Zavon

Switching from Mailchimp

Overview

This guide moves your newsletter from Mailchimp to Reach. You bring your contacts, your tags, your sending address and your past newsletters. Your workflows take the place of Mailchimp’s automations.

Before you start

You need a role that can import people and manage newsletters. To add a sending domain, you need access to your domain’s DNS records.

In Mailchimp, export your audience as a CSV file. Keep your Mailchimp account open until the move is done.

Import your contacts

  1. Keep only subscribed contacts

    Remove unsubscribed and cleaned contacts from the file. Reach’s import does not record consent, so each person in the file can receive email.

  2. Make smaller files

    Make smaller files from a file with more than 5 000 rows. One import takes at most 5 000 rows.

  3. Open the screen

    In the sidebar, select People › Contacts. Then select Import or export.

  4. Add the file

    Drag the CSV file onto Spreadsheet saved as CSV. Or select the button in the drop zone, then pick the file.

  5. Map the columns

    Set Becomes for each column: Email, First name, Last name and Tags. Set Leave out for the others.

  6. Check the import

    Select Check the import. Reach shows how many people are new, updated, unchanged and left out.

  7. Import

    Select Import N people. The people show in Contacts when the import is done.

The Import or export people screen in Reach, with the Spreadsheet saved as CSV field
Import or export people. Shown with a fictional organisation.

Bring your tags and groups

  1. Import the tags

    Set Becomes to Tags for Mailchimp’s tags column. Reach reads tags separated by commas.

  2. Make a group a tag

    For each Mailchimp group or segment, add a column with a tag for its members. Set that column to Tags too.

  3. Make a smart list

    In the sidebar, select People › Smart lists. Make a list with a Tags rule for each group you send to.

  4. Pick the recipients

    Open the newsletter’s Settings. Under Recipients, set the list it sends to.

Send from your own address

  1. Open the screen

    In the sidebar, select Setup › Sending domains.

  2. Add the domain

    Select Add a domain. Type the Domain, then select Add domain.

  3. Publish the records

    Add the records that Reach shows to your domain’s DNS.

  4. Verify

    Select Verify DNS records. DKIM and Return-Path must pass; SPF and DMARC are advised.

Import your past newsletters

  1. Export from Mailchimp

    In Mailchimp, download a sent newsletter as HTML or as an .eml file.

  2. Open the screen

    In the sidebar, select Send › Newsletters. Then select Import from email. The steps are Choose an email and Preview and import.

  3. Read the email

    Drag the file onto Email file, or select …or paste its HTML instead. Then select Read it.

  4. Set where it goes

    Set Publication to a new publication or an existing one. Turn on Apply this email’s styles to the publication to keep its look.

  5. Import

    To keep it as history, turn on Import as an archived issue and set Date sent. Then select Import.

  6. Copy the pictures

    On the imported issue, select Copy images to library. The pictures move from Mailchimp to your library.

Replace your automations

  1. Open workflows

    In the sidebar, select Send › Workflows.

  2. Start from a journey

    Open Journeys and select Install on a journey that fits. It installs switched off.

  3. Pick what starts it

    In a workflow, set Starts when to an event, a date, a schedule or a manual start.

  4. Turn it on

    Check the emails in the workflow. Then turn the workflow on.

Troubleshooting

If the import says a row is the same person as another line, remove the repeated row.

If Check the import is grey, set the column with the email address.

If a file has more than 5 000 rows, split it and import each part.

If pictures in an imported newsletter stop showing, select Copy images to library before you close the Mailchimp account.

Good to know

Undo for seven days. An import can be undone for seven days on the Import or export screen.

Unsubscribes and bounces. Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link. Hard bounces and complaints are stopped for that address.

Events and forms. Event registrations and website forms reach Reach on their own. They can start a workflow.

Import or export people: the import screen in full.
Smart lists: lists that follow rules.
Send a newsletter: write and send an issue.
Journeys: ready-made workflows.
Approve a newsletter before it is sent: approvals.