All MailChimp users recently received a message from the company (“Exciting updates coming to your Mailchimp account”). Despite the almost total lack of details, it is clear that the company has adopted new commercial policies. Let’s see why these choices move MailChimp away from users focused on email marketing.
1 – “Contacts” Become an “Audience”
MailChimp customers used to be able to differentiate between “active” contacts and others. Now, both unsubscribed and unconfirmed email addresses count towards a plan’s threshold. Unlike other platforms, like Emailchef (which includes a blacklist to “store” problematic email addresses), MailChimp needs you to remain under the limit or change your plan.
2 – No More Unlimited Mailing
All plans (except for the Premium package) are now hit with a very small number of lists and administrators. With Emailchef, mailings are unlimited in all plans, and you can always create at least five lists.
3 – The Free Plan Loses Its Functions
The Free plan no longer grants access to the template gallery, lets you create your own HTML, automate your email or perform A/B tests. You can only create one list for up to 2,000 contacts and send no more than 10,000 emails per month. The Free plan is now something like a tool for individuals or micro-enterprises. If 10,000 emails feels like a lot, consider the limitation of having to keep all of those contacts in a single list.
4 – The Pay As You Go Credit System Has Packed Up and Gone
Pay As You Go was useful for people who needed to send occasional communications. Not only has it disappeared from the Pricing page, but it has also lost most of the advanced features. All credits stored by users have to be consumed within twelve months of purchase even though they were sold with no expiration date. With Emailchef, if you have particular sending needs, you can always talk to our staff.
5 – General Price Rises
MailChimp suggests that the price increase comes in exchange for an expansion of other services, even though they are not part of email marketing. If your ambition is to have a new CRM to manage every moment of your relationship with your customers, the developments that MailChimp has announced so far might be interesting. But how many companies are willing to pay for a multitude of tools (including postcards, landing pages, and advertising management), when they just want an efficient email marketing system?
6 – Customers of Paid Plans Left Hanging
While Free MailChimp users know their destiny, the customers of the other plans have not yet been told if or when they will have to to adopt new packages. MailChimp has offered little information to its customers in the face of such a sudden change. Confidence in the company, which wanted to prove that it can change the rules at will, has been shaken.
7 – MailChimp Is Still Far From Its Customers
MailChimp’s customer care remains as poor as ever, especially for users outside the United States who are forced to use English. It is still impossible to interact with developers to solve issues. There is no reason to hope that, as MailChimp changes into a 360° web marketing operator, this aspect of the business will improve.
