Marketing Tool Review: Mail Chimp
I have been meaning to start a newsletter for my studio, because it’s a great way to stay connected and give information. Also- it makes you look extra professional. I sampled a few programs, including some paid ones, but I ended up going with Mail Chimp. Mail Chimp is free if you send less than 1,000 emails a month, so that’s a great bonus. I have to say I found Mail Chimp extremely easy to use. For my own email campaigns, it’s important to be able to send video. (I like to send music videos to my students for inspiration.) I wish Mail Chimp would allow me to send a directly embedded video in the actual newsletter, but I have not found any newsletter template program than can do that. Instead, you can add a photo and simply direct it to an outside link, like youtube or vimeo.
The templates are basic, and it’s easy to use your own creativity. Personally, I don’t like to follow a template exactly as it is. I want it to look original and unique, as if I hired a designer to make it. Mail Chimp lets me do that. This program also tells me who has opened the emails. There is a very clear page of statistics that tells me who has opened the email and who has clicked on the links inside the emails. Very useful information.
Overall, I recommend Mail Chimp. The emails look clean and professional, much more so than a normal email program. You don’t have to use it for newsletters like I am, you can also use it for making email flyers to promote an event. You can’t beat the price either. 🙂