10 Ruby Gems for Email Marketing and Campaigns

Email marketing remains a potent weapon in the digital marketer’s arsenal. It’s cost-effective, highly customizable, and delivers an impressive return on investment. However, managing email marketing campaigns efficiently can be challenging, especially when you’re handling a large volume of emails.

Fortunately, Ruby developers have come to the rescue with a plethora of Ruby Gems designed specifically for email marketing and campaigns. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top 10 Ruby Gems that can help you streamline your email marketing efforts, boost engagement, and track your campaign’s performance effectively.

1. Mailgun-Ruby

Mailgun-Ruby is a powerful gem that allows you to send, receive, and track emails effortlessly. It provides a straightforward API for sending emails, handling inbound email, and managing mailing lists. Let’s see how easy it is to send an email using Mailgun-Ruby:

ruby
require 'mailgun-ruby'

# Initialize the Mailgun client
mg_client = Mailgun::Client.new('YOUR_MAILGUN_API_KEY')

# Create a message object
message_params = {
  from: 'you@example.com',
  to: 'recipient@example.com',
  subject: 'Hello',
  text: 'Testing some Mailgun awesomeness!'
}

# Send the message
mg_client.send_message('your_domain.com', message_params)

With Mailgun-Ruby, you can also track email opens, clicks, and unsubscribes, allowing you to measure the success of your email campaigns.

2. SendGrid-Ruby

SendGrid-Ruby is another robust gem for sending transactional and marketing emails. SendGrid offers a user-friendly platform, and its Ruby gem simplifies integration. Here’s a quick example of how to send an email using SendGrid-Ruby:

ruby
require 'sendgrid-ruby'

# Initialize the SendGrid client
sg = SendGrid::API.new(api_key: 'YOUR_SENDGRID_API_KEY')

# Create an email
from = SendGrid::Email.new(email: 'you@example.com')
to = SendGrid::Email.new(email: 'recipient@example.com')
subject = 'Hello, World!'
content = SendGrid::Content.new(type: 'text/plain', value: 'Sending your first email with SendGrid!')
mail = SendGrid::Mail.new(from, subject, to, content)

# Send the email
response = sg.client.mail._('send').post(request_body: mail.to_json)

SendGrid also offers detailed email analytics, making it easier to monitor and optimize your email marketing campaigns.

3. ActionMailer

ActionMailer is part of the Ruby on Rails framework and simplifies email management within Rails applications. It allows you to send emails using predefined templates and layouts. Here’s how you can use ActionMailer in a Rails application:

ruby
class UserMailer < ApplicationMailer
  def welcome_email(user)
    @user = user
    mail(to: @user.email, subject: 'Welcome to our website')
  end
end

In this example, we define a UserMailer class with a welcome_email method. This method sets up the email’s content and recipient, making it easy to send personalized emails to your users.

4. Pony

Pony is a simple and straightforward email library for Ruby. It’s designed for developers who want to send emails without dealing with complex configurations. Here’s a basic example of how to send an email using Pony:

ruby
require 'pony'

Pony.mail({
  to: 'recipient@example.com',
  subject: 'Hello, Pony!',
  body: 'This is a test email sent using the Pony gem.',
  via: :smtp,
  via_options: {
    address: 'smtp.example.com',
    port: '587',
    user_name: 'your_username',
    password: 'your_password',
    authentication: :plain,
    domain: "example.com",
  }
})

Pony is a lightweight option for sending emails without the need for external services or complex setups.

5. Mailchimp API

Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform, and the Mailchimp API gem allows you to integrate your Ruby applications seamlessly. With this gem, you can manage lists, send campaigns, and track subscriber activity.

ruby
require 'mailchimp_api'

client = Mailchimp::API.new(api_key: 'YOUR_MAILCHIMP_API_KEY')

# Create a new campaign
campaign = client.campaigns.create(list_id: 'YOUR_LIST_ID', type: 'regular', settings: { subject_line: 'New Campaign' })

# Add content to the campaign
client.campaigns.set_content(campaign['id'], 'text/plain', 'Campaign content goes here.')

# Send the campaign
client.campaigns.send(campaign['id'])

The Mailchimp API gem simplifies the process of managing your email marketing campaigns directly from your Ruby application.

6. Mandrill API

Mandrill is a transactional email service by Mailchimp, and it offers a dedicated Ruby gem for integration. Mandrill is known for its high deliverability rates and detailed analytics. Here’s how you can send an email using the Mandrill API gem:

ruby
require 'mandrill'

mandrill = Mandrill::API.new('YOUR_MANDRILL_API_KEY')

message = {
  subject: 'Hello from Mandrill',
  from_email: 'you@example.com',
  to: [{ email: 'recipient@example.com', type: 'to' }],
  text: 'This is a test email sent using Mandrill.'
}

result = mandrill.messages.send(message)

Mandrill also provides real-time tracking and reports to help you understand how your recipients engage with your emails.

7. AWS SDK for Ruby (AWS SES)

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a reliable email sending service, and you can use the AWS SDK for Ruby to interact with it. This gem enables you to send emails through SES and access its features like email templates and delivery statistics.

ruby
require 'aws-sdk-ses'

ses = Aws::SES::Client.new(region: 'us-east-1', access_key_id: 'YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID', secret_access_key: 'YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY')

# Send an email
ses.send_email({
  source: 'you@example.com',
  destination: {
    to_addresses: ['recipient@example.com']
  },
  message: {
    subject: {
      data: 'Hello from AWS SES',
      charset: 'UTF-8'
    },
    body: {
      text: {
        data: 'This is a test email sent via AWS SES.',
        charset: 'UTF-8'
      }
    }
  }
})

Using AWS SES with the AWS SDK for Ruby ensures high email deliverability and scalability.

8. Sengrid/EventWebhook-Ruby

Sengrid/EventWebhook-Ruby is a gem that allows you to receive and handle SendGrid’s event webhooks. With this gem, you can capture events such as email opens, clicks, bounces, and unsubscribes, giving you real-time insight into your email campaigns.

ruby
require 'sendgrid-ruby'
require 'sengrid-eventwebhook-ruby'

# Initialize the SendGrid client
sg = SendGrid::API.new(api_key: 'YOUR_SENDGRID_API_KEY')

# Create an event webhook object
event_webhook = SendGrid::EventWebhook.new

# Parse the event data from the request payload
events = event_webhook.parse(params[:request_payload])

# Handle the events
events.each do |event|
  case event['event']
  when 'open'
    # Handle open event
  when 'click'
    # Handle click event
  when 'unsubscribe'
    # Handle unsubscribe event
  when 'bounce'
    # Handle bounce event
  end
end

Sengrid/EventWebhook-Ruby is invaluable for tracking and responding to email engagement events in real time.

9. TuringEmail

TuringEmail is a gem that generates high-quality, AI-powered email content. It can help you personalize your email marketing campaigns by creating compelling subject lines, email bodies, and call-to-action text. Here’s an example of how to use TuringEmail:

ruby
require 'turing_email'

turing_email = TuringEmail.new(api_key: 'YOUR_TURING_EMAIL_API_KEY')

# Generate email content
email_content = turing_email.generate_content({
  subject: 'Personalized Subject',
  body: 'Hello, {{name}}! We have a special offer just for you. {{offer}}',
  data: {
    name: 'John',
    offer: 'Get 20% off on your next purchase!'
  }
})

# Send the email with the generated content

TuringEmail can save you time and effort in creating personalized email content for your campaigns.

10. EmailOctopus

EmailOctopus is an email marketing platform that offers a Ruby gem for easy integration. With this gem, you can manage your subscribers, create and send campaigns, and track their performance.

ruby
require 'email_octopus'

client = EmailOctopus::Client.new(api_key: 'YOUR_EMAIL_OCTOPUS_API_KEY')

# Create a campaign
campaign = client.campaigns.create({
  name: 'New Campaign',
  subject: 'Check out our latest products!',
  from_name: 'Your Company',
  from_email: 'you@example.com',
  reply_to: 'you@example.com',
  send_type: 'draft'
})

# Add recipients to the campaign
client.campaigns.recipients.add(campaign_id: campaign.id, list_id: 'YOUR_LIST_ID')

# Send the campaign
client.campaigns.send(campaign_id: campaign.id)

EmailOctopus is a user-friendly choice for Ruby developers looking to manage email marketing campaigns seamlessly.

Conclusion

These 10 Ruby Gems open up a world of possibilities for email marketing and campaigns. Whether you need to send transactional emails, manage subscribers, track engagement, or generate personalized content, there’s a gem to fit your needs. By leveraging these powerful tools, you can supercharge your email marketing efforts and create more effective and engaging campaigns for your audience. Happy emailing!

Note: Make sure to refer to the documentation of each gem for the latest updates and usage instructions, as gem functionality and APIs may evolve over time.