Developed by content creators for content creators, ConvertKit is a highly intuitive email marketing tool that is particularly suitable for bloggers, YouTubers, and podcasters.
Nonetheless, depending on your business type and email automation requirements, ConvertKit may not always be the most appropriate choice. Additionally, as your email list grows,
ConvertKit's pricing significantly increases.
This comprehensive ConvertKit review will provide a hands-on assessment of the primary features of this email marketing platform to assist you in determining whether it is suitable for your business.
Pros
- Free to Use — ConvertKit is free to use for email lists under 1,000 subscribers.
- User-Friendly — Getting started with ConvertKit is effortless, and users can quickly become proficient with its tools.
- Personalized Emails — ConvertKit's emails resemble personal emails, boosting their deliverability.
- High Deliverability Rates — ConvertKit boasts some of the highest deliverability rates in the industry.
Cons
- Expensive – ConvertKit can be significantly more expensive than other email marketing platforms.
- Limited Integrations – ConvertKit has fewer integration options than ActiveCampaign, although Zapier is available.
- Less Versatile Automations – Compared to ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit's automation capabilities are not as flexible.
What is ConvertKit?
In 2013, blogger Nathan Barry founded ConvertKit, seeking an email marketing solution that would be more supportive of content creators.
Today, ConvertKit empowers more than 550,000 creators and reaches over 592 million subscribers via email lists. While ConvertKit primarily caters to bloggers and content creators, it is not as popular for eCommerce websites or brick-and-mortar businesses.
Features of ConvertKit
Here’s an overview of what ConvertKit offers for building and engaging with your email list as a blogger-friendly email marketing platform:
- Email Builder – Create quick and personal-looking emails using a simple email text editor for email broadcasts.
- Forms – Use ConvertKit’s form templates to start capturing new subscribers.
- Segmentation – Organize subscribers using ConvertKit’s tag and segments system.
- Automations – Create automations with either pre-built templates or visual flowchart builder.
- Landing Pages – Promote events, product launches, webinars, and ebooks with over 40 landing page templates.
- Email Commerce – Directly sell digital products and subscriptions through email.
- A/B Testing – Split test subject lines and landing pages.
- WordPress Plugin – Easily embed ConvertKit forms on your blog using the WordPress plugin.
- Integrations – With over 90 integration options, you can use ConvertKit with various apps and services.
- Free Migration – If you are a paying customer, ConvertKit provides a free migration service.
- Facebook Custom Audiences – Remarket to subscribers with Creator Pro by adding your Facebook pixel to ConvertKit landing pages.
- Link Redirects – Correct or redirect broken links in email blasts with Creator Pro.
- Two-Factor Authentication – Enable this feature to log in securely to ConvertKit.
- Sell Products – Use ConvertKit to process credit card payments (powered by Stripe), eliminating the need for a separate shopping cart service.
Email Builder
The email editor is a vital feature in any email marketing tool. It is necessary to have an intuitive email blast and funnel creation while building your email list. Furthermore, having more email templates and personalization options helps in creating less spammy emails and keeps your subscribers engaged.
ConvertKit's email builder aims to keep things simple and user-friendly. You can create email “broadcasts,” which are one-time emails you send to subscribers. ConvertKit offers 25 email templates that primarily focus on text content, rather than visuals.
This approach ensures that emails sent through ConvertKit resemble personal emails rather than sales spam emails. Plain-text emails are also known to perform better than emails filled with images and videos, according to ConvertKit.
The email editor is similar to writing a regular work email, making ConvertKit quicker to use than drag-and-drop editors found in providers like MailerLite.
Landing Pages
ConvertKit offers users four different types of email capture forms that can be used to grow their email lists. The first is the inline form, which appears as part of your blog content. The second is the popup form, which displays a modal box prompting visitors to enter their email addresses based on the conditions you specify. The third is the slide-in form, which appears from the bottom of the web page, attracting the visitor’s attention. Finally, the sticky bar form is similar to Hello Bar, which is located at the top of the web page.
In addition to its email templates, ConvertKit provides nine form templates. You can quickly customize the form colors, images, and text to suit your brand and messaging. You can also make forms fire depending on specific logic, such as the scroll percentage down a page, device type, and upon exit. You can also show different content or hide the form from subscribed readers.
ConvertKit has enough form functionality if you want to deliver a freebie or capture newsletter readers. You can create unique opt-in forms for different blog categories and automatically tag subscribers. This feature is especially useful for multi-niche bloggers.
Regarding landing pages, you can capture emails on ConvertKit-hosted landing pages or pages on your domain. With over 40 landing page templates available for various categories such as eBooks, events, newsletters, podcasts, products, waitlists, and webinars, ConvertKit has more than enough forms and landing pages to help you build your email list and promote your products or services. The variety of landing pages is also a plus worth noting. Now, you might be interested about landing pages. Check out out Top landing pages for affiliate marketing to increase your marketing success.
Tags and Segment
ConvertKit offers two methods to organize your subscribers effectively:
- Tags – You can sort existing subscribers based on their previous actions, such as buying a product or clicking on specific links in your emails.
- Segments – This feature enables you to create segments of your email list, which use one or more tags.
For instance, suppose you sell various online courses. In that case, you can use ConvertKit to tag subscribers who purchase different courses with a unique tag for each course. You can create a segment that includes all past course purchasers and market your latest course to them. Alternatively, you can create a segment that excludes previous course purchasers and target non-purchasers to encourage them to buy.
You can also create segments based on other filters, such as the specific sign-up forms subscribers completed or the products they bought.
Overall, tags are the most powerful way to create new marketing segments in ConvertKit, although it does not support email lists to organize subscribers like ActiveCampaign.
Automation
Email automation is a crucial feature that can save time and increase traffic and revenue for bloggers. Although ConvertKit does not offer as many automation options as ActiveCampaign, its visual flowchart builder and pre-built automation templates make the process user-friendly. Users can set triggers, actions, and conditions to determine how and when their automation sequences run. With 28 pre-made automation templates tailored to different types of businesses, ConvertKit is an excellent choice for beginners. However, more advanced users can also create their own automations.
Triggers and Actions
ConvertKit offers several trigger options that determine when a sequence begins, including:
- Subscribing to a sequence
- Subscribing to a form
- Completing a sequence
- Clicking a link
- Having a tag added or removed
When a trigger fires, ConvertKit offers several action options, including:
- Subscribing or unsubscribing to a sequence
- Subscribing or unsubscribing to a form
- Adding or removing a tag
- Setting a custom field
While this might seem confusing for those new to email marketing, ConvertKit's pre-built automation templates make it easier to create welcome flows for new subscribers, send follow-up emails to purchasers, or create simple email sequences.
Sell Products
ConvertKit offers a unique feature that allows users to sell products directly through their service, eliminating the need for a third-party shopping cart like ThriveCart. The service is powered by Stripe, a trusted payment processor, which charges a transaction fee of 3.5% and $0.30 per payout, which occurs weekly.
ConvertKit offers several use-case examples for its direct selling feature, including ebooks, paid newsletters, music albums, presets, and coaching. However, the most common use cases are paid newsletters, ebooks, and coaching. It's worth noting that while ConvertKit's shopping cart is basic, lacking advanced features like upsell, down selling, and bump offers found on ThriveCart, it still serves its purpose.
Integrations
There are more than 90 integrations available on ConvertKit, covering a wide range of categories and partners such as CRM (e.g., Flow.ly, JetpackCRM, and Monday.com), E-Commerce (e.g., Gumroad, SamCart, Stripe, and Shopify), Lead Capture (e.g., ClickFunnels, Convertful, OptinMonster, and LeadPages), Memberships (e.g., Memberful, MemberMouse, Podia, and Teachery), Webinars (e.g., Crowdcast, Demio, EasyWebinar, and WebinarJam), and Website Platforms (e.g., Kajabi, Wix, WordPress, and WP Engine). Additionally, ConvertKit integrates with Zapier and has its own API, making it easy to connect with third-party software.
Although ActiveCampaign offers a more developer-friendly API and a larger number of integration options, this may not be a crucial factor for most bloggers. Setting up API access with ActiveCampaign is relatively straightforward, with the API key available under the developer tools in your settings. ActiveCampaign also provides a developer portal with API documentation and a developer community board where users can ask questions. In cases where ActiveCampaign does not integrate directly with a service, Zapier can often fill the gap.
Reporting and Analytics
To optimize your email marketing strategy, you need data to determine what is effective and what is not. ConvertKit provides basic analytics and reporting on its Broadcast dashboard to assist with this task.
The dashboard displays detailed information on each email you send, including the total number of email sends, open rates, click rates, unsubscribers, and errors. An interesting feature is the “resend to unopened” option that allows you to resend emails to recipients who did not open your initial email. However, it is essential to avoid spamming people with too many duplicate emails.
In addition to tracking data for individual emails, ConvertKit enables you to monitor similar data for email sequences. Creator Pro subscribers can access advanced deliverability reporting that helps identify factors that may impact email deliverability.
Unfortunately, ConvertKit's API does not provide access to this data. To access the information, you must use their service.
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability measures the percentage of emails you send that successfully reach subscribers' inboxes. This metric is often overlooked, but it is crucial since having an email service provider that can't deliver your messages to subscribers' inboxes defeats the purpose of using one.
When it comes to deliverability, ConvertKit is a strong contender among other top email marketing companies. According to ConvertKit, its deliverability rate stands at 99.8%, and the average open rate of all emails is relatively high at around 42%.
In terms of click-through rates, ConvertKit's emails have an average rate of 4.3%.
I appreciate ConvertKit's text-only templates that give emails a more personal feel. Additionally, ConvertKit includes an unsubscribe option in the footer of emails by default, which is required for email marketing compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act. Users can customize the unsubscribe text and message, and ConvertKit complies with GDPR regulations.
Pricing Plans
ConvertKit’s pricing is determined by the number of subscribers you have and the plan you select, either Creator or Creator Pro. For up to 1,000 subscribers, there is a free plan available, which allows you to try ConvertKit at no cost. The pricing and features available for each plan at 1,000 subscribers are as follows:
- Free: $0/month
- Creator: $9/month
- Creator Pro: $25/month
As your subscriber count increases, so does the cost of the plans. While the free plan is suitable for most bloggers, once your subscriber count exceeds 1,000, you must choose between Creator and Creator Pro.
Creator provides ample functionality for most bloggers, while Creator Pro offers additional features, such as integration with Facebook Custom Audiences for remarketing with paid ads and a newsletter rewards program for paying subscribers who refer new readers to your email list.
While Creator Pro has some useful features, it may not be necessary for solo bloggers who do not require team members or Facebook Custom Audiences.
Although ConvertKit is more expensive compared to alternatives like MailerLite and Moosend, it offers a 14-day free trial for both Creator and Creator Pro plans, and switching to annual billing provides two months for free.
While ConvertKit may seem pricier, it may be worth the cost if you are struggling with email marketing and if other email tools do not meet your needs. Additionally, if you increase your blog traffic and promote different products or courses, you may quickly recoup your monthly cost.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ConvertKit is a powerful and intuitive email marketing tool that is well-suited for bloggers, content creators, and online entrepreneurs. Its clean interface, automation features, and personalization options make it easy to create engaging email campaigns that resonate with your subscribers. The platform offers a range of integrations, basic analytics, and reporting to optimize your email marketing strategy, and its high deliverability rates ensure that your emails will land in subscribers' inboxes. While ConvertKit's pricing is higher than some of its competitors, its unique features and ease of use make it worth considering for those who prioritize a streamlined email marketing experience.
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