Item: Mailchimp
Rating: 10
Author: Brian Blumel

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Mailchimp as a way to generate leads through custom forms embedded on websites. Easy to customize and easy to implement, Mailchimp is usually our top choice when suggesting a company's first lead generation form. Clients looking to build a mailing list or to target visitors interested in products or services can use Mailchimp to build a free list of potential clients.

Pros and Cons

Easy form building gets you up and running quickly.
Segmentation of contacts allows for grouping of contacts for email blasts.
Drag 'n drop email builders can create industry standard emails that look great.
Embed codes for websites which can be easily copy and pasted onto websites for instant usage.

Pricing structure could be adjusted. The jump from Free to Essentials may be overkill for some clients who don't need the extra send capacity, but want access to A/B testing, etc.
Other lead generator / email capture software allow for better HTML / customization of emails campaigns.

Return on Investment

Mailchimp requires very little investment before it begins to work and help you build your client list. Developers can implement the forms quickly.

Alternatives Considered

HubSpot Lead Generation Software, Keap and Constant Contact

Mailchimp usually wins because it has a very nice free option to begin exploring the world of contact gathering / lead generation. While it doesn't have all the tools available to you via Hubspot, Keap, or Constant Contact, Mailchimp still provides a good launching point to begin your journey from. One great feature is how easy it is to export contacts from Mailchimp and into one of the more complex offerings when the time arises.

Usability

Generally, you can just get in there and do what you need to do very quickly. From signing up to creating a form can take only a few minutes even if you don't know what you're doing as they hold your hand pretty well through the process.

All-in-One Marketing Platform

Honestly, we have never found Mailchimp to have an 'all-in-one-marketing platform'.

Lessons for Success

Successes aren't something we tracked as we mainly dealt with implementation.

Key Insights

Do you think Mailchimp delivers good value for the price?

Are you happy with Mailchimp's feature set?

Did Mailchimp live up to sales and marketing promises?

Did implementation of Mailchimp go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Mailchimp again?

Likelihood to Recommend

Mailchimp is well suited to companies / individuals who want to capture emails via form on their website or a link in an email. Mailchimp is relatively easy to set up and manage. They also have decent reporting tools and segregation tools. The email visual builder is fairly decent as well. Overall, it's a great 'first' lead capture tool while you're still figuring out what you really need.

Mailchimp - A good place to start

Software Version

Overall Satisfaction with Mailchimp