Unlocking Free Email Marketing Solutions: Ditch ConvertKit and Mailchimp
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Chapter 1: The Value of Audience Engagement
It’s essential to recognize the importance of having an audience, whether you’re a creator, programmer, or entrepreneur. Your audience may consist of existing clients, potential employers, or anyone interested in your insights or offerings.
To manage this audience effectively, an email service provider can be incredibly useful. Among the most well-known options are ConvertKit and Mailchimp, both of which have garnered significant popularity.
However, the pressing question is: Is it necessary to pay for these services?
You can avoid subscription fees by setting up your own email service—something equally impressive as ConvertKit.
An Easy Setup Process
Setting up such a platform is straightforward and should take no more than an hour.
Above is a glimpse of my onboarding campaign using the platform I’m about to introduce. It features a drip campaign similar to what ConvertKit and Mailchimp offer, but without the hefty price tag.
Mailchimp historically lacked drip campaigns, relying on traditional autoresponders. They recently added drip campaigns, but accessing them requires a premium subscription.
The platform I’m going to share provides access to these features at no cost, and the setup is refreshingly simple.
Section 1.1: Why Mailchimp Falls Short
Mailchimp utilizes a frustrating upselling strategy through feature limitations. The more you pay, the more features you unlock.
For instance, their free tier doesn’t provide access to customer journey tools, and the Essential tier has limited functionalities. To access the full customer journey builder, you must upgrade to the Standard plan.
This model means that your cost isn’t just based on the number of subscribers but also on the features available.
For example, their $299 plan offers features that are completely free on the platform I’m about to present. This free platform does not impose subscriber caps, unlike Mailchimp, where even paying customers are often restricted.
The first video titled "ConvertKit vs Keap - Which Is The Better Email Marketing Software?" discusses the benefits and drawbacks of both platforms, providing insights that could help you choose a suitable email marketing service.
Section 1.2: The Drawbacks of ConvertKit
ConvertKit isn’t much different. It employs similar tactics to Mailchimp, requiring credit card details to unlock drip campaigns.
Customers are restricted based on their subscription tier, regardless of their payment status. This can be particularly disheartening, especially when prices rise sharply with even minor increases in subscriber count.
As an example, for just 1,000 subscribers, ConvertKit charges $50 per month, with additional fees for advanced features like subscriber scoring, which is available only in their Creator Pro package.
In stark contrast, the platform I’m introducing offers subscriber scoring for free, regardless of whether you have 100 or 1,000,000 subscribers. You’ll also enjoy drip campaigns and various other fantastic features at no charge.
Comparative Features of Free Alternatives
What I’m about to introduce is unmatched, offering nearly every feature found in ConvertKit or Mailchimp, and much more—all for $0. Some of the standout features include:
- Unlimited contacts
- Unlimited sending
- Custom landing pages and forms
- Email and landing page templates
- Marketing CRM
- Advanced automation (including funnels and sequences)
- Behavioral targeting
- Advanced segmentation
- A/B testing
- Custom templates and domains
- Comprehensive reporting
- Social media audience targeting
- Lead scoring
- Custom branding (no platform logos in your emails)
- SMS capabilities
The list is extensive, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. This offering surpasses both ConvertKit and Mailchimp, all without any cost.
The only requirement is that you need to set it up—but don’t worry! The setup process is straightforward and can be completed in under an hour with the right guidance.
Chapter 2: Getting Started with Your Own Email Service
If you’re a creator or a programmer, you should have a personal website. Without it, you wouldn’t have a place to collect leads for your email automation service.
Assuming you have a personal website, we will utilize your hosting space for this project. Shared hosting is the most common and accessible option.
The email automation platform I recommend is Mautic. As an open-source solution, it outperforms both ConvertKit and Mailchimp, with the only catch being that you need to host it yourself.
Step 1: Installation (5 minutes)
Before installing, you’ll need to create a subdomain for Mautic. This can be done easily via your Cpanel, with examples like mautic.yourdomain.com.
Installation is straightforward through the Cpanel using Softaculous Apps Installer.
For more detailed instructions, check the provided guide.
Step 2: Setting Up SMTP or API (10 minutes)
Mautic requires SMTP and Cron Jobs for full functionality. SMTP allows for email sending, while Cron Jobs automate tasks such as email sequences.
You can obtain SMTP through your hosting provider or use a premium SMTP service, though we’ll use the free option provided by your shared hosting.
Step 3: Integrating SMTP with Mautic (10 Minutes)
Log into Mautic, navigate to the settings, and select email settings. Choose the "Other SMTP Server" option to add your SMTP details.
Step 4: Configuring Cron Jobs (15 Minutes)
Cron Jobs automate tasks for you, sending newsletters or managing drip campaigns. You’ll need to configure multiple Cron Jobs based on your desired frequency.
Adding Cron Jobs via your Cpanel is quite simple.
Once you finish adding all required Cron Jobs, congratulations! Your Mautic setup is complete, and you can now enjoy its full capabilities.
Final Thoughts
Setting up Mautic is not overly complicated; many steps are required even when using ConvertKit or Mailchimp, such as creating a business email.
Let’s recap the time taken for each step:
- Step 1: Installation (5 minutes)
- Step 2: Getting SMTP (10 minutes)
- Step 3: Adding SMTP to Mautic (10 minutes)
- Step 4: Setting up Cron Jobs (15 minutes)
In total, that’s about 40 minutes, but installation can take as little as 2 minutes. Thus, completing the setup within one hour is entirely feasible.
If you’re still unclear on any points, I recommend consulting the longer guide.
Once your setup is finalized, you’re all set! Future maintenance will only involve occasional updates, which are easily managed with just a click.
In conclusion, you now have access to a powerful email service that stands unrivaled—all for the cost of $0 per month.
The second video titled "The Ultimate ConvertKit Review: Is It Worth Your Time and Money?" provides an in-depth analysis to help you evaluate whether ConvertKit is a worthwhile investment for your email marketing needs.