How to Integrate Mailchimp With Salesforce: Steps, Benefits, and Best Practices

In today’s data-driven marketing landscape, almost 81% of companies incorporate emails into their marketing strategy (Forbes Advisor) . This is why it becomes necessary to have a suitable email marketing platform that efficiently captures relevant leads and keeps your customer relationships intact. This is where the integration of Mailchimp and Salesforce shines. 

Mailchimp stands out as an industry-leading email marketing platform, equipped with powerful tools that help in creating captivating and engaging campaigns. On the other hand, Salesforce is one of the world’s leading CRM platforms that provides a holistic view of customers. Thus, by combining these two powerful platforms, businesses, marketers, and sales reps can achieve a much higher level of marketing efficiency and ultimately drive more revenue.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the steps involved in integrating Mailchimp with Salesforce, along with its benefits and best practices that can help you maximize your return on investment. Let us begin by understanding what Mailchimp Salesforce integration is in the first place.

Some Key Features of Mailchimp Salesforce Integration

The integration between Mailchimp and Salesforce is regarded as one of the finest integrations as this collaboration ensures that the users are efficiently able to connect their email marketing practices with their CRM systems. Understand that integrating both platforms starts by initiating a connection between them ensuring that the data flows bi-directionally. Let us look at some of the MailChimp and Salesforce integration features for a clearer understanding.

• Syncing Contacts: The contacts get synced between the two platforms automatically because of the integration, ensuring that the consistency and synchronization of data remains the same across the platforms.
• Lead Creation and Nurturing: The integration fosters the creation of new leads in the Salesforce ecosystem based on the relevant information from Mailchimp’s subscriber base.
• Keeping Track: The users can conveniently track the performance of their live email campaigns by using the capabilities of Salesforce’s advanced analytic tools and gain crucial customer insights.
• Segmentation of Target Audience: Audience segmentation can also be easily done with the help of this integration. The users can easily classify their audiences based on their lead score/status, previous purchase records, and general demographic information (gender, age, etc.)

Benefits of Integrating Mailchimp with Salesforce

• Improved Lead Management:

The system allows for easy streamlining of lead qualification and assignment processes through automatic data synchronization between the two platforms. This results in a clear understanding of potential leads for designated users, such as sales representatives. Additionally, it can enhance the customer segmentation process, enabling personalized and detailed messages to be delivered to potential customers.

• Increased Overall Efficiency:

This integration can also be useful in improving the overall efficiency of the user by providing adequate real-time updates and centralized accessibility of customer interactions. 

• Better Sales and Marketing Alignment: 

The integration will boost the collaboration between sales and marketing teams as they’ll have access to sharing insights and data. Improve lead scoring and handoff processes.

• Deeper Customer Insights:

The users can combine Mailchimp’s email analytics with Salesforce’s CRM data for a comprehensive view of customer behavior. Moreover, they can also keep up with the latest trends and opportunities.

Preparing for Integration: Choosing the right integration method

There are two ways for integrating the email marketing platform with Salesforce.

1. MailChimp Integration with AppExchange:

To begin with, the Salesforce integration with Mailchimp can be done through AppExchange. To set up the AppExchange integration, one has to install the specified Mailchimp plugin from AppExchange. This integration is often regarded as one of the most preferred integration methods that allows users to create and run successful email campaigns with the help of synchronized Salesforce leads and contacts.

2. Third-Party Integrations

Next, is using a third-party integration app’s service if the preferred method of integration is not going through a native AppExchange integration. These third-party integration services may offer greater flexibility and customization options compared to the native AppExchange integration. However, one should consider following a proper Salesforce integration guide that meets their security and compliance requirements.

Some of the prominent third-party integration services that connect MailChimp with Salesforce.

• Zapier: One of the most popular automation tools that allows you to integrate multiple online services. Zapier offers a range of MailChimp to Salesforce integrations.
• Automate.io: A tool similar to Zapier that offers a range of integrations between Salesforce and MailChimp.
• Workato: Another integration service that connects MailChimp with Salesforce. 
• Segment: A customer data platform that integrates with both MailChimp and Salesforce.

Steps for Mailchimp and Salesforce Integration

The Pre-Requisites: 

To integrate Mailchimp with Salesforce the user would require a Professional, Enterprise, or Performance-level edition of Salesforce. This eventually implies that the user cannot integrate Mailchimp with Salesforce with a lower level of Salesforce edition.

Step 1: Install the Mailchimp for Salesforce Integration

• Go to the Salesforce AppExchange main page and search for the “Mailchimp for Salesforce” plugin.
• Then click “Get it now” to install the integration
• Post that, follow the prompts to install the package easily.

Step 2: Connect Your Mailchimp Account

• Go to the Mailchimp for Salesforce setup page in your Salesforce org
• There find the “Connect to Mailchimp” tab and click on it
• Enter your Mailchimp login credentials to authenticate the connection
• Grant permission for the integration to access your Mailchimp account

Step 3: Configure Your Sync Settings

• Then carefully choose the Mailchimp audience you want to sync with Salesforce
• Select the Salesforce objects you want to sync with Mailchimp (e.g. Contacts, Leads, Accounts)
• After that select the direction of the sync (e.g. one-way or two-way)

Step 4: Map Your Fields

• Map your Mailchimp fields to corresponding Salesforce fields
• Select which fields you want to sync between the two platforms

Step 5: Enable Permission Sets

Further, if the users want both platforms to work in coordination and proper synchronization they will have to set a few permissions and assignments timely. The set of permissions allows the users to see and keep track of their Mailchimp data within Salesforce, moreover, the admins also can have a look at the data and specifically use the Query Builder feature of Salesforce to build queries in the platform.

Pro Tip: Try to get both the User and Admin permissions.

You can follow the following steps to edit the permissions and set assignments:

• Get started by logging into your Salesforce account
• Then find the ‘Manage Users’ under the Administer tab and click it
• Select the user you wish to edit
• After that go to the Permission Set Assignments, upon clicking you’ll see a pop-up option appear there, from there click on the ‘Edit Assignments’
• The users can use the “Add” arrow button to add “Mailchimp User” and “Mailchimp Admin” to the “Enabled Permission Sets,” and then click on the “Save” button.
• Finally, the user just has to repeat these steps as per their organization’s users who will be required to access the features of the integration.

Step 6: Set Up Your Sync Schedule and Settings

• Select the frequency at which you’d like the integration to synchronize data between Mailchimp and Salesforce.
• Select the time of day and frequency of the sync (e.g. daily, weekly)

Step 7: Start the Sync Process

• Click “Save” to save your configuration
• Click “Start Sync” to begin the initial data sync between Mailchimp and Salesforce

Step 8: Keenly Monitor Your Sync

• Go to the Mailchimp Salesforce dashboard to monitor the sync status
• Check for any errors or warnings that may pop up during the sync process

That’s it! Once you’ve completed these steps, your Mailchimp and Salesforce accounts will be integrated, and you’ll be able to start taking the benefits of syncing your data between the two platforms.

Best Practices for Optimal Integration

These are some of the best practices that can ensure that the integration between the platforms is optimal.

Data Hygiene and Maintenance

One of the first things to consider while integrating is data accuracy and consistency between Mailchimp and Salesforce. To keep things organized, it’s important to regularly clean up and update your contact list. This means getting rid of any duplicate entries and making sure all the information is in a consistent format. Furthermore, the user can also utilize data validation rules and specified cleansing and monitoring tools to maintain data quality to its best.

Regularize Synchronization Schedules

The next crucial step is to build a consistent synchronization schedule between the two platforms to significantly maintain data alignment. To ensure consistency the user can determine a suitable frequency based on data volume and business needs, such as (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly basis).

Testing and Troubleshooting

Then comes the part of thoroughly testing the integration. This becomes an important and strategic move as it helps to identify and resolve all the minor or major issues before full deployment.  For this, the integrators can develop test data sets and testing environments to simulate real-world scenarios. Along with that, they can also note down the troubleshooting procedures for reference in the future. 

Monitoring and Optimization

Continuously monitoring the integration’s performance makes it easier to identify areas for improvement, and optimize processes. Here is a simple way to ace the monitoring and optimization aspect, track all the key metrics such as data transfer speed, error rates, and data accuracy thoroughly as and when needed. Plus, also alter any specifications or synchronization settings if required.

Security Considerations

Lastly, do not compromise on security rather always prioritize data security by implementing robust security measures. Try to protect sensitive customer information through encryption, and access controls (can provide restricted or selective access to authorized personnel), and conduct regular security checks/ audits.

Salesforce vs MailChimp

While Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers a native email marketing solution, many businesses find that Mailchimp’s user-friendly interface and cost-effective plans make it a compelling alternative. Let’s learn more about the two platforms in a brief;

Coming from the house of Salesforce, the Marketing Cloud is an exceptional marketing automation platform that equips users with a holistic insight into their customer journeys. The cloud is exclusively embedded with features like smart predictive analytics, an AI-driven personalization touch, and multi-channel campaign management. Furthermore, the Salesforce Marketing Cloud can be implemented conveniently and offers hassle-free integration capabilities as well. 

On the other hand, Mailchimp is a strong and centralized email marketing platform. It is renowned for being one of the most convenient platforms that helps lay a strong basis for email campaigns with its basic analytics and automation features.

Here are some of the key differences between the two platforms: 

End Note

By integrating Mailchimp and Salesforce, businesses can unlock significant potential for growth and efficiency. Marketers can refine targeting, automate campaigns, and measure ROI more effectively. Sales representatives gain access to qualified leads and can efficiently nurture relationships. Small businesses can streamline operations and maximize marketing efforts, while IT professionals can ensure data integrity and optimize system performance.

By following best practices for data management, synchronization, testing, monitoring, and security, organizations can fully harness the benefits of this powerful integration.

Remember, a well-integrated Mailchimp and Salesforce setup is an investment in streamlined operations, improved customer relationships, and ultimately, business success. For that, you can always hire salesforce integration services.