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Mailchimp Integration

Updated
The Goal: Connect your GrowthZone software to Mailchimp so that contacts in your Lists/Committees synchronize automatically, keeping your Mailchimp audiences up to date in near real-time.

Before You Begin:

  • You need staff permission to manage integrations in your GrowthZone software.
  • Have your Mailchimp login credentials ready.
  • Configure the Lists/Committees you want to sync with the Synchronize Contacts with the authorized third-party newsletter solution setting. See Lists/Committees for information on configuring your lists/committees to synchronize to a third-party newsletter.
  • Only a contact's full name and email address sync into Mailchimp. You can synchronize as many groups (lists/committees) as needed.This is sent when the access to Mailchimp is broken, and re-authentication is required.

 NOTE: There is an automated notification to which your staff can subscribe called "Integration Connection Failed". This is sent when the access to Mail Chimp is broken and re-authentication is required. Be certain that at least one of your staff members is subscribed so that a record is created in the communication history. If no one is subscribed, then no communication will be sent and no record will be logged. The notification provides a link to the integration page so your staff person can reconnect.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Connecting to Mailchimp

  1. Click Settings in the left-hand rail.
  2. Click Mailchimp in the Integrations section.
  3. Click Connect.
  4. Enter your credentials for Mailchimp, and click Log in.

    Connection status will show Connected and your Organization Contact Information will be displayed.
  5. Select an Audience from the MailChimp audience drop-down list. All contacts will be brought into MailChimp in this single Audience, tagged with the name of the GrowthZone List/Committee. When sending your emails from MailChimp, you will select this audience, filtered by the desired tag. See more info on Mailchimp Tags and How to Send Emails Filtered by Tags.
  6. Click Save.

After the initial connection, click the Sync button. This will synchronize all of your existing lists/committees that are set to Synchronize Contacts with the authorized third-party newsletter solution with Mailchimp. NOTE: Only contacts with a default/primary email address and where Do Not Contact is not enabled will be synchronized to Mailchimp.

For instructions on setting up audiences in Mailchimp, see the Mailchimp Instructions.

Mail Chimp Synchronization

Once your system is connected, the following additions, edits, and deletions performed in GrowthZone will be sent to MailChimp in near real-time (usually within ten minutes):

  • A new List/Committee is added to GrowthZone with “Synchronize contacts with authorized third party newsletter” set: The new list/committee is added to Mailchimp.
  • A new contact (with a valid default/primary email address) is added to the List/Committee in GrowthZone: The new contact is added within that group in Mailchimp.
  • A new contact (with valid default/primary email address) is added to the List/Committee in GrowthZone with Do Not Contact set: The new contact is NOT synchronized to Mailchimp.
  • The “Do Not Contact” check-box is set for an existing contact in the List/Committee within GrowthZone. The existing contact is unsubscribed in Mailcontact in the List/Committee within GrowthZone. If the contact that would previously have been archived in Mailchimp is un-archived.
  • An existing contact's name and/or default email address is changed (and the contact belongs to the List/Committee synced to Mailchimp): The updated contact information is sent to Mailchimp.
  • An existing contact is removed from a List/Committee in GrowthZone: The contact is removed from the List/Committee in Mailchimp. If the contact is not a part of other lists, the contact is archived.
  • If a List/Committee is deleted from GrowthZone: The List/Committee is deleted from Mail Chimp. If there are contacts in the Lists/Committees, and those contacts belong to no other Lists/Committees, they are archived in Mailchimp.
  • A contact who is in multiple Lists/Committees in GrowthZone is deleted from GrowthZone: The contact is archived in Mailchimp.

 NOTE: If a user unsubscribes from a list via MailChimp, Do Not Contact will be set for the contact on that list in GrowthZone.

Common Pitfalls

  • No one subscribed to the failure notification: If no staff member is subscribed to the "Integration Connection Failed" notification, a broken connection will go unnoticed, and no record will be logged. Subscribe to at least one staff member so you can reconnect promptly.
  • Expecting all contacts to sync: Only contacts with a default/primary email address and without Do Not Contact enabled are sent to Mailchimp. Contacts missing a primary email or flagged as Do Not Contact will not appear.

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