Mailchimp, the popular email marketing platform, has announced its plans to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to expand its offerings and become a comprehensive marketing automation solution for small and medium-sized businesses.

The company announced on Thursday the release of over 150 new and updated features to its platform that aim to help marketers save time, accelerate ecommerce growth and get more personalized support. The new features include SMS marketing, custom reporting and analytics, advanced segmentation, more ecommerce automations, customer journeys for Shopify merchants, and an improved Standard plan with more features and insights.

Mailchimp’s chief design and product officer, Jon Fasoli, shared several insights in a VentureBeat interview into the company’s vision of being a one-stop-shop for businesses looking to optimize their marketing efforts across multiple channels.

Fasoli highlighted the importance of AI in Mailchimp’s transformation, stating, “The power of the AI that we’re building will help customers be successful and optimize across multiple channels.” The company’s growth strategy goes beyond email marketing and newsletters, positioning itself as a holistic provider of marketing automation services.

Mailchimp’s expansion into AI-driven marketing solutions comes at a pivotal moment in the industry, as businesses are increasingly looking to tap into the power of AI and machine learning to optimize their marketing efforts, targeting the right customers at the right time with personalized content.

As part of its evolution, Mailchimp is also strengthening its partnerships with other marketing platforms like Facebook and Google. “I don’t see us as competitors, I actually see us as really strong partners with those individual channels,” Fasoli said. By integrating with these platforms, Mailchimp aims to become the “source of truth” for customer growth, helping businesses make data-driven decisions about which channels to use for specific customer segments.

Intuit’s acquisition of Mailchimp in 2021 has further bolstered the company’s capabilities, allowing it to provide a unique combination of data and insights for customers. Fasoli explained, “As a part of the Intuit ecosystem with QuickBooks, [and] through those partnerships, we expose the engagement with marketing, but we can also show what worked, the actual purchases.” This combination of data enables Mailchimp to make more impactful recommendations for its users.

Mailchimp’s transformation from an email marketing platform to an omnichannel marketing powerhouse has been gradual, with the company adding new features and capabilities over time. According to Fasoli, “This has been more than a platform built for newsletters for a long time. It’s been the one for small and medium-sized businesses to grow.”

As Mailchimp continues its journey into the realm of AI-driven marketing automation, its offerings will likely reshape how small and medium-sized businesses approach their marketing efforts. By embracing AI and prioritizing partnerships with other marketing platforms, Mailchimp is well-positioned to become a key player in the future of omnichannel marketing solutions.