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Mailchimp
by Mailchimp
by Mailchimp
Profile Information Last updated on: 26 August 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 26 August 2024
We help make selecting a software for your business effortless, economical and efficient.
by Mailchimp
by Mailchimp
Profile Information Last updated on: 26 August 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 26 August 2024
The typical implementation process for Mailchimp software involves several steps, and the time it takes can vary depending on the complexity of the email campaign and the user's familiarity with the platform.
1. Getting Started with Mailchimp:
- Sign up for a free account on the Mailchimp website.
- Complete the signup form with your email, username, and password.
- Activate your account via an email confirmation.
- Go through a series of setup screens asking for more information about your business and marketing goals.
2. Onboarding and Account Setup:
- Mailchimp offers personalized product tours and onboarding services, which are included with Standard and Premium plans for the first 90 days after account creation or upgrade.
- Onboarding services are offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese for Premium plans, and in English for Standard plans.
3. Building Your Email List:
- Import contacts from a file or use a pop-up form to collect subscribers.
- Organize contacts with tags or segment them by activity with events.
4. Creating and Sending Campaigns:
- Use pre-built email templates and the Customer Journey Builder for automations.
- Design your first email and send it to your contacts.
- Review suggestions on what to do next, such as creating a landing page or setting up an automated welcome email.
5. Analyzing and Optimizing:
- Mailchimp provides built-in analytics to see who’s opening your emails and what content they’re clicking on.
- Set up A/B tests to compare the performance of different emails.
- Use Send Time Optimization to determine the best time to send emails based on when your contacts are most likely to engage.
6. Advanced Features and API Access:
- For developers, Mailchimp offers a Marketing API to build custom features and manage campaigns programmatically.
- Generate an API key and make your first API call using the Quick Start Guide.
The time it takes to complete these steps can vary. For example, a Reddit user mentioned spending about 2-3 days to reduce the time for creating a newsletter from a couple of hours to 15 minutes. Another user indicated spending a couple of hours per email. However, these times can differ based on the user's experience and the complexity of the email content.
Mailchimp software can be customized to fit specific business needs in several ways:
1. Email Customization: Mailchimp provides an easy-to-use email editor that allows users to customize their email marketing designs. Users can add, edit, or remove sections, change text or link colors, and more.
2. API Integration: The Mailchimp Marketing API allows for the integration of custom data from apps directly into Mailchimp campaigns. This API enables users to manage audiences, campaigns, and more, offering a high degree of customization for those who need to integrate Mailchimp with other systems or data sources.
3. Advanced Segmentation: Mailchimp supports advanced segmentation with data queries and nested conditions, allowing businesses to target their campaigns more precisely based on detailed criteria such as purchase activity or demographics.
4. Dynamic Content: Mailchimp's dynamic content feature enables the creation of personalized emails that can vary depending on the recipient. This allows businesses to send tailored messages to different segments of their audience without creating multiple versions of each email.
5. E-commerce Integration: Mailchimp offers specific features for e-commerce stores, such as the ability to add new stores to your account, manage products, and use powerful reporting and personalization features to learn more about customers.
6. Custom Fields and Tags: Users can add custom fields to their signup forms and use tags to organize contacts. This feature helps in creating segmented audiences and sending targeted campaigns based on specific interests or behaviors.
7. Marketing Automation: Mailchimp provides automation tools that allow businesses to send emails based on triggers and behaviors, such as welcome emails for new subscribers or messages following a purchase. This helps in creating a more personalized experience for customers.
8. Integration with Other Platforms: Mailchimp supports integration with over 300 tools and platforms, enhancing its adaptability to different business needs and systems.
Mailchimp does not explicitly charge setup fees or support charges for its services, but there are several types of additional costs that users may encounter when using the platform:
1. Overage Fees: If users exceed their contact limit or monthly email sending limit, they will incur overage fees. For example, overage fees for contacts start at $6.50 for 250 additional contacts on the Essentials plan and can go up to $125 for 10,000 additional contacts on the Premium plan.
2. Transactional Emails: To send transactional emails such as order confirmations or password resets, users need to purchase extra transactional email credits. These credits start at $25 per block of 20,000 monthly email credits and expire at the end of each month.
3. SMS Marketing: For SMS marketing, which is available only in the U.S., users need to buy SMS credits. The prices for SMS credits start at $20 for 1,000 monthly SMS credits, and prices increase linearly without any bulk purchase benefits.
4. Custom Domain: If users want to use a custom domain for their Mailchimp website, there is a charge of $10 per month.
5. Add-On Contact Blocks: If the number of contacts or email sends exceeds the limits of a user's plan, additional charges for add-on contact blocks apply. The cost and number of additional contacts and email sends included in these blocks vary depending on the plan.
These additional costs are crucial for users to consider when budgeting for Mailchimp, as they can significantly affect the overall cost depending on the usage patterns and the specific features utilized.
Mailchimp offers a variety of training and support options to assist new users in effectively using their platform:
1. Personalized Onboarding: For users who purchase a Standard or Premium plan, Mailchimp provides personalized onboarding services for the first 90 days after account creation or upgrade. This includes one-on-one consultations with an onboarding specialist who can help users set up their account, understand the platform's features, and start their email marketing campaigns effectively.
2. Online Courses and Tutorials:
- Mailchimp offers free online courses for beginners through platforms like WP Explainer. These courses cover everything from setting up a Mailchimp account to creating and managing email campaigns and subscriber lists.
- Mailchimp Academy provides interactive courses on various topics, including how to use Mailchimp APIs or build a website. These courses are designed to help users grow their marketing skills and earn certifications.
3. Video Tutorials:
- YouTube tutorials are available, such as the "Mailchimp Tutorial 2024" which is a comprehensive guide for beginners covering the creation of email campaigns, development of email lists, crafting landing pages, and more.
- Shorter tutorials like "Learn Mailchimp FAST in 15 Minutes" are also available for a quick overview of the platform's basic functionalities.
4. Support Options:
- Mailchimp provides various support options including email support, live chat, and phone support. The availability of these support services depends on the user's subscription plan. Premium users have access to priority response and can hire experts for additional help.
- The Help Center offers extensive resources, including step-by-step guides and tutorials on a wide range of topics from account setup to advanced marketing features.
5. Community and Forums:
- Users can also seek advice and share experiences with other Mailchimp users through community forums and discussions, such as those found on Reddit or Mailchimp's own community platforms.
Mailchimp has implemented several security measures to protect user data, as outlined in the provided sources:
1. Application Level Security: Mailchimp ensures that any person authorized to process customer data is under an appropriate obligation of confidentiality, whether contractual or statutory. This includes agents and subcontractors.
2. Security Incident Response: Mailchimp has protocols in place to respond to security incidents. Upon becoming aware of a security incident, they notify customers without undue delay, ideally within 48 hours. They also provide timely information relating to the incident as it becomes known or as reasonably requested by customers.
3. Security Measures and Updates: Mailchimp implements and maintains appropriate technical and organizational security measures. They acknowledge that these security measures are subject to technical progress and development, and they may update or modify these measures provided that such updates do not degrade the overall security of the service.
4. Data Privacy and GDPR Compliance: Mailchimp has updated its signup forms and other tools to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring transparent data processing and proper consent management for the personal data of EU citizens.
5. Account Security Options: Mailchimp offers various account security options, including SMS text verification and security questions to help ensure the integrity of user data. They also provide options for users to opt out of data analytics and personalized advertising, further protecting user privacy.
6. Two-Factor Authentication: Users are encouraged to set up two-factor authentication using apps like Google Authenticator to increase data security for their Mailchimp accounts.
7. Regular Security Audits: Mailchimp conducts regular security audits to review existing security processes, identify vulnerabilities, and address potential risks. These audits help in mitigating risks and enhancing the organization's security posture.
These measures collectively contribute to a robust security framework at Mailchimp, aimed at protecting user data from unauthorized access and ensuring compliance with relevant data protection regulations.
The management of updates is typically handled in a way that ensures users have access to the latest features without any required action on their part. For instance, Mailchimp's Marketing API documentation indicates version 3.0.81, suggesting that updates are versioned, and users can see which version they are interacting with.
When Mailchimp introduces new features or updates, they often communicate these changes through their "What's New" section, resources, or blog posts. For example, they have discussed new tools to help businesses grow, such as behavioral targeting automations and social media posting and scheduling features. Additionally, Mailchimp provides help articles and documentation to guide users through new functionalities and how to use them effectively.
Mailchimp's policy on data ownership and portability is outlined in their legal documents and resources. Here are the key points:
1. Data Ownership: Mailchimp acknowledges that users retain ownership of the content and personal information they submit to the service. This includes any data submitted through Mailchimp's forms or collected through campaigns. Users grant Mailchimp permission to use or disclose their content only as necessary to provide the service or as required by law.
2. Data Portability: Mailchimp supports data portability, which is a requirement under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They provide tools that allow users to export contact information, which can be used to prove consent and fulfill access requests. This ensures that users can obtain and reuse their data across different services if needed.
3. Roles and Responsibilities: Mailchimp's Data Processing Addendum clarifies the roles of the parties involved. When European Data Protection Laws apply, Mailchimp acts as a processor on behalf of the customer, who may be a controller or a processor themselves. Mailchimp processes customer data only in accordance with the customer's documented lawful instructions, as set forth in the Data Processing Addendum, or as necessary to comply with applicable law.
4. GDPR Compliance: Mailchimp has updated its signup forms and other tools to comply with GDPR, ensuring transparent data processing and proper consent management for the personal data of EU citizens. They also keep records of data activity, including the email address, IP address, and timestamp associated with every subscriber who completes and submits a form.
5. Right to Be Informed: Mailchimp's privacy policies are designed to be transparent about how they use personal data and to inform individuals about how they can exercise their data privacy rights. They also provide a Global Privacy Statement that further explains how they may process personal information.
6. Right to Access and Rectification: Mailchimp users can access their Mailchimp audiences to correct or update information upon the request of their contacts. Contacts can also update their own data by contacting Mailchimp or updating their preferences in any email they receive.
7. Right to Erasure (Deletion): Mailchimp allows users to permanently delete a contact and all their personal information if they request to be forgotten. This is in line with the GDPR's right to erasure.
8. API and Integration: For those using Mailchimp's API, the API Use Policy states that users must respect the privacy of Mailchimp users and obtain express permission before accessing their accounts. Integrations must display a privacy policy detailing the information collected from users when they use the integration.
Mailchimp offers flexible options for scaling up or down as organizational needs change, which are outlined in their pricing and plan structure:
1. Scaling Up:
- Contact and Email Send Limits: Each of Mailchimp's plans comes with specific contact and email send limits. As your organization grows and your needs increase, you can move to a higher plan that accommodates more contacts and allows for more email sends. For example, the Standard plan starts at $13.75/month for 500 contacts and can scale up to $350/month for up to 50,000 contacts.
- Pay As You Go Plan: For organizations that need flexibility rather than a monthly subscription, Mailchimp offers a Pay As You Go plan. This plan allows you to buy email credits as needed, which is ideal for users who send emails infrequently or seasonally.
2. Scaling Down:
- Downgrading Plans: If your needs decrease, you can downgrade to a lower-tier plan. Mailchimp's pricing structure is designed to accommodate this flexibility, allowing you to choose a plan that best fits your current marketing needs without being locked into a higher service level than necessary.
- Managing Contacts: To avoid higher costs associated with larger numbers of contacts, Mailchimp advises managing your contact list effectively. This includes archiving or deleting contacts who are not engaging with your emails, which can help reduce your overall subscriber count and potentially lower your costs.
3. Customization for Large Scale Needs:
- Custom Premium Pricing: For very large organizations, Mailchimp offers custom premium pricing plans that can be tailored to fit specific needs, such as storing more than 250,000 contacts. These custom plans are designed to align monthly email limits with your marketing needs, and you must contact Mailchimp sales for further details and pricing.
Mailchimp's terms and conditions for contract renewal and cancellation are detailed across several sources, providing a comprehensive framework for managing subscriptions:
1. Contract Renewal:
- Automatic Renewal: Mailchimp accounts are automatically charged on a monthly basis until the user cancels the subscription. This applies to various plans, including Premium, Standard, and Essentials.
- Renewal Terms: Specific terms for renewals, including pricing, are described within the offering's listing on the App Marketplace or as detailed in the user's order. Users can disable renewals by accessing their account settings.
- Promotional Periods: If a user is under a promotional offer, such as a discounted rate for a certain number of months, the account will automatically renew at the then-current pricing after the promotional period ends. Changing the marketing plan during the promotional period does not extend its duration.
2. Contract Cancellation:
- Account Deletion: Users can permanently delete their Mailchimp account by navigating to the Settings drop-down menu, selecting "Pause or Delete account," and following the steps to permanently delete the account. This action is irreversible, and all data associated with the account will be removed.
- Downgrading or Pausing: Users can downgrade their plan or pause their billing. Downgrading a plan becomes effective at the end of the monthly billing period, and no refunds are issued for previously billed charges. Pausing a plan immediately ends the current billing cycle and suspends sending functionality, although users can still manage campaigns and view reports.
- Cancellation without Refund: Mailchimp does not issue refunds or reimbursements if the service is terminated, whether by the user or by Mailchimp. If an account is inactive for 24 or more months, Mailchimp may terminate the account without entitlement to any refund for prepaid amounts.
- No-Refund Policy: Generally, Mailchimp does not issue refunds unless there is a system malfunction or the account was terminated without cause.
Mailchimp software meets several compliance standards to ensure the security and privacy of user data, as outlined in the provided sources:
1. ISO 27001 Certification: Mailchimp is certified under the ISO 27001 standard, which is an international standard on how to manage information security. The certification includes regular renewal audits every three years and annual surveillance audits, ensuring that Mailchimp maintains high standards of information security management across its office sites, development centers, support centers, and data centers.
2. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Mailchimp has implemented measures to comply with GDPR, which includes tools for obtaining and keeping consent records, multiple opt-in settings to match GDPR requirements, and features that allow users to export contact information in a GDPR-compliant manner. Mailchimp also offers a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) that aligns with EU data protection requirements.
3. SOC 2 Type 2: Mailchimp undergoes annual SOC 2 Type 2 audits, which assess the effectiveness of its controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of a system. Mailchimp provides SOC reports upon request after the completion of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), ensuring that they meet the standards for service organization control.
4. Privacy Shield Framework: Previously, Mailchimp participated in the Swiss-US and EU-US Privacy Shield Framework to demonstrate its commitment to data protection standards. However, following the CJEU ruling in Schrems II, which invalidated the Privacy Shield as a mechanism for data transfer, Mailchimp no longer uses this framework.
These compliance standards demonstrate Mailchimp's commitment to maintaining robust security measures and adhering to international data protection regulations, ensuring that user data is handled securely and in compliance with applicable laws.
By Mailchimp