Best Email Autoresponders For Affiliate Marketing and MLM in 2024

Email autoresponders for affiliate marketing

Email marketing is one of the most important and essential aspects of the business of every scale. Building an email list is vital for the success of a digital marketer, especially the affiliate marketer, because ‘money is in the list’. So you need an affiliate-friendly email autoresponder to build a decent list. Before we get into the list of email autoresponders for affiliate marketing, we need to check the attributes of a good email autoresponder.

What is an Email Autoresponder or an Email Marketing Software?

An autoresponder is a software tool that helps in sending automated messages to your website subscribers and then following up with them at preset time intervals. In other words, sending preset emails to subscribers in autopilot mode. Eventually, it saves time, so that you can spend quality time with your loved ones or in other productive areas.

Autoresponders are perhaps the easiest and most effective way of converting your subscribers into customers. Your conversions increase when sending your subscribers a series of follow-up emails, gently guiding them down the sales path while building a relationship with them at the same time. You can even market other related affiliate products to them later on.

List of the best email autoresponders for affiliate Marketing and marketers.

  • ConvertKit
  • GetResponse
  • Aweber
  • Sendlane
  • Kartra
  • Email Octopus
  • Sendx

1. ConvertKit (Ideal for Bloggers and Content Creators)

ConvertKit was founded by a blogger and course creator – Nathan Barry. Obviously, he knows the pain points of an email marketer. So he made the tool to be very easy to use and fast to learn. If you are a novice in email marketing and want a simple solution to get started it is the perfect email marketing service for you. It is ideal for bloggers and will handle most of your needs with ease.

ConvertKit’s Key Features

convertkit features
ConvertKit Features

ConvertKit’s tagging & Segmenting features are very much fluid and flexible than a list-centric model. Organizing your subscriber list using Tags & Segments allows you to send more highly specialized content to each group of Subscribers. This enables you to organize and track your subscriber activity in a better way. With tagging and segmentation, you know exactly what each customer has bought, and what they haven’t. The Subscriber-centric model is more powerful and easy compared to other models.

ConvertKit allows you to define goals and send perfectly timed emails, and they make it easy to create beautiful opt-in forms. ConvertKit is Subscriber-centric, not list-centric like Aweber and MailChimp. This means, unlike list-centric tools here subscriber is only counted once in an account. It doesn’t matter how many times a Subscriber opts-in to your Sign-up Forms or Landing Pages, they will only appear once on your main list. So you won’t be charged for duplicate subscribers.

ConvertKit’s Pricing

ConvertKit's Pricing and Features

ConvertKit has gone Freemium on its 7th birthday. Yes, you can get started with ConvertKit’s free account till you get some traction. In earlier days, so many bloggers (including me) start on MailChimp because it is free till you attain 2000 subscribers. Afterward, switch to other email marketing tools including ConvertKit. I would say, this switch is a waste of time and energy because you need to get accustomed to the new tool and create those campaigns again. Now it would be so much better off to begin on ConvertKit itself.

ConvertKit has an impeccable delivery rate compared to others. Their recent delivery report says it to be 98.9%. This email automation tool is tailor-made for publishers to grow their audiences. It allows you to use a free account until you reach 300 subscribers. For more insights, you may read my ConvertKit Review.

2. GetResponse (Ideal for eCommerce sites)

getresponse

GetResponse has tons of experience in this field. One of the early entrants in the email autoresponder arena with an impeccable deliverability rate, marketing automation capabilities and it integrates with many of the leading applications. Among its peers, Get Response offers the best pricing and has a good customer service team as well. Even the basic package offers unlimited landing pages. This helps you build those squeeze pages within minutes. I found their interface to be user-friendly. Even beginners with little knowledge of email marketing can get accustomed to it in a matter of time.

GetResponse’s Price and Features

GetResponse's Price and Features

GetResponse is a list-based autoresponder. But you can still add tags to subscribers through automation.

3. AWeber (Popular Email Marketing Software)

aweber

AWeber was founded in1998 and it is one of the first autoresponders ever born on the Internet, and it has been used by affiliate marketers for decades now. A very established player with a high delivery rate and automation capabilities. It integrates with most of the popular applications. They offer good customer service and competitive pricing. But its interface looks a bit outdated for me.

AWeber’s Price and Features

AWeber's Price and Features

When you sign-up for the 30 days trial, double opt-in is set as default. If you wish, you can change it to a single opt-in by sending them a request message. Normally, affiliate marketers don’t prefer double opt-in. I prefer a single opt-in.

4. Sendlane

sendlane

SendLane is the new kid on the block. And is developed by marketers like Jimmy Kim, Anik Singal, and Zakariah Meftah. Obviously, you expect essential features in it for affiliate marketers. Growth, Marketing Automation Pro, and Enterprise/Agency are the 3 packages offered by Sendlane. The basic package ie Growth has features like Email Marketing Automation, Real-Time Analytics, customizable web forms, Pop-ups, etc. Advanced features like Multivariable Segmentation and SMS Marketing are available in the Marketing Automation Pro package.

SendLane’s Price and Features

SendLane's Price and Features

Features

ConvertKit

Get Response

AWeber

Sendlane

Landing Pages

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Free Plan

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Free Trial Period on Paid Plan

14 days

30 days

30 days

14 days

Credit/Debit card required?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Type

Subscriber-based

List-based

List-based

List-based

Even though the listed email autoresponders are affiliate-marketing friendly, adhere to their guidelines. Otherwise, they will make sure that your account gets banned with immediate effect. I have seen this happen to many of the risk-takers in the affiliate marketing community. I don’t wish to see my readers lose their valuable time, money, and lists; doing such daring acts. Use only ethical list building techniques and make lots of money 🙂

PRICE COMPARISON (All rates are $/Month. Discount available, if paid annually)

Subscribers

ConvertKit

Get Response

AWeber

Sendlane

0 - 500

Free

15

19.99

99

501 to 1000

Free

15

29

99

1001 - 3000

49

25 - 45

29 - 49

99

3001 - 5000

79

45

49

99

5001 - 8000

99

65

69

249

8001 - 10000

119

65

69

249

10001 - 15K

149

145

149

319

15001 - 20K

179

145

149

319

20001 - 25K

199

145

149

319

25001 - 35K

259

250

Get a Quote

449

35001 - 45K

319

250

Get a Quote

449

45001 - 55K

379

250 - 450

Get a Quote

449 - 589

How to Choose the Best Email Autoresponder for Affiliate Marketing?

The criteria to shortlist each email autoresponder should be based on the following:

A. Good Delivery rate

If your subscribers aren’t even seeing your emails, how do you expect to make any money with your affiliate links? It’s important that the emails you send reach your subscriber’s inbox. It is crucial to look at metrics such as open rates and the actual deliverability of each campaign. Your efforts are in vain if most of the emails you send don’t reach your subscriber’s inbox. Remember, a bad email delivery rate means less money for you.

B. Automation Capabilities

As an affiliate marketer, you’re typically trying to make a passive income. You want your email marketing procedure to be performed with minimal human assistance; somewhat passive to where you’re not actually going to sit down and type up an hour-long email every single day. And the way we do that is through automation.

C. Integration and other features

It is desirable to have integration capabilities with other leading software tools. Apart from basic features, additional features like landing page builders are an added advantage.

D. Ease of use and Customer service

User-friendliness is an important parameter, especially to newbie digital marketers. Users would love an interface that is aesthetically appealing and easy to navigate. Intuitive, efficient and effective arrangements in the dashboard will entice users to stick with that marketing tool. Quality customer service would be an added advantage.

E. Trial Period and Pricing

Trial period allows you to check the effectiveness of the email service and learn about its automation capabilities and characteristics.

Beginners will always consider the starting price before signing up for a software tool. It is always a good idea to make sure that it doesn’t cost you too much. If you can start with a freemium tool or begin your email marketing journey by paying only a reasonable price then it will be beneficial for you in the long run.

Should an affiliate marketer avoid any email autoresponder?

Popular autoresponders like MailChimp, MailerLite, SendinBlue, Constant Contact, and Benchmark are not affiliate-friendly. They won’t let affiliate links in email campaigns, even if the links are from internationally reputed affiliate networks like ClickBank and JVZoo. They will ban you if you try to include affiliate links in your email marketing campaigns. ActiveCampaign does not encourage users to post affiliate links in emails. so it is better to avoid ActiveCampaign as well. 

What If You Do Not Use Affiliate Links in Emails?

If you do not use affiliate links in emails but send blog post links that contain affiliate links to your subscribers, then you may consider the following email autoresponders:

  • Active Campaign
  • Drip
  • Constant Contact
  • SendinBlue
  • MailerLite
  • Moosend
  • MailChimp

You have probably been lured more than once into trying a new autoresponder, to realize after a few months, that it is not the right one for you and that you will need to either use the tool in an uncomfortable way or move on to the next free trial. I have used all the above-mentioned autoresponders either for my personal email marketing campaigns or for my client’s marketing campaigns.

How To Use Email Autoresponders To Boost Affiliate Sales?

According to marketing charts, 89% of the decision-makers believe that email is the most valuable customer identification piece. The best way to make the most of email information is by sending email autoresponders. A program is set up that sends specially designed emails in a specific time frame. When planned well, these email autoresponders can rapidly boost your affiliate sales.

The emails that you acquire from your website will become your potential buyers if you create the right email autoresponder strategy. Let’s have a look at some fruitful email autoresponder strategies.

a) Send A Welcome Email

Most of the companies send a welcome email. Instead of just welcoming them on your platform, send something that builds the bond. The customer is new to your business, and your first email should talk about what you are and what you do.

You can also offer some free trials or new user discounts in your first email to prepare the visitor for the next step.

b) Send A “How To Start” Guide

Since the user is new and doesn’t know much about your product/service, a guide will surely help. If you have a procedure to follow, a step-by-step guide will make more sense. Most people quit because they don’t know what to do next. Create autoresponders and show them the way to the next step once they are done with the first one.

c) Create A Schedule

Frequent emails will irritate the subscribers, and they will spend a few minutes unsubscribing you. Create a schedule and space out according to time. Create a strategy for the number of emails you want to send in a day.

Neil Patel suggests sending one email a day unless there is some special occasion like a sale going on or something else. Then also, try to space them out over time.

d) Share Stories Or Case Studies

Stories touch the human heart and build a better understanding. Sharing your business stories will help create awareness and curiosity about your brand. Have you ever received emails from “save child foundations”? Their campaign story is appealing enough to generate leads.  

Looking at case studies, they work better than your “what you do”. When you send case studies, users can see themselves in that position. They can feel how you have served the needs of the person. They can decide whether your service or product can help them or not. The best thing is both B2C, and B2B companies can use this method.

e) Deliver Some Knowledge

Don’t always sell because the user is not always interested in buying. Share some valuable tips that new people might not know. Suppose you have a point credit system where you offer points after purchase. You can send a message, telling them about the points which they can use for their next purchase.

f) Create A FAQ Response

No matter, you have explained everything on your website, or you have a FAQ section there, and you have dedicated customer service as well, but the users will still have doubts. Collect common questions that users have asked recently and answer them with an email autoresponder.

g) Ask For Reviews After Purchases

Customers purchase and forget the service if they don’t feel any issue with the product. You might get complaint emails if the product didn’t serve the job. But, for positive feedback, you have to ask.

Suppose you offer online courses, send them autoresponders after completion of the course, and ask for reviews. Honest reviews add credibility to your services.

h) Referral Temptation

Who doesn’t love some extra benefits? Many brands have got massive popularity with the referral scheme. You offer some freebies or bonuses for every friend joining, and your users spread the word for you.

You can offer bonus rewards on milestones as well. Like extra reward after five referrals. Or a discount coupon after two referrals. The tier system also works great.

i) Add A Personalized Touch

Though most of your subscribers already know you are not typing individual emails, calling them with their names still matters. When you add their name at the beginning of the email, it catches more attention.

There are many software out there that let you add the subscriber name as well. When users receive an email that has their names, the chances of opening the email improves.  

j) Share Customer Reviews To Build Trust

Your users will always be interested in reviews. When you have a new website, users will not trust reviews on your website. Ask your customers to review your services on third-party platforms. Such sites don’t let you edit or delete negative reviews, and that’s why users trust them.

We have websites like Trustpilot, which have honest reviews. Share these reviews in autoresponders, and you will build a bridge of trust.

k) Reflect Your Personality

Sending basic and boring emails will never make you stand out from the crowd. Whenever you order something from Amazon, they send you a confirmation email. The email body is unique to Amazon and that’s what you need for your website as well.

Create a unique and interesting email to build your personality. Add your personal flavor and wit. Make the email your image.

l) Call For Cart

Calling for abandoned carts works so well. Sometimes, customers forget to buy at the end moment, and this call reminds them to complete the purchase.

Sending emails like price dropped for items in your cart or special discount or freebies to the first few buyers will surely boost the sales.

m) Show Your Biggest Clients

A business is known by its clients. You need to show the best clients you have worked with to build credibility. If someone works for a big brand like Google, it means they have the potential to serve the best.

Your users need to know your worth. You have to tell them the big names who used your services which could be anything such as software or even a piece of information. Add your achievements in the email autoresponder, and you are good to leave an everlasting impact.  

n) Sort Your Subscribers

You might have subscribers who are following you for a long time and made frequent purchases, and you are also getting new subscribers every day. Not everyone needs to get the same emails, and that’s why sorting is necessary.

You need to segment your subscribers into groups to target with the right message. You can create categories and questions to sort. Send questions, and depending on the answer, put them in the related category.

ConverKit is a great software for segmenting and tagging. You can tag people to whom you want to send similar emails and then group them together in one segment. It is the best email autoresponder software for digital service providers.

You can also segment according to time or engagement. Whatever way, segment your audience and send them something they might be interested in.

o) Keep Testing And Refining The Email Strategy

There are thousands of email marketing strategies. Every brand creates its own strategies, and you can’t expect everything to work for you the way it worked for someone else.

Test different strategies and analyze what works best for you. Refine strategies that work. Make adjustments and test again until you see it working the best.

Email autoresponder strategies have worked for so many companies and will work for you also. The only thing you need to do is focus and create your own style. Add your own taste, and you will see your sales getting a boost.

Wrap Up

When I started my blogging journey, I chose MailChimp for sending my newsletters. I knew MailChimp is not an affiliate marketing-friendly tool, but we can create and maintain a free account until we have a decent number of subscribers. That tempted me to choose MailChimp. Once I had a decent number of subscribers, I moved on to Aweber.

Aweber is a good choice for budding content creators. But later I found its features to be limited. So I decided to try GetResponse. Believe me, this transition from one tool to another is a time-consuming process as well as a waste of your energy.

Still, I wanted to experiment with the next list-centric email autoresponder, GetResponse. I felt it to be a good tool for e-commerce websites. It has a lot of email templates which is quite handy for an e-com site owner to send product listing to their subscribers in a rather colorful way.

After a year I switched over to ConvertKit. Ease of handling is the best feeling I had with ConvertKit. It is more fluid and flexible than the other two email autoresponders. The good news is that ConvertKit is now offering a free account for beginners. So now newbies can sign-up for free and test the waters with the new tool till they get some traction. If you are a publisher then I would recommend ConvertKit. Currently, It is the best email autoresponders for affiliate marketing and MLM.

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