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When using Mailchimp for email marketing, understanding the difference between an email contact and a subscriber is crucial. Marketers often assume these terms are interchangeable, but Mailchimp treats them as distinct categories, each with different implications for campaigns and list management.
What Is a Mailchimp Email Contact?
A Mailchimp email contact refers to anyone who exists in your audience database, whether they are actively engaged with your emails or not. Contacts can be categorized as:
- Subscribed: These contacts have opted in to receive emails from you.
- Unsubscribed: These contacts were previously subscribed but chose to opt out.
- Non-subscribed: These are contacts collected via integrations or manual imports but have not opted in.
- Cleaned: These email addresses were removed due to delivery issues, such as invalid or bounced addresses.
In Mailchimp, all contacts count toward your audience total, but only subscribed contacts can receive marketing emails.
What Is a Subscriber?
A Mailchimp subscriber is a specific type of contact—one that has given explicit permission to receive marketing emails from you. These are your engaged audience members who have signed up via your website form, a pop-up, or a landing page.
Subscribers are the core of your email campaigns because they represent people who actively want to hear from you. Sending emails to subscribers ensures compliance with email marketing laws such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
Key Differences Between Contacts and Subscribers
While both terms relate to your Mailchimp audience, they have important differences:
| Feature | Contacts | Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | All email addresses in your Mailchimp audience | Contacts who have opted into receiving marketing emails |
| Who they include | Subscribed, unsubscribed, non-subscribed, and cleaned contacts | Only subscribed contacts |
| Can they receive marketing emails? | No (unless they are a subscriber) | Yes |
| Impact on billing | All contacts count toward plan limits | Only subscribed contacts are valuable for campaigns |
Why Does This Distinction Matter?
Understanding this difference is essential because it affects:
- Billing: Mailchimp charges based on the total number of contacts, not just subscribers. Keeping your audience clean prevents unnecessary costs.
- Campaign Performance: Sending emails to only engaged subscribers boosts open rates, click rates, and conversions.
- Email Deliverability: Sending emails to unengaged contacts can harm your sender reputation and lead to emails being marked as spam.
- Legal Compliance: Email marketing regulations require explicit consent before sending marketing emails.
How to Manage Your Contacts Effectively
To optimize your email list, consider these best practices:
Regularly Clean Your List
Remove or archive unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts to avoid paying for inactive users. Mailchimp provides automated list-cleaning tools to help with this.
Encourage Proper Opt-In
Use a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive marketing emails. This reduces spam complaints and improves email quality.
Segment Your Audience
Mailchimp allows you to create segments based on engagement levels, purchase history, and other factors. Targeting only engaged subscribers improves email relevance.
Monitor Email Metrics
Keep an eye on open rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribe rates. High unsubscribe or bounce rates could indicate list mismanagement.
Conclusion
Understanding the distinction between contacts and subscribers in Mailchimp helps you optimize your email marketing efforts. While all contacts are stored in your database, only subscribers receive your email campaigns. Regularly managing and cleaning your list ensures better engagement, cost savings, and legal compliance.
By taking the time to manage your email list properly, you can boost your deliverability rates, improve engagement, and ultimately drive more success in your email marketing campaigns.
