Details
MailChimp is an email marketing service provider of three primary services:
- Manage subscriber lists
- Build email messages/campaigns
- Review message reports
MailChimp is a web-based application so you do not need to download or install any software on your computer. Sign up directly with MailChimp to create an account. The "chimp" imagery reflects the lighthearted style central to the company's culture and should not dissuade users from the utility of the product.
MailChimp has many uses in the college setting. There are advantages to using MailChimp for large group emails. Messages are delivered outside of Dartmouth's email system. This reduces the likelihood of delivery problems in our system and decreases the likelihood that messages will be marked as junk (spam). It also avoids any sending limits the Dartmouth email system has on individual accounts. MailChimp is especially useful for mailing to contact lists that include addresses that are not @dartmouth.edu.
You cannot add attachments directly to a message. You can host a file on your own server or host a file with Mailchimp and then add a link to the file within your message.
Dartmouth recommends that community members consider using the free option to better manage small lists of recipients for things like clubs or organizations. This tool is also recommended for large bulk email messages that go to thousands of recipients. The large mailing options may require a paid account with MailChimp. Responsibility for fundingis provided by the user or a department budget. Mailchimp offers a free option for lists of 2,000 individual contacts and 12,000 emails a month. If you have more than 2,000 contacts or believe you will send more than 12,000 emails in a month there are paid plans for either more contacts or unlimited emails.
Keep in mind there is a fair amount of setup needed to create an account, verify the send “From” address, import contact lists, and create templates or messages. MailChimp requires that you test using the account by sending a sample message that MailChimp reviews within 24 hours. They do this to make sure you are not maliciously using the account. After the initial setup and review, the owner of the account is free to use it as they please.
The site for Mailchimp is http://mailchimp.com/
MailChimp provides support for the application and has an extensive public knowledgebase (KB) system at http://kb.mailchimp.com/