Here’s the truth: Most people are running their Mailchimp like it’s a side project. Something you set up once and then occasionally poke when you remember it exists. And the results? About as impressive as a flat soufflé.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t need to be a marketing genius or spend hours obsessing over your open rates. You just need to follow the 12 Chimp Commandments. Think of them as your GPS through the chaos—clear, practical, and slightly obsessed with relevance (as all good email should be).
Let’s dive in.
FOUNDATION FIRST – Know Why You’re Emailing
1. Purpose First, Always
If you don’t know why you’re emailing, your reader sure won’t know why they should care. Every email needs a reason to exist: traffic, trust, leads, sales. Pick one. Stick to it. Build your message around it.
💡 Bonus Tip: Start every campaign with this question: What action do I want the reader to take?
Client Example: One client thought their welcome email was simply a nice touch. We helped them reframe it to push toward booking a discovery call. Result? Bookings tripled.
2. Know Your Chimp
Mailchimp is powerful, but it’s not a mind reader. You need to understand how Audiences, Tags, Groups, and Journeys work. This is the engine of your email machine—if you’re guessing, you’re grinding the gears.
💡 Know your tags from your groups. Groups are for your audience to choose; tags are for you to track.
Pitfall to Avoid: Using multiple audiences instead of one consolidated one. That move alone could be costing you money and wrecking your ability to segment properly.
RELEVANCE RULES – Speak to the Right People
3. Know Who You’re Talking To
You can’t be relevant if you’re sending the same email to everyone. Segmentation is how you speak to one person at a time—at scale. Use it.
💡 Segmentation = Relevance = Results. Always.
Real Talk: If you send the same offer to long-time clients and brand-new leads, you’re basically shouting into a crowded room and hoping someone turns around.
4. Plan the Emails First. Then Structure the Data.
This is where most people get it backwards. Figure out your journey and messaging first, then build the tags and triggers to support it. Not the other way around.
Analogy Time: Don’t build the sat nav before you know where you’re going. Plan the trip. Then build the route.
Client Story: We helped a coach map out a 5-email journey for a webinar sign-up. Once we had the messages nailed, structuring the data (fields, triggers, delays) was a breeze.
GROWTH MODE – Keep the List Alive
5. A Chimp That Doesn’t Grow, Shrinks
People unsubscribe. Emails bounce. Your list naturally decays. If you’re not growing it, you’re losing it. List growth isn’t optional.
Common Mistake: Only collecting emails on your homepage. You need sign-up opportunities everywhere: footer, blog, checkout, popups.
Framework Plug: This is where Forms + Traffic = Growth comes in. If you don’t have a form and aren’t driving traffic to it, your list won’t grow. Simple math.
6. Track Every Entry Point
You need to know how someone got on your list. Which form? What page? Which campaign? Tag them. Track them. Don’t guess.
Bonus Tip: Use specific tags for each form (e.g., “EP: Download – Email Cheatsheet” or “EP: Popup – Exit Intent”). That way, you can tailor follow-ups and see which forms actually work.
STAY VISIBLE – Show Up Consistently
7. Be Consistent, or Be Forgotten
Email is a long game. Show up regularly, or your audience will forget you exist. Automations help here—big time.
💡 Set a frequency you can stick with. Then stick with it. Even if it’s once a month, be dependable.
True Story: A small online retailer saw open rates drop because they hadn’t emailed their list in 5 months. We built a re-engagement campaign and set up monthly promos. Two months later, they were back in the inbox game.
8. Welcome is Not Optional
The most opened email you’ll ever send is your welcome. It’s your first impression—make it count. Show them who you are, what to expect, and why they should stick around.
Checklist:
- Deliver the freebie if they opted in for one
- Tell them what’s coming next (and how often)
- Add personality
- Give them a reason to take action now
💡 Pro Tip: Add a PS that links to your best blog or most popular offer. Give them somewhere to go next.
OPTIMISE EVERYTHING – Be a DORC
9. Every Email Must Work: DORC It
Deliverability, Openability, Readability, Clickability. Nail all four or the whole thing falls apart. One weak link? Say goodbye to results.
DORC Breakdown:
- Deliverability: Are your emails even making it to inboxes? (Authenticated domain? Clean list?)
- Openability: Is your subject line pulling its weight?
- Readability: Short paragraphs. Clear hierarchy. Scannable structure.
- Clickability: Clear CTA. Big buttons. Obvious next steps.
Test It: If you opened your last email on your phone right now, would you:
- Know what it’s about?
- Know what to do next?
- Actually care?
10. Message First. Design Second
Pretty emails don’t save poor copy. Focus on your message, your call-to-action, and your value. Then make it look good.
EVOLVE AND IMPROVE – Don’t Fly Blind
11. Learn, Then Test
Data is your feedback loop. Don’t just look at the numbers—interpret them. See what’s working. Test what isn’t. And get better with every send.
💡 AB test subject lines, send times, CTAs, and layouts. Just one variable at a time.
What to Track:
- Open rates (signal subject line strength)
- Click rates (signal value + clarity)
- Unsubs (signal relevance)
- Revenue per email (if eCommerce)
12. Ask for Help—You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
There’s no prize for struggling solo. Not sure if your system’s working? Take the quiz. Book a check-up. Get a second pair of eyes. (We’re pretty good at it.)
Want to know what you’re missing?
Your Email System Needs a Strategy. Not a Wing and a Prayer.
These 12 commandments aren’t just a checklist. They’re your system. Your strategy. Your route to better results.
The inbox doesn’t reward randomness. It rewards relevance, consistency, and smart systems.
Follow these commandments, and you’ll have all three. And if you need a co-pilot along the way, you know where to find us.
👉 Rate My Chimp
👉 Mailchimp Health Check
Reboot your email engine. You’ll be glad you did.
