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Setting Up Mailchimp for Pico

  • Updated

Connecting Mailchimp to Pico

When you connect Mailchimp to Pico, a new Mailchimp list gets created called "Pico." This is where all Pico CRM data syncs, regardless of readers you have on other lists.

We strongly recommend you use Pico as your master list. This means you should import all other email lists into the Pico list. Using one master list:

  • allows Pico to update those readers who create accounts via Pico (allowing you to keep their preferences up to date)

  • gives you one place to send all email campaigns, even if that campaign has no Pico-validated readers

  • prevents duplicate correspondence

When Pico syncs with the Pico list, columns are only added or updated, not subtracted. This applies to records that you have imported into the Pico list from a non-Pico source as well. If such a non-Pico reader registers on your site with Pico, Pico will match records so as not to create a duplicate record.

For example, here is your Pico list after you've merged a preexisting list of two readers into the Pico list, which has no readers to start:

Now sync your lists. User A has not registered on your site via Pico, but User B has. User C is a new user who also registered via Pico.

1. Preparing to merge

We recommend exporting/backing up any existing list you have to keep its contents safe in case something happens during the merge.

You should also try to clean up your existing merge fields as best as you can to match Pico's (e.g., splitting a 'full name' field into separate first and last name fields).

For an updated list of Pico's merge fields, please click here.

For instructions on splitting text in a column into multiple columns, click here.

2. Merging lists into a master list

Rather than use Mailchimp's tools to merge existing lists, we recommend exporting all the lists that you want to import, cleaning them up in Excel or another spreadsheet editor, and then adding them directly to the Pico master list. This way, any mistakes are completely reversible. Mailchimp has extensive instructions on this process here.

Before you start sending emails from your Pico list in Mailchimp

Update your default Mailchimp footer as described here: https://help.trypico.com/en/articles/5128897-essential-changes-to-your-mailchimp-template-footer-content-using-pico

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