Poppulo vs. ContactMonkey: Internal Newsletter Software

Alex Cleary

Employee Newsletters

Your internal newsletter is responsible for keeping employees engaged and up-to-date, and the right internal newsletter software can make a huge difference for you and your team. We break down the main differences of Poppulo vs ContactMonkey.

Most internal newsletter software can help you create awesome emails and gather in-depth analytics via email tracking.

We’ve found that what really makes a difference for internal communicators is how the internal communications tool works with them. When you’re creating regular email newsletters for hundreds and thousands of employees, an efficient newsletter workflow is essential for quality internal communications.

ContactMonkey and Poppulo are internal newsletter software that are very similar yet very different. Each boasts email template builders and email tracking for internal communications. However, it’s how these tools operate that makes them distinct. And this distinction will help you decide which is best for your business.

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Choosing The Best Internal Newsletter Software

To find the best internal communications tool for your small business or large corporation, it’s crucial to assess your current internal communications landscape and needs gap. How well an internal communications solution works for you will depend on how well it fits into this framework.

You can use both ContactMonkey and Poppulo for internal communications, and they each have unique benefits to their platforms. What is Poppulo? Poppulo is an enterprise communication software aimed at internal communications. ContactMonkey is an all-in-one internal communications platform from which you can create, send, and track internal emails.

We’ll help you understand how each software can meet your business’ specific needs can help you make the right choice.

Does it integrate with my current internal communication setup?

Whether you’re new to internal company newsletters or are looking to switch up your existing internal newsletter software, how well a solution works with your internal communications landscape is critical.

Integration is one big difference between ContactMonkey and Poppulo regarding internal communications. Poppulo is a web-based software that works within your browser:

Screenshot of analytics dashboard within Poppulo.

Poppulo offers customers a powerful tool for their internal communications. However, their web-based format comes with its caveats. You cannot work from your existing Outlook or Gmail mailbox, and you are required to use Poppulo distribution lists.

ContactMonkey works with your existing Outlook or Gmail distribution lists and mailboxes. ContactMonkey sits within your email inbox so you can easily send and track internal newsletters to your employees:

Screenshot of ContactMonkey add-in within Outlook.

Because ContactMonkey integrates with your current Outlook or Gmail inbox, set-up is easy and immediate. ContactMonkey has same-day onboarding so you can get your new internal newsletter software online fast.

ContactMonkey can also integrate with your existing internal communication channels. Do you have frontline or deskless employees that don’t have access to desktop computers? Create and send SMS employee communications alongside your internal emails using ContactMonkey’s employee SMS feature:

SMS Emergency Text Messages for Business

Does your workforce using Microsoft Teams for internal communications and collaboration? With ContactMonkey Microsoft Teams integration, you can share your internal emails to your Microsoft Teams channels to ensure your employees don’t miss out on important information:

Image of share details within ContactMonkey's Microsoft Teams integration share menu

ContactMonkey is a robust internal communications software and top Poppulo alternative. Start sending and tracking internal email to your existing distribution lists, you can book a free demo with one of our internal communications experts.

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Send magnetic employee emails on Outlook and Gmail with ContactMonkey.

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How easy is it to use?

As an internal communicator, your focus is likely creating great content that grabs your audience attention while effectively communicating its message. But it can be a challenge to maintain this focus if you have to constantly fiddle with your internal communications software to get your desired result.

Poppulo and ContactMonkey take pretty different approaches to their user interface, though the functions they perform are similar compared to, say, ContactMonkey vs. Mailchimp or Poppulo vs. Mailchimp.

Poppulo’s internal communications software features a web-based interface where all its tools are centralized. You can create emails, manage employee data, and measure your email metrics all from the same browser window.

While this configuration makes it easy to switch between functions, it also has its drawbacks: the learning curve for Poppulo software can be steep.

Compared to ContactMonkey’s email template builder—which features drag-and-drop functionality and requires no zero coding—Poppulo’s multi-page designer is a tad cumbersome. Poppulo requires you to have a knowledge of HTML coding to use their designer, and restricts your ability to customize format due to predefined rows and columns.

With ContactMonkey, you can build responsive HTML email templates using pre-made templates, or start from scratch to meet your exact specifications:

After you’ve built your email template, it will automatically appear in the ContactMonkey sidebar ready to be imported. Sending beautiful HTML emails from your Outlook or Gmail inbox has never been easier.

Drive more engagement with your emails by sending only relevant information to your employees. With ContactMonkey’s List Management feature, you can create your own custom email lists without having to wait on IT. Use these lists to contact employees with information they’ll find relevant, and avoid inundating them with emails that don’t apply to them.

ContactMonkey integrates with your Human Resources Information System (HRIS) like Workday and ADP, as well as Azure Active Directory, so your custom email lists will automatically update as employees join and leave your organization.

Multiple people working on the same email template can be time-consuming and tedious. While both Poppulo and ContactMonkey offer team management, ContactMonkey’s email template builder allow for multiple users to work on a template at once—while Poppulo templates are restricted to one user at a time.

With email collaboration you and your team can work simultaneously and leave comments for each other—just like Google Docs:

Not sure how to start your email? ContactMonkey’s OpenAI ChatGPT integration has you covered. Simply write a prompt and generate email content you can customize and send to your employees. Use this integration to kickstart your emails and get new ideas to try.

Want to check to see if your internal email content is generating the engagement you want? Using ContactMonkey’s click maps feature, you can see exactly what parts of your internal communications your recipients are looking at:

ContactMonkey clickmap heatmap for email analytics and employee safety survey analytics

Not only does this help you measure engagement, but you can use your click map reports to inform your email design to ensure your employees are seeing the information you want them to.

Whip up emails your employees want to open

Prove higher clicks and opens with newsletter templates that catch even the busiest eyes.

How does this tool handle privacy and security?

For many businesses, their internal emails contain sensitive information which requires protection from malicious actors. Control over the path emails take to their destination is paramount so that only those with permission can access them.

When they are sent with Poppulo’s email software, emails are routed through their servers before heading to their destination. For companies with strict security concerns, this extra step within Poppulo software can be seen as an unneeded liability.

ContactMonkey integrates with your existing Outlook or Gmail client, so all emails created with ContactMonkey are sent through your servers. You can easily build great internal communications and send them with confidence knowing that they aren’t passing through external servers.

Does your organization have internal or external regulations for employee privacy? ContactMonkey’s anonymous email tracking helps companies collect email metrics while maintaining recipient privacy.

Is it well-supported?

Poppulo’s onboarding process is more drawn out: their onboarding process takes between 8-16 days, and you are required to watch a pre-recorded video before you are allowed to conduct a live trial.

With ContactMonkey, setup and onboarding are quick and easy with our dedicated team of Account Executives. You can be ready to go in no time with same-day onboarding.

If you have any questions that arise when you’re using ContactMonkey, you are supported 24/7 by our Customer Success team.

Anywhere within ContactMonkey, click the Chat button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen and type in your question. If we don’t have a help article about that topic, you can speak directly to one of our Customer Success experts.

You’re also able to send ContactMonkey a help ticket, and we will contact you as soon as possible. We’re constantly conducting customer interviews and surveys to better understand how our software is being used so we can make it even easier.

What Are The Differences Between Poppulo and ContactMonkey?

Although the way they go about it is pretty distinct, ContactMonkey and Poppulo’s internal newsletter software have fairly similar functionality, compared to other platforms like ContactMonkey vs. Mailchimp or Poppulo vs. Mailchimp. Here’s how they stack up in a head-to-head comparison:

Poppulo exclusive features:

  • Web-based software and app

Features shared by Poppulo and ContactMonkey:

  • Employee feedback with emoji reactions and surveys
  • Email personalization
  • Event Management
  • Segmented Email Stats
  • CSV support
  • Email tracking
  • Click maps
  • Custom distribution lists

ContactMonkey exclusive features:

  • Outlook or Gmail integration
  • Drag-and-drop email template builder
  • Email collaboration
  • Dedicated customer success representative
  • Monthly and quarterly analytics and strategy calls with your customer success representative
  • eNPS surveys
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Same day set-up
  • OpenAI ChatGPT integration
  • Anonymous email tracking
  • Microsoft Teams integration

The process is so much easier with ContactMonkey versus the way we were doing it previously…I don’t think I was expecting the ease of putting the newsletter together.” – Amy Armstrong, Senior Communications Strategist, University of North Texas

Who To Choose For Your Internal Newsletter Software?

The right internal newsletter software can improve your emails, save you time, and improve employee engagement. When choosing an internal newsletter software, consider your internal communication goals and how best to achieve them without sacrificing precious resources.

You can use both ContactMonkey and Poppulo for internal comms, though the platforms function quite differently. Ultimately, the right choice between ContactMonkey vs Poppulo will be the software that best accommodates your team’s workflow and enables almost effortless email creation, from employee newsletters to leadership communications.

Though both platforms excel at all things internal emails, ContactMonkey is a top internal newsletter alternative software (and best alternative to Staffbase) for those looking to work from their Outlook or Gmail inboxes. You can plug ContactMoney right into your existing email client and see how our solution can optimize your internal communications.

Learn how to use an internal communications software to send better internal emails and boost employee engagement. You can book a free demo to learn more about why ContactMonkey is top Poppulo competitor:

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