Benefits of Using a Singular SugarChimp List

Prior to using SugarChimp, you may have thought about sending campaigns by filtering who you want to send to in your CRM, downloading the list of users, and then importing them as an audience into Mailchimp.  As a result, you likely had various lists and audiences based on each campaign. 

Once the SugarChimp integration is put into place, however, you can ditch the old mindset and embrace a new, efficient way that will save time and money.  Instead of having a list for each campaign (or type of campaign) you can have a singular audience and use SugarChimp's field mapping tools to bring CRM data directly to Mailchimp.  You'll then use Mailchimp's segmenting tools to harness CRM data and narrow down the scope of your audience.  Read below to see the benefits of using just one audience in Mailchimp:

• Save money.  Because Mailchimp counts each audience of subscribers separately, you can save on costs by not having any duplicate subscribers across audiences.  Instead, have one list so each subscriber is only counted once.
• Save time.  Rather than creating a new criteria in your CRM each time a campaign is sent, then setting up your sync and pairing the lists together, all the data is already in Mailchimp.   Using Mailchimp's segmenting tools is directly in the campaign process saving your valuable time.
• Save your reputation.  Mailchimp values its reputation to ensure emails using its platform makes it to inboxes. By having multiple lists, you may be violating the terms and intent of Mailchimp. In return, you also run the risk of your Mailchimp account becoming suspended or deactivated.
• Prevent spam.  When a subscriber is on multiple lists, you run the risk of spamming them accidentally. For example, if they unsubscribe from one list and you send them an email from another list, they may be frustrated as they have already indicated they don't want to hear from you. Having multiple lists prevents you from honoring their unsubscribe requests.  You can still allow subscribers to opt-in or out of specific types of campaigns through the use of Mailchimp Groups.
• Stay organized.  With one list, all of your campaigns are easy to find and in one place.  Additionally, all of your reporting is in one location and a subscriber only has one profile, so you can easily see how engaged they are.
• Make marketing easier.  Assume you have two audiences, those who have an interest in Red Products and those who have an interest in Green Products.  You also might have some who are interested in both, or marketing campaigns you want to send to both.  Having one list simplifies the campaigns you have to build and send and ensures one subscriber isn't getting multiple emails of the same type.
• Eliminate confusion.  A subscriber in multiple audiences has to unsubscribe from each audience separately.  A subscriber who unsubscribes from a campaign can easily get annoyed if they continue to receive emails from the same company, not knowing they're on a different audience. 

There may be valid reasons to have more than one audience in Mailchimp.  Here are some common reasons having more than one audience may be necessary:

• You have two completely different audiences that will never cross.  Perhaps you have subscribers in a commercial industry and subscribers in a residential industry.  If you will never need to send the same campaign to both of them and there isn't a possibility for duplicates across the lists, there may be value in having two different lists.
• You want to separate CRM modules: Contact, Targets, Leads.  If you want to ensure you can consistently see Leads and Contacts distinctly, there may be value in having two different audiences in SugarChimp.  In this scenario, you'd use one Contacts List and one Leads list.

We recommend using as few lists as possible to get the job done.  If you want to chat through your scenario or have questions on how best to build your lists with your workflow, please reach out to us at [e-mail].