Mailchimp Marketing FAQs

What is Mailchimp Marketing?

Mailchimp Marketing will be replacing your Set & Forget Marketing (gCast). Mailchimp Marketing is here to give you more power from your campaigns, in a best-of-breed email marketing solution that’s integrated with Shortcuts. Experience beautiful templates, a mobile app, social features and more!

Do I have to make the change?

Yes. We will be switching off Set & Forget Marketing (gCast) on 12 July 2019. But don’t worry, we’re here to support you and step you through your options!

What if I don’t make the swap?

It is very important that you move to Mailchimp if you would like to keep using email marketing as gCast will be turned off after 12 July 2019. This means you will lose any campaigns in your gCast account and you will not be able to send any marketing emails or SMS, even recurring campaigns. This will not affect your SMS appointment confirmations.

Can I still send SMS marketing?

It is very important that you move to Mailchimp if you would like to keep using email marketing as gCast will be turned off after 12 July 2019. This means any active campaigns in gCast will cease to send, and you will not be able to create or send any new marketing emails or SMS, even recurring campaigns. This will not affect your SMS appointment confirmations.

Why is this change happening?

This change came about after listening to your feedback, where you asked for a more modern and seamless email marketing tool. We are always striving to provide our valued customers with the latest technologies and innovations. We believe that Mailchimp, combined with the new automated SMS feature, is the best option for your marketing moving forward.

Does it cost anything?

Mailchimp Marketing is included in your Shortcuts package. If you have fewer than 2,000 email addresses in your database, Mailchimp Marketing is completely free. Unlike Set & Forget Marketing (gCast), you may experience some additional costs with using Mailchimp Marketing if you have an email database of more than 2,001 email addresses. If you have more than 2,001 email addresses in your database, please refer to Mailchimp’s website for pricing options.

How many emails can I send per month?

If you have a database of 2,000 or fewer email addresses, you can sent up to 12,000 emails per month. This includes your ongoing campaigns. If you would like to send more emails than this, please refer to the Mailchimp website as there may be costs involved.

If you have a database 2,001 email addresses or over, you can send an unlimited amount of emails per month.

I already have Set & Forget Marketing – how is Mailchimp Marketing different?

It’s different in quite a few ways! Firstly, Mailchimp is the leading email marketing solution used by businesses of all types and sizes across the globe. It comes with a bunch of additional features such as a mobile app, Facebook and Instagram social media features, and direct mail. It also has an amazing user experience including an easy-to-use drag ‘n’ drop editor.

So how does it work?

We’d love to show you! Check out these helpful resources.

How do I get started?

It’s easy! Check your inbox for an email from Shortcuts with a unique link to get started with Mailchimp. Click this link then follow the instructions on the web page. You will be given the choice to have us set up your Mailchimp Marketing for you, or you can choose to do it yourself. We have a team standing by ready to get your campaigns set up at no cost to you.

Why do I have to connect Shortcuts to my Mailchimp account?

You will need to connect Shortcuts to your Mailchimp account so you can market to your Shortcuts client database. This is particularly important for any recurring campaigns you have set up, such as Happy Birthday offers. By integrating the two systems, you will be able to ensure that your marketing campaigns are as effective as possible.

Can I still use Targeted Marketing with Mailchimp?

No, not at this stage. However, the technical team are working around the clock to build a more flexible solution which we expect to have available for you in the next couple of months.

Where can I get new Mailchimp templates?

Right here! Aren’t they gorgeous?

I have more than just campaigns in my gCast account, such as photos and old campaign statistics. Will this move to Mailchimp too?

No, only your email marketing campaigns will be moving from gCast to Mailchimp. If you have anything else in gCast that you’d like to keep, such as photos or other marketing materials, we recommend you save these in another safe place so you don’t lose them when gCast is switched off. If you’d like to keep marketing statistics from past campaigns, we recommend you take the time to screenshot the statistics dashboard and copy any reports you may require in future.

Will all of my clients be uploaded to Mailchimp?

To make your transition to Mailchimp easier, we are uploading the clients who have opted in for marketing and had at least one visit in the last three years.

I have multiple sites – will Mailchimp Marketing work for me?

Mailchimp Marketing will work perfectly for you if you manage each of your sites separately centrally for email marketing communications. Client data from each site is synced to a single company Mailchimp account. The client record will have a flag indicating the site which will allow you to segment the list for individual site campaigns as required. If you would like to discuss your options regarding multiple sites, please call us on 0161 972 4900.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0161 972 4900.