Why You Should Ditch Jetpack Subscriptions for a Real Email Marketing Service

Are you using the subscription feature that comes bundled with the Jetpack plugin to send emails to your WordPress site visitors? While this is a quick and easy way to start building an email list, you‘re missing out on a ton of powerful features that dedicated email marketing platforms provide.

If you really want to take your email strategy to the next level, it‘s time to switch from Jetpack subscriptions to a service like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, AWeber or ConvertKit. These tools will allow you to:

• Create professional-looking HTML email newsletters (not just plain text)
• Set up automated welcome sequences and drip campaigns
• Segment your subscribers based on demographics, interests and behavior
• Get detailed analytics on your email performance and list growth
• Integrate your email marketing with ecommerce, lead gen forms, social media and more

In fact, a recent study by email marketing platform Omnisend found that marketers using omnichannel automation (combinations of email, SMS, web push notifications, etc.) saw an 80% higher customer retention rate than those using single-channel communications. Can you really afford to limit yourself to basic Jetpack newsletters?

How to Export Your Jetpack Subscriber List

So you‘re convinced that you need something more powerful than Jetpack subscriptions to engage your audience via email. Great! The first step is to export a list of all your existing Jetpack subscribers so you can import them into your new email platform. Here‘s how:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Jetpack → Settings
2. Click the Discussion tab at the top
3. Scroll down to the Subscriptions section
4. Click the View your Email Followers link
5. In the Subscribers view under Users, click the Export CSV button

The exported CSV file will contain all the email addresses of your current Jetpack subscribers. If you collected any other information during signup (like first and last names), you may need to open the file and organize the data into labeled columns before importing.

Choosing an Email Marketing Service

Now that you‘ve got a CSV export of your Jetpack subscribers, it‘s time to pick an email marketing platform to switch to. With dozens of options out there, how do you choose? Here are a few key factors to consider:

• Pricing – How many subscribers do you have and how much are you willing to spend? Some services (like Mailchimp) offer a limited free plan, while others require a monthly subscription. Typical starter plans range from $10-$30/month.

• Ease of use – Are you comfortable with technology and willing to spend some time learning a new interface? Or do you want something that‘s super simple with minimal setup required? Consider your tech skills and available time.

• Features – What do you want to do with your email marketing? Will you be sending one-off newsletters, setting up complex automated sequences, or something in between? Make a list of your must-haves.

• Integrations – Does the email platform sync with the other tools you‘re using, like your WordPress site, online course platform, ecommerce store, etc.? You‘ll want something that plays nicely with your existing systems.

Here‘s a quick comparison of pricing and key features for some of the most popular email marketing services for WordPress users:

For a more in-depth look at the pros and cons of each service, check out this detailed comparison of the best email marketing software from WPBeginner. My personal favorites are Mailchimp for beginners and ConvertKit for bloggers and course creators, but the right choice for you will depend on your unique needs and budget.

Migrating Your Subscribers from Jetpack

Found an email marketing tool you like? Excellent! Let‘s walk through the specifics of switching your subscribers over from Jetpack for a few of the most popular services.

Importing Subscribers to Mailchimp

Mailchimp is the biggest name in email marketing, with over 12 million customers as of 2019. They make it super simple to get your list migrated from Jetpack:

1. Create a free Mailchimp account (if you don‘t already have one)
2. From the dashboard, click the Create icon and select List
3. Click Import Contacts and choose CSV or tab-delimited text file
4. Select your exported Jetpack CSV file and click Open
5. Map the columns from your CSV to the corresponding Mailchimp fields
6. Choose whether to send opt-in emails to the imported subscribers
7. Click Import to begin the process

For a more visual step-by-step, check out Mailchimp‘s official knowledge base guide to importing contacts.

After the import finishes, I recommend tagging your Jetpack subscribers something like "Jetpack Import" so you can easily message them as a group. You may want to send out an email blast letting them know you‘ve switched providers and asking them to add your new sending address to their contact list.

Importing Subscribers to Constant Contact

Constant Contact has been in the email marketing game for over 20 years, helping over 600,000 small businesses engage their customers. Here‘s how to import your Jetpack subscribers:

1. Sign up for a Constant Contact account (if needed)
2. From the Contacts page, click Add Contacts and select Upload From File
3. Choose your exported Jetpack CSV file and click Continue
4. Map your CSV columns to Constant Contact‘s fields
5. Confirm that you have permission to email these contacts
6. Review the final list and click Import

That‘s it! Your Jetpack subscribers will now be available in your Constant Contact account, ready for you to start sending more engaging emails. For more details and screenshots, see their step-by-step instructions for importing contacts.

Importing Subscribers to AWeber

AWeber is one of the oldest email automation tools, founded way back in 1998. Their import process is very similar to the others:

1. Create your AWeber account (if you haven‘t already)
2. Go to Subscribers and select Import Subscribers
3. Choose Import From CSV File
4. Upload your exported Jetpack subscriber CSV
5. Map your CSV columns to AWeber fields like Email and Name
6. Specify whether you want AWeber to require confirmed opt-in
7. Review and start the import

Voila! You‘ve made the switch from Jetpack email subscriptions to AWeber‘s full-fledged platform. Get a more in-depth look at the process (with pictures) in AWeber‘s official migration guide.

Importing Subscribers to ConvertKit

ConvertKit is an email marketing tool built specifically for bloggers, podcasters and other online creators. They make switching from Jetpack a breeze:

1. Sign up for a ConvertKit account (if needed)
2. Go to Subscribers and click Import Subscribers in the top right
3. Select Import a CSV
4. Upload your exported Jetpack CSV file
5. Map columns from your file to ConvertKit fields
6. Select the form you want to add these subscribers to
7. Choose the "Email me a confirmation" option
8. Click Import Subscribers to complete the process

Check out ConvertKit‘s visual guide to importing subscribers for more details. And once your import is finished, be sure to set up a welcome email sequence to re-engage your Jetpack subscribers.

Tips for a Seamless Transition

Moving your email list from one platform to another can be daunting, but it doesn‘t have to be a nightmare. Keep these best practices in mind for a stress-free switch:

• Run both systems simultaneously at first – To make sure you don‘t lose any new subscribers, keep your Jetpack signup forms active for a week or two after connecting your new email service to your site. That way you can capture stragglers while you work on confirming your imported contacts.

• Make it really easy for subscribers to re-confirm – Some of your Jetpack subscribers may miss or ignore your first "confirm your subscription" email from your new provider. Include big, bold calls-to-action in your welcome sequence and across your site inviting them to click a single button to stay on your list.

• Offer an incentive for re-opting in – Providing a free bonus download, discount code or other "bribe" can significantly boost the number of imported subscribers who re-confirm their interest. Reward your most loyal fans for sticking with you!

• Don‘t panic over unsubscribes – It‘s normal to lose some subscribers whenever you switch email platforms. Some people will take the transition as an opportunity to pare down their inbox clutter. And that‘s okay! It‘s better to have a slightly smaller, more engaged list than a bloated one full of folks who never open your emails.

• Follow email marketing best practices – Switching to Mailchimp, ConvertKit or another provider won‘t automatically improve your email strategy. Make sure you‘re also working on writing compelling subject lines, crafting engaging content, segmenting your list appropriately, and always providing value to your subscribers‘ inboxes.

If you need more help with the technical details of migrating your subscribers between platforms, WPBeginner has detailed guides on how to switch from Mailchimp to AWeber and how to switch from Mailchimp to Constant Contact. The same principles apply when moving from Jetpack to any other provider.

You‘ve Got This!

Moving your email list from Jetpack subscriptions to a dedicated email marketing service can feel like a massive undertaking. But trust me, it‘s worth a little short-term inconvenience to unlock the full potential of your email strategy.

With the power of Mailchimp, Constant Contact, AWeber or ConvertKit behind you, you‘ll be able to design pixel-perfect newsletters, automate personalized email sequences, tag and segment your subscribers for precise targeting, and gather accurate data on what‘s really resonating with your audience.

The result? Better deliverability, skyrocketing open rates, and most importantly — real relationships with your customers and fans.

So roll up your sleeves, block off a few hours, and use this guide to switch your email list from Jetpack to a platform that will support your growth for years to come. As a fellow WordPress lover and email aficionado, I‘m confident you won‘t regret it!

And hey — if this tutorial helped you make the move from Jetpack email subscriptions to a more robust solution, I‘d really appreciate you sharing it with your network or dropping a comment below. Your feedback helps me create more relevant content and tutorials for readers like you.

Happy (email) list building!