect match for style and intuitiveness. It’s straightforward when it comes to email marketing services. They made it easier to create attractive campaigns that really sell. For simplicity and a professional theme, this one is a great match.
And if for any reason, you cannot choose the right one for you yet, try each of the free newsletter tools and see what works best for you. If after that you still can’t decide, or simply don’t feel like doing it yourself, just contact us and we will help you send your invitation, no matter which tool you have.
