Pros and cons of Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email marketing platform that has been around since 2001. Over the years, it has evolved into a robust marketing platform, offering more than just email marketing. But the more features they add, the more cons stop cropping up as well.

One of the biggest advantages of Mailchimp is its ease of use. The platform offers a simple and relatively intuitive interface, which makes it easy for less tech-savvy people to create and send effective marketing emails. The email builder is drag-and-drop, allowing users to easily add and arrange text, images, and other content in their emails.

Mailchimp is a popular option for businesses looking to get started with email marketing, as it offers several benefits such as its user-friendly interface, affordability, and basic CRM features. Nevertheless, as we’ll dive into here, it’s essential to consider the downsides of the platform before making it your go-to marketing tool.

Advantages of Mailchimp

Here are just a few of the many benefits of using Mailchimp for your email marketing needs—and possibly more:

Easy to use

One of the most significant advantages of Mailchimp is its ease of use. The platform has a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to create and send email campaigns. The drag-and-drop email builder is particularly  user-friendly, allowing even those with no coding experience to design professional-looking emails. And the reporting is fairly straightforward and easy to understand, especially when compared with much more complex alternatives.

Affordable pricing, including a free plan

Mailchimp’s pricing plans are designed to fit a range of budgets, including a free plan. This can be a great option for small businesses or individuals who are just getting started with email marketing and want to test the waters.

Mailchimp’s paid plans currently start at $13 per month and offer additional features such as automation workflows, A/B testing, and reporting. The pricing is mostly based on the number of subscribers, so users can easily upgrade or downgrade their plan as their email list grows or shrinks.

Can be used as a basic CRM

Mailchimp’s basic CRM capabilities allow users to manage their contacts and track their interactions with them. This includes basic contact information such as name and email address.

While Mailchimp’s CRM capabilities are not as robust as other dedicated CRM platforms like HubSpot, they can still be useful for small businesses or individuals who want to manage their contacts in one place.

Additional capabilities

While Mailchimp has added additional features beyond email marketing over time, their core email marketing capabilities remain the strongest aspect of the platform. That being said, they have expanded their offerings to include social media scheduling and website building. While these additional features are not quite as robust as some other companies that offer similar services,

Mailchimp’s website builder is particularly noteworthy. It allows users to create very simple websites without any coding experience by offering a range of templates and customization options. Users can also track website analytics and integrate with third-party tools such as Google Analytics.

Mailchimp offers a range of advantages, including ease of use, affordable pricing, basic CRM capabilities, and additional features such as website building. These benefits make it a popular choice for small businesses and individuals looking to get started with email marketing and other online marketing activities.

Downsides of Mailchimp 

Mailchimp may have a lot of pros, but there are also some cons that users should consider. Here are the main cons to using Mailchimp:

Free plan may not be sufficient

One of the biggest draws of Mailchimp is its free plan. This plan includes basic email marketing features and can be a great option for small businesses or individuals just starting out. However, the free plan may not be sufficient for everyone, as the features they offer with the plan have decreased greatly over the years.

Unsubscribed people are still counted as part of your overall contacts

Mailchimp counts unsubscribed people on your list as part of your overall contacts. This can be frustrating if you’re trying to keep track of your active subscribers or if you’re trying to stay within a certain contact limit. While this may make sense if you’re using Mailchimp as a CRM, it can be confusing if you’re primarily using it for email marketing.

Limited marketing automation

While Mailchimp does offer some automation features, they are relatively limited compared to other marketing automation platforms. For example, you can set up basic automation workflows, but you can’t create more complex workflows that incorporate multiple triggers and actions. This can be a drawback if you’re looking for more advanced automation capabilities.

Minimal CRM capabilities

Mailchimp can be used as a basic CRM, but its capabilities in this area are minimal compared to other dedicated CRM platforms. For example, Mailchimp doesn’t include features like lead scoring or pipeline management, which can be important for businesses that need to track their sales process.

Website builder is limited

While Mailchimp’s website builder is a noteworthy feature, it’s still relatively new and limited in its capabilities because it originated as part of their email-building system. Emails use HTML like websites, but they’re much more limited in the HTML you can use in them. As a result, the Mailchimp website builder is limited and t can be challenging to create a unique and robust website using it.

Additionally, Mailchimp’s website builder lacks the advanced functionality and integrations that other website builders like WordPress offer. Users may find themselves limited in terms of SEO optimization, mobile responsiveness, design, and overall website performance.

While Mailchimp is a great option for many users, it does have some limitations. If you’re looking for more advanced automation or CRM capabilities, you may want to consider other platforms. However, if you’re looking for a simple and affordable email marketing solution, Mailchimp can be a great choice.

Should you use Mailchimp? 

After considering the pros and cons of Mailchimp, you may still be wondering whether it’s the right email marketing platform for your business. Naturally, the answer will depend on your specific needs and goals.

For small businesses or individuals who are just starting with email marketing, Mailchimp can be an excellent choice. Its easy-to-use interface and affordable pricing make it an attractive option.

However, if your business requires advanced marketing automation or robust CRM capabilities, Mailchimp may not be the best fit. Other platforms—such as HubSpot—may better meet your needs.

Additionally, if you have a large email list or need to send high-volume emails, you may find Mailchimp’s pricing structure less cost-effective than other options. In this case, you may want to consider alternatives.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to use Mailchimp will depend on a variety of factors unique to your business or nonprofit, including your budget, marketing goals, and target audience.

Need Mailchimp help?

And there you have it, the pros and cons of Mailchimp. But if you’re still feeling a bit lost and need some guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We may not have all the answers to life’s mysteries, but we can likely help you with your Mailchimp needs. After all, we are official Mailchimp Experts!

Whether you’re struggling with setting up a campaign, need some tips on how to grow your email list, or just want some consulting on how to implement best practices, we’re here to help. So go ahead and give us a shout – we would be happy to talk and see if we can help.