Mailchimp to the Rescue
February 03, 2020
Mailchimp to the Rescue
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
Free
Overall Satisfaction with Mailchimp
Mailchimp is being used by Northwest Wayne FAN (Families Against Narcotics). The larger organization does not use it at this time - only our chapter. The business problem it addresses is that it allows us to communicate updates, coming events, specialty stories and specific and timely information to our board members, advisory board members, associates and clients. Without Mailchimp we would be relying solely on a once-a-month meeting and intermittent contact through Facebook.
- Contact list creation - this is a real strength because I can either enter individuals in separately or from a database or Excel spreadsheet.
- The ability to time the release of communications is especially helpful. I am involved in a volunteer capacity and Mailchimp allows me to do the work I need to do when I want to do it - and then send it out at a predetermined time!
- The templates are embedded in a hierarchy that doesn't make them hard to find - just not intuitive.
- The formatting of the contacts is little clunky. If the information is input through Excel or a database template - no problem - but the individual entry submittal process could be streamlined a little - for example if any part of an address is input then the entire address must be input. We don't always have that.
- The positive return Mailchimp has had is that we have a small number of individuals being able to communicate large amounts of timely information to large numbers of recipients in a short, well-managed period of time.
- The software is generally easy to use and master. Training is at a minimum while quality output is at a maximum.
We have found that Mailchimp is more robust and simpler to use than SparkPost, ActiveCampaign and AWeber.
We looked at those systems but Mailchimp bundled everything we needed for our work in a recognizable and efficient system. Mailchimp is easier to train, easier to operate and more recognizable by our audience than the other offerings.
We looked at those systems but Mailchimp bundled everything we needed for our work in a recognizable and efficient system. Mailchimp is easier to train, easier to operate and more recognizable by our audience than the other offerings.
Mailchimp allows us to communicate across other social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and others with a minimum of complexity and overhead. We are therefore able to reach our core audience and immediately, within a matter of minutes, expand that reach locally, statewide and nationally. It would be very difficult and time consuming to perform all that work repeatedly and would introduce potential errors and lag times. Mailchimp takes care of all that.
Successes I have had with MailChimp include a recent campaign seeking volunteers to act as Angels for Hope Not Handcuffs. We were able to distill the information we needed and then, having done that, organize it in Mailchimp and send it out to thousands of potential volunteers in one evening.
Some of the lessons I have learned working with Mailchimp is that because the platform is so easy to work with I have more time to collect detailed and meaningful information to transmit. Can't beat that.