Hoorah!! Mailchimp has just made this so much easier! Read this whole blog if you want to, but I would strongly suggest you follow the process up until ‘Exporting your contacts’ – Don’t go any further! I will explain now…
Create a brand-new list in Mailchimp
Call the list something like Main Contacts List, or give it the same name as your existing list suffixed with (2).
Important: Tick the box to Enable GDPR fields. Continue to create a sign-up form from this list
Create a Mailchimp signup form
This form can be used on a Facebook button, or embedded to your website for customers to fill in. By filling in the Mailchimp signup form your contacts will automatically be added to that list.
Open your new list
Click on ‘Signup Forms’
Choose ‘Embedded forms’ to supply your website guys with code to include in your website. Or, choose ‘Form Builder’ to get a URL link for adding to Facebook, or emails.
Once you have settled on the message you want your customers to see, and the fields you want them to complete, you can copy and paste the URL to use wherever you need it. Keep it as simple as you can, the less work they have to do, the more chance they will do it!
Don’t look for a ‘save’ or ‘next’ button, there isn’t one, you have created what you need to go back to your email campaign or Facebook page with. Select and copy this link.
Tip: If you click one of the social links to the right, you can create a post in social media, that links to your form. Beware though, that the title of your list will appear in the post…If you use Mailchimp to email your contacts, you will be thinking about how to ensure they are ‘opted in’ and you are compliant, particularly to the ‘consent’ part of GDPR.
Create a new email campaign
Using your existing list of email address, create a new email campaign.
Craft an email all about GDPR and how you are working towards complying with the new regulations. Include a statement that you are inviting them to opt in to your email list and by clicking the link they are giving consent to you as per your privacy policy. Include a link to your website’s privacy policy as well.
Insert a button that might say, ‘I would like to opt in’, or ‘Hell yes, I want in!’, whatever is suitable, and paste in the link to the form you just created.
Send your email…
When your customers complete that form, their details will automatically go to your new list, which will look like this:
See the GDPR badge? Good eh?!
And you're set, send your email and watch the subscribers come flooding in…
Struggling?
Push Start Marketing writes Social Media 121 blogs to help guide you through the steps to get a job done. We want you to be able to do it for yourself, but equally don’t want you to struggle alone. If you are stuck on any of these steps, please email hilary@psmkt.co.uk with your questions, perhaps your own 121 session could help.
** EDIT ENDS **
If you use Mailchimp to email your contacts, you will be thinking about how to ensure they are ‘opted in’ and you are compliant, particularly to the ‘consent’ part of GDPR.
First, get your privacy policy in order
The new data protection regulations states that
“The conditions for consent have been strengthened, and companies will no longer be able to use long illegible terms and conditions full of legalese, as the request for consent must be given in an intelligible and easily accessible form, with the purpose for data processing attached to that consent. Consent must be clear and distinguishable from other matters and provided in an intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language. It must as easy to withdraw consent as it is to give it.” https://www.eugdpr.org/the-regulation.html
This basically means you must have an easily accessible privacy policy and terms of use policy on your website. If you don’t already have one, you can go to an industry authority and request a template from which to work, but it must include these basics;
Personal information: What you collect (specifically), why you collect it and how you will use it
Cookie data: Users must be informed how your cookies function, and what data will be collected. This is often regarding tracking and analyses of users on your website and doesn’t usually include data that will identify an individual. Your website providers can tell you more
Collected information: “How we use collected information” is a good example of clear and intelligible language. This is data that gets inputted into your enquiry forms on your website for example
Information usage: Do you pass on details to a third party? Why? Make it clear and easy to understand
Withdrawing consent: Tell your customers how to remove themselves from your data lists. You can also charge up to £10 to provide someone with the data you hold on them, if requested.
It is this policy that your users are consenting to you when you ask them to opt in to your email list, so it must be up to date and available. Until May 24th, you can rely on using the term ‘Data Protection Act (1998)’, but after the 25th, you must include ‘GDPR’.
Tip: If you are writing your policy before the 25th May and want to get your data lists sorted now, make sure that after Data Protection Act 1998, you include words such as ‘and any other current data protection legislation’, future proofing your policy.
Privacy policy done, now to email your list contacts
You cannot add a contact to a Mailchimp list without clicking that ‘subscribe’ option so it is assumed that they are already opted in. However, if you are in the habit of collecting business cards and adding them after a networking event you will need to ensure they are indeed happy to receive your emails. To do this you will essentially unsubscribe all your list contacts and then email them all from outside Mailchimp, requesting they re-subscribe, back into Mailchimp. And here’s how it’s done…
Tip: A quick job you can do first, is go to your list settings and tick the box to enable a double opt in confirmation email.
Go to your list
Select settings – List name and defaults.
You will see the box under ‘Form Settings’, just have a quick look over the rest to make sure you are happy with it all, then begin the form building as below…
Export contacts before unsubscribing them
Export all the contacts from your chosen list, save it and keep the file open, you will be referring back to it.
Click on the name of the list you want to work with, then simply click ‘export list’. Your list will be emailed to you (or the main email address used in setting up your Mailchimp account)
2. Click the ‘Download List Data’ button in the email and extract the zipped file. In your downloads folder on your PC you are looking for ‘Subscribed members export’, although you may also have cleaned and unsubscribed lists too.
Unsubscribe ALL contacts. This bit is scary, but you have an Excel export of everyone, so worry not. Besides, you want to do right by GDPR.
Click back on the number next to the list name, to return you to the list details
Click ‘Manage Contacts’ and ‘Unsubscribe Addresses’
Copy and paste all the email addresses from your exported file, into the box
Click unsubscribe and wave goodbye!
The list is still in existence, just populated now with unsubscribed contacts. What you now need to do is create a Mailchimp signup form and email them all, from outside Mailchimp, requesting that they opt in to receive your emails.
Create a Mailchimp signup form
This form can be used on a Facebook button, or embedded to your website for customers to fill in. By filling in the Mailchimp signup form your contacts will automatically be added to that list.
Click on ‘Signup Forms’
Choose ‘Embedded forms’ to supply your website guys with code to include in your website. Or, choose ‘Form Builder’ to get a URL link for adding to Facebook, or emails.
Once you have settled on the message you want your customers to see, and the fields you want them to complete, you can copy and paste the URL to use wherever you need it. Keep it as simple as you can, the less work they have to do, the more chance they will do it!
Don’t look for a ‘save’ or ‘next’ button, there isn’t one, you have created what you need to go back to your email campaign or Facebook page with.
Tip: If you click one of the social links to the right, you can create a post in social media, that links to your form. Beware though, that the title of your list will appear in the post…
Email your contacts to opt in to future updates
Create an email from your usual Outlook or Google mail, using mail merge, or copy all the email addresses from your exported list into the BCC field of a new email.
Tip: Using mail merge allows you to use their name on the email, otherwise you will need a generic greeting such as ‘Dear Friend’ or ‘Hi there’.
Craft an email all about GDPR and how you are working towards complying with the new regulations. Include a statement that you are inviting them to re-opt in to your email list and by clicking the link they are giving consent to you as per your privacy policy. Include a link to your website’s privacy policy as well.
Tip: You may want to create an image for the link attachment to your form, so it looks prettier than a plain link in the text.
When they click the link, they will be asked to complete the form you created earlier. Anyone who clicks and completes the form will appear on the original list as subscribed. Hey presto! Your new, GDPR compliant list is building…
Bear in mind, if you do not export and unsubscribe contacts, rather attempt to email a form direct from the existing list, you generate an error message saying they are already subscribed and asking if they would like to update their subscription preferences. Whilst this is valid, it is possible to annoy your contacts, it looks unprofessional and does not create that important digital trail of opt-in compliance you are doing this whole thing for in the first place!
Struggling?
Push Start Marketing writes Social Media 121 blogs to help guide you through the steps to get a job done. We want you to be able to do it for yourself, but equally don’t want you to struggle alone. If you are stuck on any of these steps, please email hilary@psmkt.co.uk with your questions, perhaps your own 121 session could help.