How To Import Contacts To Mailchimp

A simple process - but not if you don’t know how. Find out how with this MailChimp video tutorial.

Larry G. Maguire
Aug 24, 2017 · 7 min read

A Quick Note Before We Begin:

Importing contacts to your MailChimp list without their specific permission is not only poor business practice, professionally unethical and in violation of MailChimp’s Acceptable Use Policy, it also violates international privacy laws. So if these things are important to you then don’t it. Adding people to your list just to get numbers is marketing at it’s worst and completely counterproductive. If you’re even remotely interested in building an audience that supports your business then you’ll care about ethical marketing. If you don’t know how to do it, hire me to show you how to do it right.

How You Build Your MailChimp List Ethically

In short, all you need to do is subscribe to seolar or stay tuned for updates on YouTube and you’ll find out pretty much everything you need to know.

The Bad News

The bad news is that this process could take quite a while- 2 years is not an unusual amount of time to build your email list to a reasonable level whereby it supports you in your business.

The Good News

Play the long game, pursue quality, slow cooking so to speak, and your open rates on your email list will be high. 16% open rate on any list is pitiful and that or lower is what you can expect from adding people without their permission.

How To Import Contacts To Mailchimp

A couple of things before we start…

  1. The list I will be importing is a MailChimp list I downloaded earlier from MailChimp. Yours may be from an email list held with Infusionsoft or Aweber if you’ve decided to move house. As noted above, I discourage you to add contacts from Gmail or LinkedIn who have not previously voluntarily joined your list.
  2. The MailChimp account I am using is a free account I use for demo purposes.

Step 0

Firstly, log into your MailChimp account and click on lists

Fig. 0 Click on Lists

Step 1

If you are a first time user you’ll see the following message in fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Tumbleweed

Step 2

Time to create a list

Fig. 2 Create a list

Step 3

The following window will open inviting you to create a list. Add the details as shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 3 Enter list details

Step 4

On the same page, edit your contact information where necessary, confirm that your confirmation email is correct and check the relevant box to receive notifications when subscribers join your list.

Fig. 4 Enter list details

Step 5

When you’re happy click Save and you’ll be brought to the following screen inside your newly created list. Click on Import subscribers to add your contacts.

Fig. 5 Import subscribers

Step 6

Next, click on Add contacts, then Import contacts.

Fig. 6 Import contacts

Step 7

On the next screen you’ll be asked where you would like to import from. Choose CSV file. Hit next.

Fig. 7 CSV file

Step 8

Although this next bit is not essential, for beginners I recommend you follow it. We’re going to leave the MailChimp window open and go to the Excel or Google CSV file that you intend to import.

Fig. 8 Open the CSV file

Step 9

When you are happy with the changes click file, Download as, .csv current sheet to download to your computer.

Fig. 9 Download the CSV file

Step 10

Now, go back to Mailchimp. The following window will be open from step #7 above. Now you’re ready to upload the CSV file.

Fig. 10 Browse and import

Step 11

When you’ve located your CSV file, clcik Next

Fig. 11 CSV added

Step 12

In the next screen you see that MailChimp has seen and recognises the three columns from your CSV file; Email Address, First Name, Last Name. This is what you want.

Fig. 12 All columns matched

Step 13

Next, you’ll need to choose how to categorise your contacts. Choose “Subscribed”

Fig. 13 Choose subscribed

Step 14

Hit Import

Fig. 14 Import

Step 15

Happy days! Your list of contacts are now successfully imported to your MailChimp list.

Fig. 15 Success!

Congratulations!

Congratulations you’ve successfully added your contacts to your email list. I know I said it a few times in this post but I want to stress again…


About The Author

Hi I’m Larry, creator of seolar.com. I publish weekly FREE marketing tutorials that help you build your audience and grow your business online. Get on board here for weekly updates

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Larry G. Maguire

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Freelance writer on Psychology of Creativity, Human Performance & Behaviour | Examining Happiness & Work | Slight Perfectionist | larrygmaguire.com/subscribe

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