The MailChimp OOPSIE

I’ve had two clients make the same oopsie in MailChimp in the span of a couple of days, so I thought I’d write a quick blog post on what to avoid, and how to avoid it, and how to fix it if it happens to you.

I should note that this isn’t just MailChimp… it can happen on any email  system you use, so don’t think you’ll dodge the bullet by going with something like Constant Contact or any of those other paid guys. Small Biz peeps – listen up – MailChimp is free and awesome and probably all that you need. You’ve just gotta pay a bit of attention, and create a back up plan.

Alright… so, what did they do?

So they’re super pumped, full of knowledge, ready to give their customers the straight goods in a newsletter. They open MailChimp, they start typing this beautiful prolific stuff… but it doesn’t work… they save… and it doesn’t give them the prompt to mail out. How come?

They wrote their newsletter in a TEMPLATE instead of a CAMPAIGN.

Let’s talk about the difference…
A CAMPAIGN is the message you’ll send out to your peeps. It can be a newsletter, a blog post, and e-blast, doesn’t matter. It’s the  message they’ll receive.

A TEMPLATE is the layout of the message. The style you use. Ideally you’ll invest some time (or have someone set it up for you) in advance so you have your general template set up with articles, where images will go, your banner, etc. Your brand’s fonts and colours can make an appearance here too. Then, when you go to write to your peeps (in a campaign) you don’t have to waste time setting it all up.

Think of it this way: the content of a template is constant – the content of a campaign will change.

Uh oh! So… if I write in my template and not a campaign, what do I do?

Here are your options…

  1. Set up a campaign with template you boo-boo’d, and send it out as usual. Once you’re done, you can take the time to delete the content (put in lorem ipsum as text filler to hold the space, and use spacer images to hold the spots for your photos)… and SAVE! This is a bit time consuming, but it’ll be worth it when you go to write your next email blast.
  2. You can make a back up! I tell my clients to have their templates and their back up templates, because let’s be honest, mistakes happen. Having a back up is awesome – it’s an exact duplicate of your template. Just remember – if you have to use your back up, you then need to make a back up of the back up in case something happens. (PRO TIP: remember to delete the original template, and then rename your back up with the original template’s name.)
  3. Start from scratch. But honestly, that’ll take WAY more time than option 1, so unless you’re planning to give your newsletter a face lift, you’d best leave this one be.
mc1

mc2

Easy Peasy, Right?

You’ve got this… and if you get stuck, you know where to find me.

Let's Hang Out

The folks on my mailing list are my fave, and they always get early access to my new offerings and events. Join today and get the masterclass The 4 Keys to Getting ANYTHING you want.

Article Categories

Join the conversation.

Let us know what you think about this article.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More inspiring insights

Related to this article.

Here are a few more articles to support your journey…

The Sisterhood Wound

The Sisterhood Wound

For centuries, the sisterhood wound has been a silent yet powerful force in our lives; an invisible yet all-pervasive pain that has kept us rooted in some level of self-loathing, inauthentically showing up in our communities with other women, and ultimately from claiming our power.

read more
Dealing With The Tough Stuff

Dealing With The Tough Stuff

Today's post starts with a hard truth I've realized. I’ve been a hypocrite.  In my work I teach whole self reclamation, and the journey typically starts by feeling all that you feel - in particular heavier emotions - instead of shying away. I even wrote a book about...

read more
The danger of the echo chamber – episode 47

The danger of the echo chamber – episode 47

Does everyone you know look/think/act/vote/believe the same way you do? If so, you my friend might be in an echo chamber... In this episode we look at what it means to live in an echo chamber, and how it impacts our beliefs, how we vote, and how we show up in the...

read more
ENTER YOUR FIRST NAME + EMAIL TO GET MY 22-PAGE GUIDE, CONVERSATIONS WITH ANGER

ENTER YOUR FIRST NAME + EMAIL TO GET MY 22-PAGE GUIDE, CONVERSATIONS WITH ANGER

Privacy Policy: We hate spam too and promise to keep your email address safe.

You're on the list! Check your email for next steps.

Sign up for my newsletter and
receive this life-changing masterclass

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This