Email marketing software helps SMBs build stronger customer relationships without stretching limited time or budgets. It also helps nurture prospects through the sales funnel in just a few clicks.
But with so many platforms offering similar features, it’s hard to know which one truly fits your business.
In this article, you’ll discover five of the best email marketing software options for growing SMBs. Plus, learn the key features to look for so you can choose the right platform with confidence.
Key takeaways about email marketing software
Email marketing software helps you automate campaigns, organize contacts and see how people engage with your messages.
The software makes it easier to reach the right customers, nurture leads and drive sales without needing a bigger team.
Choosing the right email marketing platform can feel overwhelming, but understanding key features makes it easier to find the best fit.
Pipedrive combines email marketing with CRM data, making it easier to manage campaigns and convert leads from one platform – sign up for a free 14-day trial today.
Why is email marketing software essential for SMBs?
Email marketing software makes it easy for small businesses to reach customers, automate campaigns and boost revenue without a big team or hours of work.
For example, small business managers can use email marketing software to:
Automatically send welcome emails to new subscribers
Promote limited-time offers to specific customer segments
Follow up with prospects who haven’t completed a purchase
With ready-to-use templates and automatic messaging (like new sign-up emails), you don't need a large marketing team.
Here are some of the benefits of email marketing software:
Cost-effective marketing | What it means: Communicate with hundreds or thousands of customers without a huge budget. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Small businesses can grow their reach and visibility while keeping marketing budgets manageable. |
Automation of campaigns | What it means: Send emails automatically based on triggers, like new sign-ups or recent purchases. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Teams can focus on core business tasks while staying in constant contact with customers. |
Targeted messaging | What it means: Tailor messages to each group’s interests and past interactions. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Use email personalization to increase the likelihood of engagement and repeat sales without extra effort. |
Improved customer engagement | What it means: Design emails to be interesting and actionable, prompting customers to interact. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Engage customers, so they’re more likely to buy, refer others and stay loyal. |
Performance tracking | What it means: See exactly which emails work and which don’t by monitoring click-through rates, open rates and more. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Use data-driven insights to optimize campaigns without wasting money. |
Lead nurturing | What it means: Send prospective customers a series of emails that educate, inform and persuade over time. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Convert leads into paying customers even when sales reps are busy. |
Brand consistency | What it means: Make sure emails always include consistent logos, colors and messaging. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Consistent branding builds trust and recognition with a small but growing audience. |
Scalable growth | What it means: Manage thousands of contacts and add more to your subscriber list without issue. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Keep using the same email platform as your business expands, saving time and resources. |
Regulatory compliance | What it means: Follow email marketing laws and best practices. Why it’s useful for SMBs: Reduce risk of fines or penalties, keeping your business protected while building trust with subscribers. |
These features help SMBs build stronger customer relationships and run efficient campaigns without overextending their time or resources.
5 of the best email marketing software solutions for growing SMBs
The right email marketing platform helps SMBs create targeted campaigns, automate communication and track engagement so they can convert more leads.
Here are five of the best email marketing software systems for growing SMBs:
1. Campaigns by Pipedrive
Campaigns by Pipedrive is an email marketing tool built directly into Pipedrive’s CRM, allowing SMBs to create targeted campaigns, engage customers and track email performance.
With Campaigns by Pipedrive, your email marketing is built right into the CRM you’re already using. That means no switching tools or paying for another subscription.
You can pull real sales data to segment your audience and nurture leads in one place, saving time and keeping your marketing smarter and more connected to actual results.
For example, your sales team can send a targeted campaign to prospects at a specific deal stage directly from the CRM. They can then track who opened the email and follow up with the most engaged contacts to close more deals.
Heat up your cold emails with 25 customizable email templates
The image below shows a targeted email in Pipedrive. The sales rep is following up with a lead after a face-to-face chat, keeping the conversation going and moving them toward booking the next call:
Here’s a quick overview of how to use Campaigns by Pipedrive:
Why it’s useful for SMBs: Small teams can run campaigns and follow up with leads right from the CRM they’re already using; there’s no need to export lists or jump between different tools. The software connects directly to the sales pipeline, meaning you can automate parts of the sales process, saving time and moving prospects toward a sale faster.
Key features:
Email audience segmentation. Create segments using CRM data such as deal stage, lead source or past interactions. As a result, you can send more relevant campaigns without sorting through spreadsheets or manually organizing contact lists.
Drag-and-drop email builder. Design professional email campaigns using customizable templates and a simple visual editor. Even small teams without design experience can quickly put together polished emails.
Email campaign management. Monitor open rates, click-through rates and engagement metrics for each campaign. You can quickly see which messages resonate with customers and use those insights to improve future campaigns.
Contact engagement tracking. View email engagement directly in each contact or deal record within the CRM. This insight helps you spot engaged leads faster and follow up while the conversation is still warm.
Reusable and custom email templates. Save email templates and reuse them for newsletters, promotions or product announcements. This functionality saves time when creating campaigns and keeps your branding consistent across emails.
AI-powered email creation. Generate transactional and sales email drafts and subject lines using AI tailored to your campaign goals. Small teams can create campaigns faster, overcome writer’s block and keep messaging consistent.
With Pipedrive’s AI email creation, you can draft clear, professional emails in seconds instead of writing them from scratch.
Take a look at this example of a transactional email created using the tool:
When to use Pipedrive: To manage sales performance, lead management and email marketing in one platform.
Pipedrive in action: Corporate education provider Trainify uses Pipedrive to manage email marketing and CRM data in one system, eliminating the need for manual contact exports and imports. With Campaigns, the team created 28 targeted campaigns to engage prospects and save around two hours per week by streamlining campaign preparation and administration.
2. MailerLite
MailerLite is a straightforward email marketing tool with a drag-and-drop editor, a landing page website builder and basic automation features.
For example, you can create a welcome email series for new subscribers and track engagement to refine future campaigns.
Why it’s useful for SMBs: Simple, user-friendly setup and a free tier mean that you can launch campaigns quickly without technical expertise.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop email editor. Beginners can build professional-looking emails by dragging and arranging elements, so there’s no need for coding or design skills.
Landing page builder. Design pages to capture leads, share promotions or highlight products.
Basic marketing automation tools. Automatically send welcome emails, follow-ups or promotional sequences.
When to use MailerLite: For creating simple campaigns, building landing pages and automating basic workflows.
Note: MailerLite integrates with Pipedrive, automatically syncing contacts and deal information so your email lists are always up to date. This integration means you can send personalized campaigns and follow up with the most engaged leads without juggling multiple tools.
3. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is an email and SMS marketing platform that helps SMBs reach customers across multiple channels.
For instance, an SMB might send a promotional email to a specific segment of their email list and follow up with an SMS reminder to increase engagement. SMBs can also track opens and clicks across both messages in a single all-in-one dashboard.
Why it’s useful for SMBs: Run multichannel campaigns and email automation without high costs.
Key features:
Email and SMS campaigns. Create email and SMS marketing messages from a single platform for coordinated multichannel outreach.
Basic automation. Send automated messages when something happens, such as a new sign-up, purchase or link click.
Campaign analytics. Track open rates, clicks and conversions to see how campaigns are performing.
When to use Brevo: Best for SMBs that want to combine email and SMS campaigns.
Note: Brevo connects directly with Pipedrive, so your contacts, deals and engagement data stay in sync automatically. As a result, you can send targeted emails and follow up with the most interested leads from one place.
4. Flodesk
Flodesk is an email marketing solution that creates design-oriented campaigns without complicated setup.
For example, you can create a branded newsletter or promotional email using pre-designed templates and a drag-and-drop editor. There’s no need for design or coding experience.
Why it’s useful for SMBs: Send on-brand emails without hiring a designer. The flat-fee pricing also makes it easier to plan your budget as your contact list grows.
Key features:
Pre-designed templates. Use ready-made templates for newsletters, promotions and announcements.
Drag-and-drop editor. Edit templates or build emails from scratch using a simple interface.
Subscriber management. Organize contacts into segments and automate email sequences so the right messages reach the right audience.
When to use Flodesk: If you want to prioritize email design and branding without a steep learning curve.
5. Moosend
Moosend is a budget-friendly email marketing service provider with automation, basic reporting and behavioral triggers.
For example, an e‑commerce SMB can automatically send personalized follow-up emails with product recommendations to customers who abandon their shopping cart.
From here, they can see how many people open the email and click the purchase link. Then, the business can use those insights to improve future campaigns and reduce abandoned carts.
Why it’s useful for SMBs: Implement behavior-based campaigns efficiently without needing a dedicated marketing department.
Key features:
Automation workflows. Create email sequences that trigger when someone takes an action, such as making a purchase, signing up or clicking a link.
Behavioral targeting. Personalize emails based on what customers do, such as browsing products or interacting with previous campaigns.
Basic analytics. Monitor open rates, clicks and conversions to see email performance and refine future campaigns.
When to use Moosend: If you’re looking for affordable automation and personalized campaigns based on customer behavior.
Key features to look for in email marketing software
The best email marketing software helps you reach the right customers without wasting time or juggling multiple tools.
The software should show what’s working so you can improve your campaigns and grow with your business, letting you run more emails, reach more leads and save hours every week.
Here’s a breakdown of the key features and functionalities to look for when choosing an email marketing system:
Ease of use | What it does: Provides a simple, intuitive interface with drag-and-drop editors and prebuilt templates. Why it’s important: Create and send professional-looking emails quickly without technical skills, reducing setup time and errors. |
What it does: Sends emails automatically based on triggers such as sign-ups, purchases or engagement behavior. Why it’s important: Nurture leads consistently without manual follow-ups, saving time and improving conversions. | |
Segmentation and personalization | What it does: Divides your contact list into groups based on behavior, location or purchase history to allow personalized messaging. Why it’s important: Send emails are more relevant to recipients, increasing open rates, clicks and conversions. |
Integration with other tools | What it does: Connects your email software to CRM systems, e-commerce platforms or other apps to centralize and automate your workflow. Why it’s important: Reduces manual data management and ensures campaigns reflect the most up-to-date customer information. |
Analytics and reporting | What it does: Provides insights on open rates, click-through rates, conversions and other engagement metrics. Why it’s important: Set benchmarks to identify what’s working and how to improve campaigns without guesswork. |
Scalability | What it does: Supports growing contact lists and higher email volumes as your business expands. Why it’s important: Ensure campaigns continue to run smoothly without needing to switch platforms as your business needs grow. |
Deliverability and reputation management | What it does: Includes features like spam checks, authentication and inbox placement monitoring. Why it’s important: Ensure emails reach recipients’ inboxes reliably, maximizing engagement and maintaining sender reputation. |
Support and resources | What it does: Provides access to guides, tutorials and customer support channels. Why it’s important: Troubleshoot issues and learn best practices quickly, reducing onboarding time. |
Growth features (optional) | What it does: Offers advanced tools such as SMS marketing, landing pages and enhanced personalization options. Why it’s important: Expand your marketing strategy and efforts and engage customers across multiple channels as the business grows. |
The right email marketing system helps growing startups and smaller businesses reach the right audience, track results accurately and scale their marketing as the business grows.
Download Pipedrive’s general event checklist template
How to create an email marketing campaign in Pipedrive: A step-by-step workflow
An effective email campaign is really about seeing everything in one place: you can pick your audience, customize the message and watch how people engage from the same dashboard.
The process is less about theory and more about sending, tracking and tweaking a campaign in real time.
Let’s walk through how to set up an email campaign in Pipedrive.
1. Define your target audience and create email lists
Knowing exactly who you want to reach makes your emails more relevant, helps avoid spamming uninterested contacts and boosts the chances that people will actually engage.
In Pipedrive, you can start by creating an ideal customer profile (ICP).
An ICP is a detailed snapshot of the customer type most likely to benefit from your product or service.
It typically includes factors such as:
Industry
Company size
Job role
Location
Here’s an example of what an ICP might look like:
You can build your ICP using data you already have in Pipedrive (such as existing customer information, past deals or CRM activity) and supplement it with external market research if needed.
2. Create an email list
After defining your ICP, the next step is to build a list of contacts who match it to make sure your emails reach the right people.
In Pipedrive, you can pull this list straight from your CRM, using the data you already have on existing prospects and customers.
If you don’t have any CRM data yet, you can use tools like Pipedrive’s Prospector. Part of the LeadBooster add-on, Prospector reviews over 400 million profiles tailored to your ideal customer persona. With this data, you can create an email list full of top-quality prospects.
You can also import contact lists from spreadsheets or other tools directly into Pipedrive. Watch this video for a quick breakdown on how:
This functionality makes it easy to combine existing contacts with your CRM data, giving you a single, organized list to start emailing right away.
3. Segment your audience
Segmentation helps your emails perform better, allowing you to tailor your messaging to their specific needs and pain points.
Divide your email list into meaningful groups, called segments (such as behavior, demographics or engagement history), to send your emails to the right people at the right time.
For example, using behavioral segmentation, you can send a promotional message only to leads in a “proposal sent” stage, while sharing educational email content with newer leads who are just learning about your product.
In Pipedrive, you can quickly filter contacts by deal stage, past activity or demographics. Here’s an example where the labels determine which segment a customer belongs to:
You can also watch this video for a more detailed breakdown on how to group email contacts in Pipedrive:
Segmentation makes your campaigns more relevant, so each group gets the right message at the right time without any extra manual work.
4. Create the emails
Build professional, on-brand emails that capture attention and drive action.
Here’s what this process looks like in Pipedrive:
Choose a template or start from scratch. Use pre-built email templates or the drag-and-drop editor to speed up email creation or create your own tailored email for your audience or segment.
Add your branding. Include logos, colors and other brand elements so your email feels consistent with your company’s style.
Add your content. Keep it clear and easy to read with plenty of whitespace so your message doesn’t overwhelm subscribers.
Include a strong call-to-action (CTA). Add buttons or links that guide readers to the next step, such as booking a call, downloading a resource or making a purchase.
Personalize with CRM data. Pull in recipient names, company info or deal details from Pipedrive to make your emails more relevant and engaging.
Here’s an example of a custom email template in Pipedrive:
Head to this KnowledgeBase article for a full breakdown of how to create and use Pipedrive’s email templates.
Pro tip: Always preview your emails on desktop and mobile. Pipedrive automatically adjusts layouts, but a quick check ensures your email looks perfect for every subscriber.
5. Send the email and monitor performance
After sending your emails, Pipedrive lets you track how recipients engage so you can make smarter, data-driven improvements to future campaigns. You can see what’s working (and what isn’t) so you understand how customers interact with your emails.
For example, if a campaign has a high open rate but low CTA clicks, it shows the subject line grabbed attention, but the content or call to action may need tweaking.
Monitoring these metrics lets you make adjustments, such as A/B testing new subject lines, revising copy or repositioning buttons. Over time, this helps you improve engagement and conversions.
Note: Whether you send emails immediately or schedule them for later, consider your audience’s behavior. For instance, B2B prospects might respond best during weekday mornings after checking their social media – timing your emails effectively can boost opens and clicks.
Pipedrive allows you to monitor campaign performance in real time. Dashboards show which contacts open or click emails, making it easy for sales teams to follow up with the most engaged leads without leaving the CRM.
Here’s an example of the email performance data you can track in Pipedrive:
You can also monitor key email performance metrics in Pipedrive, including:
Open rates. See how many recipients opened your email to help you evaluate subject line effectiveness.
Click-through rates (CTR). Measure which links, buttons or CTAs drove action and identify content that resonates.
Replies and engagement. Track responses to prioritize leads with intent.
Conversions. Monitor the actions that matter most to your business, such as form submissions, purchases or booked demos.
These insights help SMBs understand what resonates with their audience, so future campaigns are smarter and sales efforts are focused on the leads most likely to convert.
Final thoughts
Choosing the right email marketing software comes down to finding a platform that fits your team’s workflow. The right tool should help you manage contacts, run campaigns and understand how prospects engage without adding complexity to your workflow.
With Pipedrive, you can run campaigns directly from your CRM, keeping your email marketing, customer data and sales activity in one place. It makes it easier to stay organized, follow up with interested leads and turn engagement into real opportunities.
Sign up for a free 14-day trial of Pipedrive to turn more subscribers into paying customers.
