iContact Targets SMBs With Free Email Service

Limited tools are free for emailers with less than 500 addresses.

iContact is joining the likes of MailChimp and Amazon.com in offering a free self-service email marketing program to SMBs. Such organizations with email lists of less than 500 addresses can utilize “iContact Free Edition.”

Jeff Revoy, chief of product, marketing, and strategy for iContact, told ClickZ that the business goal for his company was to start relationships early with emerging SMBs. As their marketing functions escalate, he explained, they may subscribe to one of his company’s services. While iContact’s starter plan costs $10 monthly and – like the free version – limits users to 500 email addresses, it offers 500 “premium” design templates and phone support. The basic plan (up to 2,500 email addresses) runs at $29 monthly, and the “Pro” plan (up to 10,000 addresses) is priced at $74 per month. The Raleigh, NC-based firm also offers “iContactPlus” for more than 100,000 addresses at a negotiated rate.

Revoy said, “It may be a local softball league or a church group. These are people who could be SMBs today or could be in the future…And as their business needs grow, they may go up to a higher-level version. The other benefit for us is to have a lot of users on our system. We’ll learn a lot more about our product when more people are using it. It’s a model that a lot of companies have used by having a free version available.”

Other elements in the free services package include:

  • 24 email design templates
  • tools letting recipients share messages on Facebook and Twitter
  • backend dashboard that shows click-through rates
  • an automated web version of the email message
  • iPhone and Android app compatibility, letting email administrators manage campaigns on-the-go
  • a survey tool allows users to create questions and choose a response type, such as text box, radio button, drop-down menu, or selector

Meanwhile, MailChimp’s “Forever Plan” offers up to 2,000 email addresses and 12,000 messages sent per month for free. Amazon’s “Simple Email Service” lets marketers send up to 2,000 email messages a day via web services calls (definition). Otherwise, email messages are charged at $0.10 per thousand.

 

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers

US Mobile Streaming Behavior
Whitepaper | Mobile

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

5y

US Mobile Streaming Behavior

Streaming has become a staple of US media-viewing habits. Streaming video, however, still comes with a variety of pesky frustrations that viewers are ...

View resource
Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups
Whitepaper | Analyzing Customer Data

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics for Media Groups

5y

Winning the Data Game: Digital Analytics Tactics f...

Data is the lifeblood of so many companies today. You need more of it, all of which at higher quality, and all the meanwhile being compliant with data...

View resource
Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its people
Whitepaper | Digital Marketing

Learning to win the talent war: how digital marketing can develop its peopl...

2y

Learning to win the talent war: how digital market...

This report documents the findings of a Fireside chat held by ClickZ in the first quarter of 2022. It provides expert insight on how companies can ret...

View resource
Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy
Report | Digital Transformation

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Experience Economy

1m

Engagement To Empowerment - Winning in Today's Exp...

Customers decide fast, influenced by only 2.5 touchpoints – globally! Make sure your brand shines in those critical moments. Read More...

View resource