MailChimp Basics

Or

If Darwin had Email

Part 1

CONTENTS

Introduction​​ to MailChimp

MailChimp uses

Project Onward uses​​ MailChimp​​ for​​ bulk email mailings​​ (“blasts”).​​ MailChimp facilitates the sending of bulk email. This email is​​ formatted and sent in such a way as to meet the standard requirements for bulk email.​​ Bulk email standards​​ help:

• minimize the possibility of emails being flagged as “spam” or​​ “junk email”​​ 

• minimize the possibility of the sender being​​ penalizing​​ by an email provider.​​ 

MailChimp​​ (http://mailchimp.com) is used to:

• maintain the Project Onward mailing list​​ -​​ Member email addresses and basic​​ information​​ can be added manually or people may subscribe by themselves.​​ Once names are added, MailChimp monitors the list and keeps statistics,​​ and/or updates the list members, based on​​ activity​​ and response.

• send bulk email mailings​​ (MailChimp calls a mailing, a “campaign;” these are often referred to, generally,​​ as “blasts”).​​ MailChimp has web browser enabled screens to put together a blast using graphics and/or text, based on templates or past mailings.​​ When you send the blast, MailChimp monitors the responses based on:

  • opens

  • clicks​​ (on different links within the mailing)

  • “unsubscribe me” requests

  • recipient​​ “in-box​​ full” responses

  • bad email addresses (MailChimp removes the address from the list after three campaign attempts in which the response is a “bad address”)

MailChimp access

You need to have a MailChimp account (username) assigned to you by the Systems​​ Administrator.​​ This account will be linked to the Project Onward master account.

First time access on a new account

In a web browser, go to​​ http://mailchimp.com​​ (as shown above).

LEFT-CLICK​​ on​​ Log in​​ (upper-right​​ of screen, as shown above.)

You have already been registered​​ to the Project Onward MailChimp account (and to the MailChimp training account which we will use for this training) by your Systems Administrator.​​ 

Enter your username​​ (as​​ pictured​​ above).​​ If you don’t know it, see the Training Instructor and/or the Project Onward System Administrator.

You don’t have a password yet, so, click on “Forgot password?”​​ (red circle, above).

Follow the directions to reset your password.​​ (picture above)

(As part of the process,​​ you will need to check your email.​​ If you don’t see an email form MailChimp, make sure to also check your​​ Spam​​ folder.)

Normal Login (now that you have a working password)

Now that you have a password,​​ just enter your username and password​​ in the MailChimp Login screen.

Forgot your username or password?​​ 

Use the links at the bottom (picture above).​​ Follow the directions.​​ 

(As part of the process, you will need to check your email.​​ If you don’t see an email form MailChimp, make sure to also check your​​ Spam​​ folder.)

You’re in!

Email List management in MailChimp

MailChimp is used to maintain the mailing list.​​ 

• Mailings from Project Onward contain links for recipients​​ to​​ unsubscribe from the mailing list.​​ 

• Additionally, the Project Onward website, as well as social media like Facebook and other communications use forms and links to MailChimp for recipients to subscribe or unsubscribe.

• Besides people being able to manage their own subscriptions, MailChimp facilitates management of the mailing list (adding names, updating information, unsubscribing names).​​ 

• MailChimp also provides facilities to monitor and analyze the performance of mailings as well as to facilitate better response rates.

Accessing the mailing list

Click on the “Lists” link​​ (upper left)

Project Onward has​​ ONE​​ email list: “Project Onward Email List (All)”​​ (red circle, above).​​ Don’t create multiple mailing lists.

This is very important.​​ It is tempting to​​ create multiple lists, as your needs develop within an organization. But​​ multiple lists create their own problems and multiply your headaches in list management.​​ For targeted emails to subsections of the list, MailChimp Groups and Segments are used​​ (advanced topic), NOT multiple email lists.

Click on the list name​​ (as pictured above).

Add an email address (subscriber) in MailChimp

Always search first, to avoid duplicates

It is important to always search a name or address before adding it. This avoids duplicates. Don’t assume that the information is new or not already there.

Use the magnifying glass icon​​ (picture above)

Type the email address to make sure it is not already on the list.​​ (picture above)​​ This one is already on the list.​​ 

You can click on “View Profile” to view or edit information such as name or zip code.

Note that you can also search a name or a zip code.​​ But be careful. Not all email addresses on the list have name or email information.

Add the new subscriber

Click on the down-arrow to the right of “Add contacts,” then click on “Add​​ subscriber”​​ (picture above).

Fill in the all the fields that you can.​​ (The​​ red star, as indicated by the​​ red arrow,​​ means that the field is​​ required.)

The zip code helps for targeted mailings (picture above).

Don’t worry (for now) about the checkboxes for different types​​ (empty, in the picture above). These are for targeted mailings, and will be covered in more advanced training.

Make sure you​​ do​​ check both boxes at the bottom​​ (picture above):

• This person gave me permission to email them

• If this person is already on my list, update their profile

Then click the “Subscribe” button​​ (picture above).

Make sure to​​ check the green message box​​ at the top of the screen. This will tell you the status (success, failure or otherwise) of you update (picture above).

Be careful.​​ Make sure you read the message!​​ The green message box​​ in the example​​ notes​​ that you might have​​ inadvertently​​ just changed information for someone who was already subscribed (picture above).​​ This is why it is always important to search a name or address before adding a new one.

The​​ orange message box​​ (picture​​ above) tells you if there was a problem, such as the name already being on the list.

Click “View Profile” if you want to view and/or update any information such as name or zip code.

View or Update information for a current subscriber

You can check if someone is currently subscribed​​ or​​ view​​ and/or update​​ information for a current subscriber. Information that Project Onward tracks currently includes:

• Email address​​ (always required)

• First name​​ (if known)

• Last name​​ (if known)

• Zip code​​ (if known – useful for targeted emails to a regional area, for instance, to email addresses in the Chicago area)

• Groups or segments that the person belongs to​​ – useful for target emails based on known categories of information that Project Onward tracks – example: “Christmas Ornament buyer”

Access the List​​ – click on the list name (picture above)

Use the magnifying glass icon​​ (picture above)

Type the​​ name or​​ email address​​ (picture above)

Click on “View Profile” to view or edit information​​ (picture above)

Click on the “Edit” button, next to Subscriber details​​ – in this example, we will update information for​​ Dave Lindstrom​​ (picture above)

Make updates to information.​​ In this example, the Last name and Zip Code hadn’t been included for the subscriber. We want to fill that in, as well as change the First Name​​ (as pictured above).

Click the “Save” button​​ (as pictured above).

Can I change the email address? Yes.​​ For example, a person may have sent you information that they have a new email address.​​ But be careful. Make sure your new information is correct.​​ You don’t want to overlay a​​ good​​ email address with an older one, or bad one,​​ based on erroneous information.