If you want to send a styled email to a group of people, you can use the Mailchimp Integration on a People list. People from that list will be synced in Mailchimp, and you can send emails to that list of people directly from Mailchimp.
Caution
When you refresh the list, anyone who was previously on the list but is no longer on it will be removed from the tag in Mailchimp.
To email people, sync the list to Mailchimp by clicking Sync Now from the Settings tab, which creates a tag within that audience. Only primary emails will be synced to Mailchimp. You can only connect one audience with Planning Center, but you can sync many tags. Syncing may take a couple of minutes, depending on the size of your list.
Notice
Your account must be connected to your Mailchimp account to sync with Mailchimp.
You might see differences between your List count and Mailchimp Audience count due to the following reasons:
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Delay in syncing due to server load
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Duplicates: Mailchimp only emails unique email addresses, but the list might have people with the same email addresses
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Unsubscribes: if someone unsubscribes from a Mailchimp email, they are unsubscribed from all future emails
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Missing email address
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The wrong name: Mailchimp uses merge tags to populate names on emails.
Caution
The "from" email address must be a verified domain name in your Mailchimp account. If you see a message saying that your Mailchimp account doesn't have any verified domain names, follow the Mailchimp instructions to verify the domain.
Once the sync process has been completed, the sync button will say View in Mailchimp. Click that to open the list in Mailchimp.
If you want the list to re-sync to Mailchimp automatically, toggle the Re-sync every night switch.
Tip
To find the list in Mailchimp, look for the tag with the list's name.
Follow Mailchimp's guide to create a styled email campaign.
Once you create a message, you can find it in the Campaigns list.
If you get an error when syncing your list, choose it from those listed below and follow the solution.
|
Error |
Issue |
Solution |
|---|---|---|
|
Temporary Error |
Many email addresses have unsubscribed or been permanently deleted. |
Check the email addresses in Mailchimp to see what actions need to be taken. |
|
Merge Fields |
You have required Merge Tags that are not allowed. |
Only Email Address, First Name, Last Name can be required. Uncheck any required tags. |
|
Invalid Address |
One of the email addresses in the list is invalid. |
Using the error given, check the email address and change it. |
|
Campaign Not Ready |
The Mailchimp account is suspended. |
Log into Mailchimp and fix any issues listed. |
Tip
Although people who use the free version of Mailchimp don't have access to Mailchimp support, there are helpful guides and tutorials on Mailchimp's Help page.
When someone unsubscribes from an email campaign sent through Mailchimp, they are then removed from the audience in Mailchimp, but they are not removed from the list in People.
However, they will no longer receive emails from that campaign.
If you re-sync the list in Mailchimp, a new tag will be created, and the unsubscribed person will be on that tag but will not be sent an email.
Here are the different statuses Mailchimp recognizes:
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Unsubscribed - Admin: If a Mailchimp Admin unsubscribes someone, they will be re-subscribed the next time a sync is initiated.
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Unsubscribed - Person: If a person clicks on the unsubscribe link in an email sent through Mailchimp, they will NOT be re-subscribed by a sync. They must be added back using the “Resend Confirmation” feature in Mailchimp.
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Removed - Archived: If a Mailchimp Admin archives someone, they will be re-added and re-subscribed the next time a sync is initiated.
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Removed - Permanently Deleted: If a Mailchimp Admin permanently deletes someone, they will not be re-subscribed by a sync. They must be added back using a Mailchimp Form.