Are you looking for a way to grow your business but you aren’t quite sure how to do it yet? If that sounds like you then ConvertKit is definitely something you want to take a closer look at. It’s actually a marketing tool that’s designed to make your email campaigns even easier so you can focus on some of the other aspects of your marketing and your business creation. In this ConvertKit Review, we’re going to take a look at some of the important information you need to know to decide if ConvertKit is really going to be the right way for your business to grow.
ConvertKit Review – Where it Started
Now, the founder of ConvertKit is actually Nathan Barry, who you might know from his books and speaking engagements. But in 2013 he started working on something called ConvertKit. He was determined to create something that would help people to get their email marketing off the ground in an easier fashion. Before this it was quite complicated and took a lot of time and effort. Creating the system, however, wasn’t the only thing he had to do. He had to market his system for email marketing and that took some time. In fact, it took about three years to grow ConvertKit to a success and even longer to get to where it is today.
ConvertKit Review – Who It’s For
This system is designed for bloggers and those who are more creative-focused. Created by Nathan Barry, it focuses on email marketing as a tool that you should definitely be using to improve your business and increase your customer base. What you’re going to find throughout this system is that it can actually be applied to a number of different types of businesses and that there are aspects that make sure you can continue to scale long past the beginner stages.
Overall, this system is for someone who wants a very focused and very specific marketing system. If you want to target specific people within your contacts list or on your email subscriber list then you’re in the right place. You won’t have any problem doing that because you can create a simple system that leads everyone through the same process and to the same end goal. You get tagging and segmentation features that help you to target each person that you want in a specific group and get them to the end result that you’re looking for.
On the other hand, this system isn’t for someone who is just getting started and wants to watch their budget. Neither is it for someone who wants to get really visual with the messages they’re sending out. If you want to include a lot of images you’re not going to have those options here. You’re also not going to want to use this if you’ve already created a template that you want to use because you actually can’t upload a system of your own. You only get the option to use one of their pre-set templates. So those who want more flexibility should look elsewhere.
ConvertKit Review – What You’re Going to Love
Now, there are some great features that you’re really going to like about this system that we’re going to cover in this ConvertKit review. One of those is the responsive support team. If you have any questions, concerns or needs you can easily get ahold of the support team and they’re quick about getting in touch with you to answer your request. This makes it great for those who want to be hands-on and involved with the entire process. If you want to be able to make changes or adjustments at the drop of a hat you’ll be able to do it this way.
Another great feature is the user-subscription management. You can add and remove people whenever you want and it’s not going to take a steep learning curve for you to figure out just how it’s going to work. That’s definitely going to be an easier process for you and you won’t have to worry about locating the right people either, because it actually uses a tagging system so you can group people the way you want and move them around as needed. That’s going to make it simple for you to take care of your list.
The simple to use editor is another great feature because you’re not going to have a steep learning curve when you’re trying to get it set up. You’ll easily be able to set up the message that you want to send and how you’re going to do it. And it’s just about like any text editor that you’ve ever used. You can also use simple images, files, bulleted and ordered lists and regular text. You won’t be able to use some more advanced things however, like video and gif or social media buttons within your email.
Customizing the way you want your emails to work is simple enough as well. You can create classic newsletters, automations, autoresponders, A/B testing and landing pages. Not only that but you can set up different types of communication and workflow based visual automation. These things are generally going to be quite simple and you’ll be able to get them set up the way that you want. Now, there are some limitations, like the A/B testing is limited to your subject line and the automation is relatively limited as well, but you’re still going to have a great start.
When it comes to creating a single campaign you’re going to have unlimited offers available. You can set up downloads and freebie offers that all go to a single campaign and that works whether you choose 10 or 100 or 500 (though you might want to keep it a little simpler on yourself than that). The unlimited aspect makes it a whole lot easier for you to target the people you want and to make sure that people are getting to your newsletter no matter where they’re entering into your list.
Finally, you can create a landing page even if you don’t have a website yet. So, if you want to get started with your newsletter and email list before you start creating a high quality website you’re going to have no problem right here. You’ll have a single page that you can use for your social media campaigns and more. And you can create the page the way that you want. If you want too many advanced options you’re going to need to get a website instead, but this is a great way for you to get started.
ConvertKit Review – What You Need to Know
On the other side, as you’ll find out in a moment, this system is a little bit pricier than some others. That means you may want to take a closer look at what it says it’s going to do for you compared to what other programs are designed to do for you so you can make a firm decision on the best choice. There are some systems that even offer even more features with a similar or even lower cost, so you’ll want to do your research.
You’ll also find that there are very few customization options available here. There are actually only three different templates that are what’s called ‘text-based.’ This means you’re not going to have a lot of options and you’re generally going to have the same email system as anyone else that uses the same service. While this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, it is something you’ll want to consider, especially since your email list and subscribers could be getting emails from several different people and might actually be getting more that look exactly like yours if someone else has that template.
The sequencing format can be a little bit of a drawback for some as well. You get everything in order the way you want and you do get to lay things out well, but instead of listing the sequence in a way that’s simple to see, it actually puts them in boxes in a grid sequence that can sometimes be difficult to keep track of. So, if you’re the type who likes to look at things in an actual order to see how they’re going to work this might be a little more confusing and you’re going to have to scroll around a bit in order to find everything where you want it.
You won’t have the option to blacklist anyone from the system, which can be a bit of a downside and you’re also not going to have access to your own domain, even in the more advanced and higher level systems. If you want to send to those in other countries you’re also going to have some limitations because the system and the newsletters that it sends out are only available in English. This might not be a problem from some minor or lower level businesses, but if you’re looking to really grow you may want to look for a newsletter system that lets you get into several languages.
Finally, you’re not going to get a whole lot of information in your reports. Most email newsletter systems are going to give you a report that details everything you need to know about your email rates. With this system you’re going to get open rates, click through rates and unsubscribes, which are the basic few that you would expect. You’re not going to get some of the more advanced statistics, however and you’re not going to have a rate of how many bounces you get from people who open your email. These numbers can be important in making your plans and creating your marketing scheme going forward.
ConvertKit Review – The Costs Involved
Now, as with anything you’re thinking about investing in you want to know what the cost is going to be, right? You want to make sure that you’re getting something that’s actually worth the amount of money that you’re going to put into it and so we’re going to talk about the three different levels that are available with ConvertKit. The first thing you’ll see is that there is no free option. You can get a 14 day free trial, but there’s nothing longer than that you’ll be allowed to do without a monthly charge. And the lowest package definitely isn’t cheap, especially since your packages go up the more subscribers you have.
- 1,000 subscribers – $29/month
- 3,000 subscribers – $49/month
- 5,000 subscribers – $79/month
- 10,000 subscribers – $119/month
- 25,000 subscribers – $199/month
- 50,000 subscribers – $379/month
Now, the plus side to these different plans is that, as long as you have the plan for over 5,000 subscribers you get every single one of the features included in the plan from top to bottom. The only difference for the two lower plans is that you don’t get the free platform migration, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on features because you’re at a lower level.
ConvertKit Review – Setting Up Your First Sequence
Let’s take a quick look at the process of setting up an email sequence so you can see how simple it is.
- You need to create an account (you can start with the free trial) and you’ll immediately be taken to the screen to create a sequence with a name.
- From there, you use it like a text editor. You start creating the copy that you want like you’re typing any old email, with a headline, the status, when you want it to send and who you want it to go to.
- Set up the settings of your sequence including what subscribers you want it to go to and which ones you don’t, what template you want to use and what time of day to send it out.
That’s really all there is to it, and isn’t that going to be simple for you?
ConvertKit Review – Is it For You?
So, after reading the whole ConvertKit review and evaluating all of this information does this seem like the right system for you? Is it going to give you the features that you find most important or are you going to have to sacrifice in order to make this one work? There are all kinds of things to consider, and while we think that this is still going to be a great option for a lot of people, it’s entirely possible that it’s just not going to work for you. So, take a closer look at the features and see what you think before you buy.
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