By: Matt
A real iContact review (2023 update) from real people on Twitter to help you make the best-informed decision if you should buy email marketing software from iContact.
As one of the oldest email marketing software companies on the market today, iContact remains a top-notch provider with a lot to offer. iContact is a simple and straightforward email marketing solution that allows you to easily create and track a professional and effective email campaign, complete with surveys, autoresponders and more.
What sets it apart is the premier service, which includes personal advisers who help customers create effective marketing plans. This platform’s social media integration is also something you won’t find with other email marketing service providers.
Overall, iContact is worth comparing alongside other top email marketing applications. The best part is iContact offers a 30-day free trial, so you can sign up to test-drive it before upgrading to a premium plan.
iContact’s cheapest email marketing plan is 14.00 per month.
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The story behind iContact goes back to 2003 when two economics students at the University of North Carolina Chapel came up with the idea of providing a service that helps businesses to stay visible in countless email inboxes.
The founders, Aaron Houghton and Ryan Allis, originally named their company Broadwick Corporation and later rebranded it to iContact in 2007. In 2012, Maryland based marketing and PR Company Vocus Inc acquired iContact.
They’ve been listed on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 and in 2013 iContact was awarded one of the coolest places to work in Raleigh (how about free onsite massage, ping-pong tables, video games, relaxed dress code and free bagels).
As one of the oldest email marketing programs on the market today, iContact remains a top-notch email marketing provider with a lot to offer. The story behind iContact goes back to 2003 when two economics students at the University of North Carolina Chapel came up with the idea of providing a service that helps businesses to stay visible in countless email inboxes.
The founders, Aaron Houghton and Ryan Allis, originally named their company Broadwick Corporation and later rebranded it to iContact in 2007.
In 2012, Maryland based marketing and PR Company Vocus Inc acquired iContact. However, with that acquisition, iContact’s focus still remained on:
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iContact has won many awards over the years and it’s touted as being one the best all rounded email marketing solutions. Read the full iContact feature overview to find out what this email marketing program has in store for you.
There are three pricing plans to choose from when you set up an iContact email marketing account. Basic and Pro plans are priced based on the number of email addresses you have on your list.
Before we look at the plans, let’s outline the 10 primary features which are worth pinpointing:
There are four price points in both plans, which allow you to create a list of anywhere between 500 and 25,000 subscribers:
iContact offers a 1-month free trial for the basic version. However, the contact list and email limit are capped at 100 subscribers and 400 messages respectively when on the free trial.
iContact’s Pro plan also offers a free trial, with the addition of more advanced features such as funnel reports, social media monitoring, automation, and landing pages.
For high volume senders (greater than 25,000 subscribers), iContact offers Premier plans upon request. Exclusive features for Premier iContact accounts include support for multiple profiles, lead scoring, A/B split testing, Salesforce synchronization, and API support. Each account holder is also designated an iContact Strategic Adviser.
iContact has a crafty plan builder, allowing you to customize a range of options.
iContact offers free image hosting, but storage is limited to 5MB. While it’s possible to increase storage hosting space to 10 MB or 25MB, an additional fee would be incurred.
iContact includes a drag and drop editor designed to make it easy to customize their email templates to your company’s needs. The company includes a customizable template library. Alternatively, you can design your own email template from scratch using the editor.
iContact pro uses the power of marketing automation to make your everyday marketing tasks a piece of cake. Individualized workflows mean that you can target your customers with the right content at the right time based on customer type, geography, and activity.
Meanwhile, their automated marketing solution integrates email marketing, landing pages, social media management, robust analytics, and timed drip marketing campaigns to set your business apart from competitors.
Creating signup forms on iContact is super easy. All you have to do is choose from the provided templates.
Alternatively, you can create web forms with HTML and write code to customize aspects such as font, background color, and input fields.
When done, simply click save then copy the code and paste it into your homepage or any other signup page. You also have the option of creating forms with third-party apps like 123ContactForm. What’s more, iContact can add signup forms directly to Facebook pages.
Managing your subscriber list with iContact is simple. Adding new contacts can be done in one of four ways:
iContact has a double opt-in autoresponder that will automatically message new members who subscribe for your newsletter with a free e-book or any other incentive you decide to offer for signing up. The autoresponder also offers the option of sending Welcome messages to new subscribers you add to the list.
When distributing a newsletter it is often better to use what is known as a double opt-in method. This means that the recipient must first subscribe to the newsletter and then opt-in a second time, usually by clicking an email confirmation link.
While this may seem like an extra wall between your customers and your message, it will, in fact, lead to fewer of your messages ending up in their trash or spam folder following an accidental subscription.
When members choose to unsubscribe, iContact adds them to your “Do Not Contact” list for easy deletion. You can easily view the entire history of each contact to understand the mindset of your subscribers. iContact tracks recipient activity and it can show you when a user joined the list, which email campaigns a particular contact opened, and overall response rates.
List and behavioral segmentation are two basic features included in every plan. These features let you create user segments based on certain events or specific filtered data from a user’s profile. The list segments can, in turn, be used to send targeted campaign messages that resonate with a particular demographic of subscribers.
When it comes to sending email messages to members on your subscriber list, iContact puts several email creation tools at your disposal.
Including buttons in your messages is not easy but possible and there’s no option for copying pages elements like text blocks and spacers.
However, iContact’s email editor lets you preview your message in desktop, mobile, and tablet format before sending to recipients.
Additionally, the spam check tool scans messages to detect potential red flags that could trigger spam filters.
Once you’re ready to broadcast your message, the options are to send it immediately or schedule messages for delivery at a future date and time. The email editor also provides a series of checkboxes that let you choose to post and schedule email messages on linked social media networks.
To assist prospective customers in learning about their email marketing application, iContact offers several online help resources. In order to access the help area, you have to sign up for an account (not to worry because free versions are available too).
Once logged in, you can access searchable guides and video tutorials to help you master your way around the program.
iContact doesn’t have a forum where you can ask questions in public for other community members or support staff to answer. However, they do host Live Webinars, which you can attend to learn more about the program and email marketing in general.
You can get in touch with the customer service staff by sending email inquiries directly to [email protected] or filling out the Contact Us form on their website. Other avenues to reach out to customer support include live chat and phone calls.
However, these contact methods are only available during business working hours.
For Premier Accounts, iContact offers advisory services. Customers on lower-tier plans can call iContact and request for a quote when interested in consulting a strategic advisor to help them with their email campaigns.
While iContact does not offer a money-back guarantee, they do offer a 30-day trial. The trial is fully functional for up to 400 messages to 100 contacts.
Although Google Analytics is not included as part of the basic package, iContact still offers their own built-in tracking and analytics tool. On the analytics dashboard, you can check “List Health” and “Account Health” reports that that compile information about the general effectiveness of your e-mail marketing campaigns.
Say if the infamous Googe Analytics tool is integrated, what do you get?
Details compiled in these reports include subscriber counts, number of messages sent, overall email bounces, number of unsubscribers, and list growth rates.
Clicking individual campaigns on the dashboard reveals key statistics such as email opens, clicks, and bounce rates.
The data is present in a numerical form or as pie charts depending on how you want to dissect it. As an added bonus, iContact offers the ability to monitor and analyze the impact of campaign messages sent to social media sites.
MailChimp and iContact are undoubtedly two of the best-known names in email marketing. They both have an array of features designed to make reaching your customers via mailing list easier than ever.
The main differences are price, features, and ease-of-use. You may prefer MailChimp on the point of price, especially if your business has 10,000 contacts or more. MailChimp is also favored by many when it comes to ease-of-use.
| Features | Automation | Salesforce Integration | Plan Types | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MailChimp |
| Available | Yes | Free-forever, plus two premium plans |
| iContact |
| Available | Yes | Free trials, premier memberships and custom quotes |
However, many experts argue that iContact wins in terms of customization and features such as social media integration. Which one is best for you will depend on the individual needs and requirements of your business or email marketing campaign.
So, is iContact a good email marketing software?
Although it has a few shortcomings, iContact is a solid email-marketing application for beginners and advanced users alike.
It offers all of the fundamental features you need to manage an email campaign. What sets it apart is the premier service, which includes personal advisers who help customers create effective marketing plans. This platform’s social media integration is also something you won’t find with other email marketing service providers.
Overall, iContact is worth comparing alongside other top email marketing applications. The best part is iContact offers a 30-day free trial, so you can sign up to test-drive it before upgrading to a premium plan.
Try iContact. 30-day free trial means it’s risk-free – trust us