MailChimp is a cloud-based email management service that helps you design high quality email campaigns. The service lets you share them on social networks, integrate with existing services, and track your results.
MailChimp is not just a paid service. It has a free option that is arguably one of the best on the market, although the paid plans offer high-level marketing features including autoresponders, spam filter diagnostics, list segmentation by time zone, and a healthy stack of tools for social networking integration.
Signing up for a MailChimp account is an easy affair; just enter a name and an email address and you’re good to go. More information is required when you first sign into the service. Data such as physical address, organization name and details, and website (Facebook or Twitter page, or a personal page or blog). Here is where you will also have the opportunity to upload a profile photo and to subscribe to MailChimp’s series of ‘Getting Started’ emails if you want to.
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Once you have gone through he sign up processes, you are presented with a main area of MailChimp: the dashboard. Whilst it is clean and very simple to understand, it is a tad sparse on color. At the start you have three main options to choose from: create and send a campaign, create or import a list, or start building an audience with sign-up forms. After choosing your selection, you are shown your recent campaign activity, list growth, and a news feed of any recent events.
Multi-user AccountsA really useful feature of MailChimp is that it supports multiple users that have distinct logins and permissions; either owner, admin, manager, author, or viewer. This comes in very handy.
AutoresponderSetting an autoresponder will allow you to engage with your subscribers one-on-one by sending automated new subscriber emails, purchase follow-ups, and messages.
Campaign reportingThe reporting tools in MailChimp are very useful. You have access to a scroll-down list of stats that vary from the common open and click rates through to top links clicked and performance over the first 24 hour period post-send. You can also see data on a list of subscribers with the most opens. MailChimp also can show you information on raw numbers for successful deliveries, forwards, unique opens, and abuse reports. You can view bounces and unsubscribes, social activity, and link performances as well.
PricingMailChimp operates a Freemium, Subscription pricing model, and has a free trial available with no credit card required. The Forever Free plane3 involves having up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month. If you plan to use more than 2,000 subscribers, MailChimp has monthly and pay-as-you-go plans to choose from.
Bottom LineMailChimp is a quality total marketing solution, which lets you have complete control over any email campaign. The mail tracking, click-through rates, customized reporting, and subscription management tools are all excellent. With custom templates, and pre-made designs and campaigns to choose from, MailChimp is a great choice. The service is available in over 15 countries in English and Spanish and it can be accessed from iOS, Android, MAC OS X, Windows and via the Web.
