Read this guide online: http://mailchimp.com/resources/guides/switchers-guide/ What’s inside: An introduction to MailChimp for former Constant Contact* users. Topics include: Importing your list Setting up templates Changing account settings Creating groups Viewing reports Welcome to MailChimp. Getting started is easy—this guide will help you make a seamless transition in just a few simple steps. We’ll explain how to set up your lists, create beautiful campaigns and view your reports in MailChimp. We’ll also go over the differences in using MailChimp and Constant Contact*. NOTE: *Constant Contact is a registered trademark of Constant Contact, Inc. All Constant Contact products and services that we mention are property of Constant Contact, Inc. We're not affiliated in any way with Constant Contact, Inc.

2. Constant
Contact*
Switchers Guide
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3. Welcome to MailChimp.
Welcome to MailChimp. Getting started is easy—this guide will help you Here’s where you can find our template options and Design Genius. You
make a seamless transition in just a few simple steps. We’ll explain how can always go back and change your template, so feel free to try several
to set up your lists, create beautiful campaigns and view your reports in options that might work for you.
MailChimp. We’ll also go over the differences in using MailChimp and
Constant Contact*. If you have any questions that aren’t addressed here,
feel free to contact our support staff at mailchimp.com/support. We’ll be
happy to assist you.
Quick Start Guide
If you don’t have much time, here’s the 30-second tutorial on how to
import your list, set up a template and create a signup form in MailChimp.
When you have a few extra minutes, read the rest of the guide to get your
bearings.
1. Import your list
To import your existing General Interest list, click the Lists tab > Import
link, and under your import options you’ll see an Upload list from Constant
Contact button. 3. Create a signup form
Your signup form is automatically set up for you when you create a list.
You can modify the design and add fields in the Lists tab > Forms.
Those three steps should get you off on the right foot. But if you have a
few minutes to learn some of the details about moving your list over to
MailChimp, please read through the rest of this guide.
2. Set up a template
You’ll choose your template and design your campaigns using our inline
content editor on Step 3 of the Campaign Builder. You can use one of
our pre-designed templates if you don’t want to design your own do a lot
of customization. If you like customizing designs or want to make your
campaign match your website’s look and feel, try our start-from-scratch
templates. We leave the header/body and footer and columns open for the
most customization possible.
Our Design Genius will walk you through the styling process and help you
make your campaigns match your brand’s look and feel.
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4. Learn Your Way Around
MailChimp
In this section we’ll go through some of the differences you’ll encounter
when you switch to MailChimp. We’ll remind you how you performed
a particular task in Constant Contact*, and explain what you’ll do in
MailChimp. Let’s get started.
Account Settings
In Constant Contact*, you would change your account settings under In MailChimp, you’ll find all your account settings like username, pass-
My Settings. word, contact info, time zone and other account defaults under the
Account button. It’s in the upper left corner on every page of the app.
Lists
In Constant Contact*, you would manage your lists under the Contacts In MailChimp, you’ll manage your subscribers and contacts under the
heading. Lists tab.
In MailChimp, you can easily import your existing General Interest list.
In Constant Contact*, you would go through a wizard to import or copy/ Click the Lists tab > Import link, and under your import options choose
paste your contacts file. Upload list from Constant Contact (see the Quick Start Guide on pg. 1.)
In MailChimp, you’ll treat each new list you create like your Constant
In Constant Contact*, you would only have one list in the account. All Contact* General Interest list. Each new list will have its own set of con-
contacts fall under this General Interest category. New lists are subsets tent tags (called merge tags), unsubscribes and bounce lists. Duplicates
of General Interest, so some subscribers may only be in General Interest will only be removed from each list, not across the whole account. Keep
and other subscribers may be in General Interest plus other lists. in mind that every list in your new account is an independent list and
doesn’t talk to the other lists, so there isn’t a global suppression list.
You would have a global suppression/unsubscribe/bounce list across the
whole account through the General Interest (default) list. You’ll use Groups to create sublists and segments. Groups are the
equivalent of your former New Lists. We’ll set up these groups for you
based on your sublists when you use the import from Constant Contact*
option.
Avoid deleting and uploading new lists or just uploading the same
recipients into a new list when you want to update your list.
In Constant Contact*, you would edit the default list fields and your In MailChimp, you’ll edit and export your contacts under Lists > View
custom list fields in separate areas. list > View all.
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5. Importing Your List From Your Old ESP Deleting and uploading new lists with the same recipients on a regular ba-
sis tends to cause abuse complaints. When you delete a list, the entire list
history is lost (including unsubscribes, abuse complaints and bounces),
Now that you know the basics about lists in MailChimp, it’s time to move
and people who already asked to be removed can be added back to your
over your existing lists and segments. Here’s how:
list. Because all lists in MailChimp are independent and share no informa-
tion, there’s no overall account suppression list.
First, export your list from Constant Contact*, selecting all the fields you
want to move over to MailChimp plus the ones we require.
Save the files directly onto your computer as either a .csv or a text file. In
your new MailChimp account click Lists > import, and under your import
options select Upload list from Constant Contact*. Upload the file you’ve
exported from Constant Contact*. If you need to make edits to your list,
you can export the file you just uploaded, make the necessary changes,
and re-import later.
Keeping Your Sublists In Separate Groups
Constant Contact* lets you export either your whole list (Active contacts)
or various individual lists. We can import any of them, but if you want us
to keep your sublists in separate Groups (see the following section), then
Active contacts and Show list must be selected when you export.
Groups
Say you had three lists in Constant Contact*: a General Interest list, a
Puppies list and a Kitties list. We’ll import all three lists as one list, and
then General Interest, Puppies and Kitties will become Groups. Notice
that under Your Interests, all your recipients are in the General Interest
group, and some of them are in the Puppies and Kitties groups.
So if you only want to send to people who are in the Puppies group, you
would choose that segment on Step 1 of the Campaign Builder. We’ll
explain how to do that in the Campaigns section.
Deleting lists
It’s better to use the auto-update option and add new members or member
information to your existing list than delete a list then re-import.
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6. Signup Forms
In Constant Contact*, you would set up and activate your signup form In MailChimp, your signup form is automatically set up for you when
under Contacts > Join my mailing list. you create a list. You can design and tweak under Lists > forms.
In Constant Contact*, you would go through wizards to customize your In MailChimp, you can do all your editing for each form and confirma-
forms and get the HTML code for use on your own site. tion page in the signup process under Lists > Forms. Choose Build it to
tweak your field types, hide fields and set default field values. Choose
Design to set your fonts, colors and style. You can edit your text in
either mode.
In Constant Contact*, you would customize forms and confirmation In MailChimp, you’ll toggle to the different parts of the process by us-
emails in separate areas. ing the Forms & response emails drop-down menu.
In Constant Contact*, you would have only one signup form per account In MailChimp, you’ll have the option to provide text fields, and also
and text fields only on that form. create number fields, drop down menus and multiple-choice fields.
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7. Campaigns
In Constant Contact*, you would create campaigns under Email Market- In MailChimp, you’ll use the orange Create campaign button from the
ing > Create. Dashboard or the Campaigns tab.
In Constant Contact*, you would go through a wizard to set up your In MailChimp, you’ll choose your template and design your campaigns
campaign—choosing some of what will be displayed in your campaign using our inline content editor on Step 3 of the Campaign Builder. You
design without seeing where it will go in your campaign. You would can use our pre-designed templates if you don’t want to do a lot of
design your campaigns using the provided content blocks, or have the customization or design on your own. If you like customizing designs or
option to provide your own code. want to make your campaign match your website’s look and feel, try our
start-from-scratch templates and Design Genius. Our templates auto-
matically include your permission reminder, a link to view the campaign
in a browser, and your forward to a friend link. You can add a subscribe
link to your campaign by adding the tag *|SUBSCRIBE|* into the body
(just like you would add text).
In Constant Contact*, you would need to verify email addresses in your In MailChimp, you’ll use only a from name and reply-to address. When
account to use as a from or reply-to address. setting a from Name, it’s best to use your company or real name.
NEVER an email address. That’s a spam-filter trigger. They might think
you’re trying to confuse them by using two emails in the from and feply-
to fields.
In Constant Contact*, you would click Anti-Spam check for a quick In MailChimp, you can use our Delivery Doctor (paid accounts only) for
look at possible junk folder issues using Spam Assassin and proprietary a quick look at possible delivery issues, using information from ISPs
content matching. and major spam filters.
In Constant Contact*, you would edit the plain-text version of emails In MailChimp, you’ll edit the plain-text version on a separate step after
under Advanced features in the Edit email area. you’ve created the HTML version of your campaign. We’ll automatically
create a plain-text email for you, using your HTML email content.
In Constant Contact*, you would choose styles, colors and fonts under In MailChimp, you’ll choose styles, colors and fonts under Show style
Global fonts and colors. designer. You’ll pick those section by section, using the Header, Body
and Footer tabs.
In Constant Contact*, you would select the list you want to send to on In MailChimp, You’ll select your list or segment on the first step of the
the last step of the campaign building process. Campaign Builder. If you want to send to the whole list click Send to
entire list. If you want to send to one of the groups we talked about ear-
lier, click Send to segment of list and set up the condition (for example:
Is Interested in / one of / Puppies).
In Constant Contact*, you would edit a campaign that’s scheduled to In MailChimp, you can edit a campaign that’s scheduled to send by
send, by going back to the My Emails link, clicking the title of the cam- clicking the campaign title. We’ll automatically pause it for you, al-
paign and resetting the campaign to draft mode. lowing you to reschedule the send when you save it. If you’ve already
clicked Send now, the campaign can no longer be edited.
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8. Footer
In Constant Contact*, you would find the forward to a friend options In MailChimp, you’ll edit the footer directly in the campaign builder,
under My settings, and footer settings are not configurable. where you can add or remove the Update profile link and customize.
In Constant Contact*, The Constant Contact* logo would be on every If you have a paid account, you don’t have to include MailChimp’s logo
campaign you send. in the footer of your emails— unless, of course, you want to.
Unsubscribing
In Constant Contact*, you would provide your subscribers with one In MailChimp, you’ll have a separate unsubscribe link and form for
unsubscribe form for the entire account. With this form, they can each separate list. When using Groups to segment your list: If you want
unsubscribe from all emails from you just unsubscribe from one of your your subscribers to be able to unsubscribe from only one segment, then
smaller lists (again, our Groups). you’ll use the Update profile tag to allow them to set their subscription
preferences.
Archives
In Constant Contact*, you would pay for the use of campaign archives In MailChimp, you’ll have a free automatic archive for all of your
and manually select each campaigns you want on the archives under the campaigns (including those you code yourself) that you can use or not,
Email marketing > Archives area. depending on you preferences. Move all campaigns that you’d like to
show in the archive into an Archive folder that you create.
Get a code snippet under Get archive code that will allow you to host
your archives links on your own website.
Reports
In Constant Contact*, you would find your reports over time in your Con- In MailChimp, You’ll see the number of opens, clicks, forwards and
tacts area and general reports in the Email marketing > Reports area. complaints—as well as a number of specialized reporting, including
opens by location, domain performance, who tweeted and retweeted
You would see reports on bounces, spam reports, opt-outs, opens, clicks your campaign (eepurl stats), your list performance compared to your
and forwards. industry, and helpful performance advice.
You’ll also have access to Subscriber Activity Reports, which show you
who clicked and who didn’t open, and let you segment your list based
on this data to send very targeted emails.
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9. MailChimp Support
If you’ve read through this guide and still have questions, feel free to con-
tact us. You can search our Knowledge Base anytime, or live chat with our
support team between the hours of 9am and 5pm EST Monday through
Friday, at mailchimp.com/support.
We also offer daily online training sessions—view the schedule at
mailchimp.com/webinar.
And we’ve got a lot more guide where this one came from, at
resources.mailchimp.com.
*Constant Contact is a registered trademark of Constant Contact, Inc. All
Constant Contact products and services that we mention are property of
Constant Contact, Inc. The content of this guide was created on 4/1/2010,
so some of the products may have changed since then. We’re not affiliated
in any way with Constant Contact, Inc.
How We Really Feel About Constant Contact: Constant Contact is a solid
service that’s great for small businesses who are totally new to email
marketing. Constant Contact has invested heavily in call centers and
regional seminars to help people get started. They’ve done a lot for the
email marketing eco-system in this way, and we thank them for that. We
created this guide for people who are beyond the “beginner” stage, and
who want to switch to MailChimp because they’re looking for a self-serve
email-marketing application with more power features.
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