In this episode of the Market Your Message show, Jonathan Milligan, author of the 'Your Message Matters' book series, delves into Chapter 13 of 'Launch Your Platform'. He discusses the critical task of selecting the right email marketing service. Jonathan shares lessons from YesMail's infamous email campaign, explains common mistakes to avoid, outlines seven essential questions when choosing an email list service, and reviews four top email marketing platforms—ConvertKit, MailerLite, System, and Kajabi. This chapter focuses on evaluating providers based on deliverability, automation, segmentation, ease of use, price, landing page options, and support, helping listeners make an informed decision to enhance their email marketing efforts.
00:00 Introduction to the Market Your Message Show 00:44 Chapter 13: Select Your Email List Service 00:49 The YesMail Case Study: Lessons in Email Marketing 02:28 Common Mistakes in Email Marketing 04:26 Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Email List Service 08:07 The Four Best Email List Services for Authors, Coaches, and Speakers 11:36 Day 13 Exercise: Select Your Email List Service 12:39 Day 13 Key Takeaways
In this episode of the Market Your Message show, Jonathan Milligan, author of the 'Your Message Matters' book series, delves into Chapter 13 of 'Launch Your Platform'. He discusses the critical task of selecting the right email marketing service. Jonathan shares lessons from YesMail's infamous email campaign, explains common mistakes to avoid, outlines seven essential questions when choosing an email list service, and reviews four top email marketing platforms—ConvertKit, MailerLite, System, and Kajabi. This chapter focuses on evaluating providers based on deliverability, automation, segmentation, ease of use, price, landing page options, and support, helping listeners make an informed decision to enhance their email marketing efforts.
00:00 Introduction to the Market Your Message Show 00:44 Chapter 13: Select Your Email List Service 00:49 The YesMail Case Study: Lessons in Email Marketing 02:28 Common Mistakes in Email Marketing 04:26 Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Email List Service 08:07 The Four Best Email List Services for Authors, Coaches, and Speakers 11:36 Day 13 Exercise: Select Your Email List Service 12:39 Day 13 Key Takeaways
Hello and welcome to the Market Your Message show. I'm your host, Jonathan Milligan, an author of the Your Message Matters book series. We are currently going through book number two in the series called Launch Your Platform, a 21 day launch plan to build your personal brand and share your story online as a writer, coach or speaker. And as a special thanks to you, my podcast listeners, I'm releasing the audio book. One chapter at a time. If you'd like to grab any of the books in the series, just go to platformgrowthbooks. com. Okay. Let's jump in to today's reading.
Chapter 13. Day 13. Select your email list service. In its early days, an Atlanta startup named YesMail wanted to show off its email marketing platform. They hoped to dazzle potential customers. They decided to send a massive opt in email blast to over 60 million addresses. The addresses were purchased from various databases. The email was meant to demonstrate YesMail's delivery capacity at scale, but instead it overwhelmed ISPs and crashed inboxes across the internet. Major news outlets reported on the digital tidal wave. AOL temporarily blocked all emails from YesMail's domain. This legendary email campaign became a case study in failure. It even submitted YesMail's reputation as synonymous with spam for years. They learned the hard way that bigger email lists do not guarantee better results. YesMail's epic blunder illustrates the importance of carefully selecting the right email marketing provider. This is especially important when first starting out. But by applying today's email best practices, you can transform subscriber messaging. Into one of your most valuable assets. Email marketing remains one of the best tools for connecting with customers and growing a business. But to unlock its full potential, the right email platform is essential. This chapter reveals how to select a tailored email service based on your unique needs. We won't overwhelm you with feature comparisons of different providers. Instead, we'll focus on core evaluation criteria that applies to any email partner. With the right approach, you can confidently choose a platform to take your email efforts to the next level. Day 13. Select your email list service. Let's first discuss the most common mistakes people make when first starting with email marketing mistake. Number one, using Gmail for email marketing, limited deliverability. Many coaches, speakers, and authors often start by sending emails through their personal Gmail account. It feels easier since you already use it daily. However, Gmail caps how many emails you can send per day, throttling your ability to reach people. As you grow beyond a handful of subscribers, important messages hit spam folders. Your open rates plummet overnight. When deliverability lags, inboxes never see your mail. Messages go straight to junk if they arrive at all. Recipients who sought your wisdom get silence instead. Engagement dies without ongoing dialogue. You lose their interest the very hour you won them. Mistake number two, choosing the cheapest option, poor deliverability. Money matters when starting out. Many spot a deal for 100 emails at just 5 per month.
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Yet cut rate services cut corners too. Spammers flood these platforms, making big email providers block everyone as risky. Your hard won audience vanishes without a click mistake. Number three, trying to learn complex email marketing platforms, sophisticated options, baffle first timers with fancy features. You want to craft campaigns, segment audiences, and track links, but multi tab menus in tech vocabulary. Overcomplicate things. Hours pass trying to configure settings instead of creating content. Soon, frustration overwhelms any progress. Complex interfaces demand days of tutorials before sending simple newsletters. Who has time for that? It's hard enough creating content without wrestling with new softwares, too. You quickly lose hope that you have the chops to do this. Remember this. The simplest solution is often the best solution.
Seven questions to ask when choosing your email list service.
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Selecting the right email marketing platform establishes your digital headquarters for years ahead. I've created seven vital questions that you should ask to select the right email list service. Let's review what matters most when determining where to house your subscribers. Does it have good email deliverability? Deliverability makes or breaks your outreach. Stick with email list services known for over 90 percent inbox placement. Publishers release reports every year on the latest deliverability rates for each provider. Later, I'll share with you my top four providers that meet this criteria. Does it offer email marketing automation? You want to avoid getting overwhelmed with automation at first. However, feel It's still a good idea to have some automation. For example, a simple automated email is important. It delivers your lead magnet or welcomes new subscribers. Automation allows you to scale your business and influence. Just know some free plans exclude these features. Does it allow tagging or segmenting subscribers? While you may not need it at the very beginning, segmenting your list over time is a smart move. It sets you up for future success as your email list grows. The words tagging or segmenting essentially mean the same thing. The concept is about placing your subscribers into small buckets based on their interests. For example, let's say I send an email that gives away a free PDF checklist on how to write a book.
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I can set up a simple automation if my email list service offers segmenting. I can create an automated setting to add a tag to anyone who clicks on that link in my email. I could also name the tag aspiring authors. By tagging my list, I can send more relevant emails to certain subscribers. I could send the aspiring authors tag emails about my book writing course. This is how you can make more sales without burning out your list. How does their price compare? While pricing does matter, keep in mind you often get what you pay for. Just because it is free doesn't mean it is the best option. For example, some free email list providers do not include automation. Lacking automation makes it difficult to build an email list. One of the best ways to build your list is to give away a free PDF. Also called a lead magnet to deliver that lead magnet automatically. You need access to automation tools. Do they offer easy landing pages? Back when I first started, you had to pay separately for landing page software and an email list building tool. On top of that, you had to figure out how to get them to work together nicely. Today, most email list services offer built in landing pages. Landing pages are important because these are the web pages you share to get people to opt into your list. Make sure your email list service has landing pages as one of the core features. Is the user interface easy to use? Not all email list services are alike. Some are simpler to use than others. At the very basic level, you need to know how to send a broadcast email to your list. Beyond that, learning how to create an automated email sequence is important too. Later, I will share with you the four best email list services. Each of them also has easy to use interfaces. Is quality technical support available? Make sure the service you choose offers live chat, if at all possible. This is important if you are having trouble sending emails or if something goes wrong. Live chat support has saved the day for me more than once, whenever I was in the middle of a big launch. The four best email list services for authors, coaches, and speakers. Now, let's talk about my four favorite email list services that meet all of the criteria I mentioned earlier. Features and tools are always changing. But at the time of writing this chapter, here are my favorites, in no certain order. Option one, ConvertKit. ConvertKit offers strong automation with its email marketing. Even those on the free plan enjoy unlimited landing pages, forms, and broadcast capabilities. The only limitation is access to pre built email sequences, which requires an upgrade. However, the free forever plan still allows up to 1, 000 subscribers, which provides ample room to grow. Unlimited broadcasting means you can send new content regularly without worrying about caps. Prices remain cost effective for premium features like welcome flows and email courses, and subscribers can go into the tens of thousands before bumping pricing tiers. ConvertKit has excellent deliverability and strong reviews. It is an ideal starting place for creators who want to nurture a following through automated email marketing. Option two, MailerLite. The free version of MailerLite also caps at 1, 000 subscribers, offering creators plenty of capacity initially. The biggest draw comes from their open automation builder. It's available even on free accounts, allowing welcome emails and other messaging sequences. While capped at only 12, 000 emails per month for the first 1, 000 fans, that may suit those focused on high quality over high quantity interactions. For example, in many cases, weekly broadcast emails would still keep you well under that monthly limit. In summary, MailerLite brings intuitive automation without paying extra fees. ConvertKit has some advantages in reviews and ratings for email deliverability. However, MailerLite compares well in key free offering criteria. For some, especially with tight startup budgets, MailerLite deserves consideration as an email marketing launchpad.
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Option three system system combines an all in one online business platform with built in email marketing for those wanting an integrated experience. System provides deep functionality. It covers e commerce, landing pages, and email. Their editor simplifies the creation of nicely designed newsletters and promotional emails. On basic plans, system caps, marketing emails to 1000 prospects per month. Upgrades substantially grow capacity while remaining affordable. They compete well with users who want marketing, sales, and email unified under one roof. This is because of their quality ratings and transparent pricing. Consider System to broaden your capabilities on your entrepreneurial journey. Option four, Kajabi, my personal favorite. Kajabi functions like System. It's an integrated platform for online courses, email marketing, and other core business needs. It earns high marks and is my personal top choice.
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Kajabi specifically helps segment engaged email subscribers. You can then send them targeted promotions, offers, and subscriber journeys related to your niche. Expect stellar deliverability from industry leaders. Kajabi also offers award winning support teams available via live chat. Day 13 exercise. Select your email list service. Finding an email marketing sidekick to grow your community doesn't need overthinking. With just internet access and 10 minutes, you can identify the perfect match. First, write down your top priority for a provider. Is it price, ease of use, features, or deliverability? Circle the one aspect most critical for you. Next, reread the four options I mentioned earlier to determine which one best fits your priorities. Finally, sign up for a free trial. All four options, ConvertKit, MailerLite, System, and Kajabi, either have a limited free trial or a forever free option. Test sending a newsletter, creating a landing page, or even setting up an automated welcome email for new subscribers. If you are satisfied during a trial run, wonderful. You found a solution that can work for you. If not, simply try another until you find the one that works best for you. Day 13, key takeaways. Select a specialist provider. Don't rely on personal accounts. Prioritize 95 percent plus deliverability. Leads mean nothing. If emails hit spam, start with free plans, allowing essentials like subscribers, templates, and automation.
