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Marketing
- 1. Emailing functionality
- 2. Templates
- 3. Bulk contact
- 4. Scheduled emails page
- 5. Membership comms
- 6. Mailchimp
1. Emailing functionality
1.1. Default settings
By default, the emailing functionality of Rubi CRM has different settings.
This is in regards to whether or not the functionality will BCC the sender so that they too receive a copy of any emails sent.
The current default settings are:
| Emailing Functionality | BCC Sender | Reply To |
| Email Interactions | No | Sending Email Address |
| Bulk Contact | No | Email Specified or the Sending Email Address |
| Membership Comms | No | Sending Email Address |
| Scheduled Emails | No | Sending Email Address |
Reply To
- Sending Email Address - Relates to the email address that has sent the email. The user would reply to the email address to which the email has been sent from.
- Email Specified - Relates to the email address you have specified for the "ReplyTo".
If you wish to customise these areas please contact support@rubicrm.com.
2. Templates
2.1. Overview
Templates have a variety of uses within RubiCRM.
They can be used for:
- Default email covers for invoices, credits and receipts
- Templates for invoices, credits and receipts
- Scheduled event/training communications
- Scheduled membership/customer communications
- Confirmation templates for event/training course bookings
- One-off communications to members/customers
Please watch our video below detailing some of the basics of creating a new template.
2.2. Creating a template
Click here to view a short screen clip on creating a new template.
To create a new template, select the "Create New Template" option as shown below.
Once selected, enter the details for the new template and then click "SUBMIT".
Once selected, users can create the template and click "Save Template" in the top right-hand corner when ready.
2.3. Editing templates
To open an existing template, select the "Choose Existing" button as shown below and then locate your template from the list.
Locate your template and click the label to open. Active templates are indicated by the green tick icon.
Your template will open. You can edit the template Name, Folder and Type.
Templates can be created by adding static text along with RubiCRM "Merge" fields.
Merge fields allow your RubiCRM to merge information about selected Contacts with the actual values.
For example, the #ContactFirstName# merge field will replace a Contact First Name in the appropriate position.
Click the "Merge Field" button in the Editor to view available merge fields.
Click the item to add to the Editor at the cursor position.
Your RubiCRM can also generate Word or PDF documents. These documents can be saved to a client record or sent out via email.
Create your Word document with the correct text and RubiCRM "Merge" fields.
Use the "Upload File" button to upload a copy of the Word document to the correct template.
When generating an "Interaction" for a Contact, select your Contact. Any templates with an attached Word document will have "(Word)" in the label. Choose the appropriate file type to generate document for your contact.
Once generated you will receive a notification in the bottom right side of your window.
2.4. Activating/deactivating templates
Activating Templates
To activate an existing template, select the "Active" button as shown below so that it displays as a green tick. To deactivate an existing template, click the green tick again.
Deactivating Templates
To delete a template, select the bin icon next to the template you would like to delete.
To view a video on "Activating/Deactivating Template" here
2.5. Accounting templates
RubiCRM systems with accounting integration can utilise the Main Menu > Marketing > Templates area to generate an invoice (or credit note) PDF.
Your RubiCRM system will be pre-configured with an Invoice Template which you can amend to your own requirements.
Amendments to text elements, font, colours and logos can be actioned from the templates module. We would not recommend adding other merge fields to an invoice (or credit note) template as this may cause issues with the generating of the PDF. Similarly, the #InvoiceText# merge field will generate the "Line Items" table of individual items on the invoice.
Customisation of these line items may be available, please contact log a support request for more information.
Your invoice can be personalised by using the #InvoiceContact# merge field.
If your invoice has a Payment Type which contains the text "Direct Debit - " then a payment schedule may be automatically generated when adding a new invoice. This will be actioned based on:
- Direct Debit - Monthly
- Direct Debit - Quarterly
- Direct Debit - Annually
The Payment Schedule can be added to your template using the merge field #DDSchedule#.
Things to know
Did you know the merge field #InvoiceNotes# allows you to display invoice notes you've written against the invoice record?
2.6. Uploading Word document to a template
The Templates module allows you to upload a copy of a Microsoft Word document which can be used as a template.
This is for use when generating a merge document for mail, print or PDF purposes. Only Microsoft Word documents can be uploaded to a template. Your Word document can include images, styles and other Word functionality.
To generate we recommend adding the basic content to the HTML Editor in the templates module. Add the RubiCRM merge fields as required then copy/paste the content into your blank Word document. You can then amend your Word document as needed making sure to retain the RubiCRM merge fields.
When creating a new Interaction, any template with an associated Word document will show the text “(Word)” next to the template name.
Selecting one of these templates will then give you the option to generate a Word document (or PDF) or generate the Word document (or PDF) and save it to the client record.
2.7. Template attachments
Attachments should be added to a template as a Hyperlink to an online copy of the attachment.
If you do not have an online copy of the file/attachment you can upload it to your RubiCRM in Main Menu > Data Management > Library. Once uploaded, click on the file to obtain a URL to the online copy of the file. You can then use the URL to add a Link to your template where needed.
To view a video on "Template Attachments" click here.
2.8. Using MailChimp templates
Did you know that you can use email templates created in MailChimp in RubiCRM?
Want to know how watch our guidance video below.
3. Bulk contact
3.1. Overview
Bulk contact enables users to send individual, customised emails to multiple contacts.
Interactions can also be logged for each contact as part of the bulk contact process.
3.2. Creating a new bulk contact
Adding Contacts to Bulk Contact
Contacts can be added to the bulk contact tool by searching in the "To" field, pasting ContactGUIDS and loading saved reports.
The bulk contact requires the entry of the following fields:
To : Which contacts the bulk contact is to be sent to.
BCC : If you wish to BCC an internal staff member at your organisation to receive a copy of the emails sent through bulk contact.
Service(s) : What service (if any) the bulk contact relates to. Please note you can add new services by clicking the cog icon.
Outcome : What outcome the bulk contact relates to. Please note you can add new outcomes by clicking the cog icon.
Template : You can choose an existing template within the CRM to be used for the email body of the bulk contact.
Subject : The subject of the bulk contact.
Reply To : The email you want recipients of the email to ReplyTo. If left blank we will set the ReplyTo as the Email of the Sender.
Attachments : You can attach documents to the bulk contact as long as the document has been uploaded to Rubi in the Library.
Event : You can link the bulk contact to an event if the interaction relates to one.
Add Contacts Using "To" Field
Contacts can be added to the bulk contact tool by searching for the contact’s name within the "To" field.
Add Contacts Using Paste GUIDS
Contacts can be added to the bulk contact tool by pasting the ContactGUID for each contact within the "PASTE GUIDS" section.
ContactGUIDS can be obtained as an output column as part of a report. For more information about reports, please visit the related article.
To add contacts by pasting ContactGUIDS, select the "PASTE GUIDS" option in the top left-hand corner.
Once selected, paste the ContactGUIDS into the pop-out window and then select "APPLY".
Please ensure each ContactGUID is on a new line.
Add Contacts Using Saved Reports
Contacts within saved reports can be added to the bulk contact tool by using the Saved Report function.
Please note, that all saved reports must contain ContactGUID as an output column. To add contacts using a saved report, select the "SAVED REPORT" option, as shown below.
Once selected, locate the report you wish to use and select the name.
3.3. Sending bulk contacts
Sending Bulk Contact Emails
To send a bulk contact email, select the "SEND" button.
On submission, your bulk contact will be added to the queue for processing. The bulk contact queue runs relatively quickly following the submission and will generate individual emails to all "To" recipients.
When sending via the Rubi Outlook Plugin, your emails will be delivered to Drafts automatically when using the bulk contact tool for more than 10 emails, or if the emails were due to send more than 10 minutes ago.
Please note we do not advise sending high volumes of emails via the Rubi Outlook Plugin due to Outlook throttle limits.
Sending Bulk Contacts Using SMTP
You can send bulk contact emails using SMTP if you have set up an SMTP account against your Rubi User account. Please view the related article on how to set up an SMTP account.
Sending bulk contacts via SMTP is the more robust way to send our emails from RubiCRM. Emails sent using SMTP will be sent via our dedicated email service which is designed to handle high volumes of emails being sent.
Sending Bulk Contacts From Outlook Plugin
If you have chosen to send your emails via the Rubi Outlook Plugin please ensure you are logged into the Outlook Plugin on your desktop Outlook app.
If you choose the send type of "Plugin - Send" assuming you are logged into your Outlook Plugin the email will be sent straight away and can be viewed in your Outlook "Sent" folder.
If you choose one of the Plugin Draft send type options your emails will be added to your Outlook "Drafts" folder or the emails will be automatically opened on your screen.
This gives you the option to first view your emails before sending them. Once you are happy you can either send the emails individually or in one go. To send the emails in one go click the "Rubi CRM" tab in your Outlook to open the "Plugin Options" popup. From the popup select "Send Drafts".
For more information on the Rubi Outlook Plugin please review our related article.
Commonly Asked Questions
1. I picked to send my bulk contact using a Plugin send type but my emails are not in my Outlook. How do I bring them to my Outlook?
In this case please ensure you have logged into your Rubi Outlook Plugin using the email address you used to log into RubiCRM to create the bulk contact. Once logged in open the "Plugin Options" popup by clicking the "Rubi CRM" tab in Outlook. From the popup select "Reconnect" and then "Check Email Queue". You emails should now be pulled into Outlook.
3.4. Bulk contacting renewals
Bulk contacts can also be generated via the Main Menu > Membership > Renewals page.
Choose the applicable date renewal date range then use the checkboxes to select which records to bulk contact.
Additionally, a bulk contact can be generated via the Main Menu > Accounts Admin page for any Invoices/Credits that have been processed. This functionality can be useful for chasing unpaid invoices.
To use this functionality, select a date range for the Invoices/Credits then filter the results to show only items with an Accounts Status of "Invoiced" along with any other applicable filters.
You can then use the checkboxes to select Invoices/Credits you want to use as part of your bulk contact.
3.5. Logging interactions
To log an interaction for each contact as part of the bulk contact routine, enter the details for "Services" and "Outcome".
Users can also associate the interaction to a specific event by selecting the "Event" within the drop-down list.
4. Scheduled emails page
4.1. Overview
The "Scheduled Emails" module enables users to add, edit clone and remove scheduled emails for events and training courses.
Once selected, the scheduled emails page will display upcoming scheduled emails within a grid.
The data within the activity grid can be sorted, grouped, filtered, categorised and exported.
To view a video on "Scheduled Emails" click here.
More Information
RubiCRM provides default scheduled email templates. We provide the following templates with our guidance on how to best use them:
- In-Person Pre-Event Email : Send a day before the event date to users with an "Active" booking status.
- In-Person Post-Event Email : Send a day after the event date to users with an "Attended" booking status.
- Online Pre-Event Email : Send a day before the event date to users with an "Active" booking status.
- Online Post-Event Email : Send a day after the event date to users with an "Attended" booking status.
- Cancelled Email : Send a day after the event date to users with a "Cancelled" booking status.
- No Show Email : Send a day after the event date to users with a "No Show" booking status.
- Postponed Email : Send as soon as event has been cancelled or postponed to users with an "Active" booking status.
To make best use of the scheduled email functionality we advise clients to update booking statuses accurately following a register taken at the event to ensure the correct emails are sent to your clients.
4.2. Adding a scheduled email
To create a scheduled email for an event or training course, select the plus icon from the "Scheduled Emails" section.
Once selected, enter the details for the new scheduled email and then select "Submit".
It is recommended that users use a generic email account for scheduled emails such as "bookings@" or "events@".
You must have the generic email account listed within your Rubi User SMTP Accounts for the generic email to appear and be used.
For more information about SMTP Accounts please visit the related page.
After the submit button is selected, a popup window will appear with two options; Add New and Finish.
Add New
The "Add New" option will open a new window so you can log a new scheduled email.
Finish
The "Finish" option will close the window and direct you to the event/training record.
4.3. Editing a scheduled email
To edit a scheduled event, select the pencil icon next to the scheduled email you wish to edit.
Once selected, make the required changes and then close the window.
To view a video on "Editing Scheduled Emails" click here.
4.4. Removing a scheduled email
Scheduled emails can be removed by selecting the trash icon as shown below.
To view a video on "Removing Scheduled Emails" click here.
4.5. Cloning scheduled emails
Scheduled emails can be cloned by selecting the "Clone" option as shown below.
To view a video on "Cloning a Scheduled Emails" click here.
5. Membership comms
5.1. Overview
The "Membership Comms" module allows you to schedule communications with your members at specific points throughout the membership year. These emails are designed as touch-point emails to increase membership engagement but more importantly, save up some time for the membership team.
One email you may want to set up may be a welcome email to new members after one month of joining your organisation. This will help you stay in touch with your members and keep them engaged with your company.
The RubiCRM team have added default templates which you can clone and make use of. Please find these templates in the Main Menu > Marketing > Templates page under the folder "Rubi Default - Membership Comm Emails".
Our Guidance
We would advise creating membership comms with appropriate names (Comm Name). That way it will be easier for you and your team to know the purpose of each setup communication.
For example, using a naming convention of "MC - 1st Year - 1st Month". Staff will understand this communication to be for members in their first membership year and the communication to send in their first month of membership.
If support is required from the RubiCRM Support Team then our team will be able to identify the intent of the communication.
If you are looking to send a comm a couple of days after a member has newly joined or renewed you will want to select "Exact Anniversary Date" for "Send Date", set "Month of Membership" to "0" and "Day of Membership" to the number of days after you want the user who has joined/renewed to receive the comm.
5.2. Creating a membership comm
When creating a new membership comm you will be asked to complete the following:
- Comm Name : The name of communication for internal use.
- Comm Type : Currently the only option is SMTP however we will be introducing SMS in the future.
- Membership Year : Whether the communication should go to all members, only members in their first year of membership or members who are in a renewing year of membership.
- Membership Rep : If you wish to only send the communication to members with a selected staff member as their Membership Representative.
- Membership Status : The Membership Status the communication should go to.
- Membership Type : The Membership Type the communication should go to.
- Month of Membership : The communication will only be sent to members where they are in said month's membership of their membership year.
- Send Date : You can choose for the communication to send on the member's "Exact Anniversary Day" or a "Specific Day of Month". If you choose a "Specific Day of Month" you will be asked to provide which "Specific Day".
- Send Time : The time the communication should be sent.
- Day of Membership : If the "Send Date" of "Exact Anniversary Day" is chosen you can select how many days following the exact anniversary date you wish to send the comm.
- Templates : The template to use for the email communication. The template must be within Rubi's Marketing > Templates.
- Contact(s) : You can choose which contact(s) the communication should be sent to. Whether that be "All" contacts, "Main Contacts Only" or contacts who have their contact setting "Receive Membership Comms" ticked.
- Email Subject : The subject of the email communication.
- Email From: The email address to be used to send the email. The email must be added as an SMTP Account.
- Attachments: Any attachments you wish to send as part of the comm. You must upload the file to the Library area of RubiCRM.
5.3. Viewing communication history
You can view the history of communications that have been sent out by hovering over the eye icon and opening the "History" section.
You will be able to see any membership comms that have been sent out on selected days and which members the comms have been sent to.
6. Mailchimp
6.1. Overview
The Mailchimp integration in RubiCRM allows you to export, update and synchronise Rubi secondary records (contacts) with Mailchimp and archive members in Mailchimp.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the current functionality of the integration.
As we continue to enhance this integration, we'll provide more comprehensive guides with expanded features.
6.2. Connect Mailchimp with RubiCRM
To connect RubiCRM with Mailchimp you must create a new Mailchimp API Key from within Mailchimp.
Please review Mailchimp guides on generating an API Key here.
Once you have your Mailchimp API Key in RubiCRM go to Main Menu > System > Lists. Search for the list named "MailChimp Account".
Create a new entry in the list and amend the item.
That will open the following popup:
You can enter any "API Name" you would like. For "API Key" please paste the API Key from Mailchimp.
6.3. Setup
Before using the Mailchimp integration, ensure the following:
- Rubi Reports must return ContactGUID and have "Mailchimp" included in their name.
- All necessary filters regarding communication preferences must be in place.
- All Mailchimp system properties are set to suit your integration needs. See Controlling Integration’s Contact Information section for further details.
Controlling Integration’s Contact Information
The Mailchimp integration can be customised to fit your organisation's needs.
Integration properties can be set in RubiCRM from Main Menu > System > Settings.
You can filter the settings to Mailchimp properties by typing “Mailchimp” in the search field.
Note:
Once you have run the comparison and you make any changes to the above settings, or you update any contact information (membership status, contact’s interests, etc.) you MUST rerun the comparison for the system to pick up all the updates and changes.
Export Contact Interests to Mailchimp as tags
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update RubiCRM contacts’ interests as Mailchimp tags.
For a contact interest to be assigned to a contact, the contact interest must be ticked for the contact in RubiCRM under the “Receive Email” column.
See the screenshot below for reference.
Tags created in Mailchimp for contact interests have the following format:
- Rubi CI: Interest Name
As an example, for the contact on the screenshot above, the following Mailchimp tags will be created and assigned to the member:
- Rubi CI: Accounts
- Rubi CI: Export Documentation
Note:
When tags are exported or updated, the Mailchimp automation will not fire.
Export Contact Types to Mailchimp as tags
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update RubiCRM contacts’ types as Mailchimp tags.
For a contact type to be assigned to a contact, the contact type must be ticked for the contact in RubiCRM.
See the screenshot below for reference.
Tags created in Mailchimp for contact types have the following format:
- Rubi CT: Type Name
As an example, for the contact on the screenshot above, the following Mailchimp tags will be created and assigned to the member:
- Rubi CT: Billing
- Rubi CT: Key Contact
Note:
When tags are exported or updated, the Mailchimp automation will not fire.
Export Membership/Customer Status to Mailchimp as a tag
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update Rubi contacts’ membership/customer status as a Mailchimp tag.
Tags created in Mailchimp for membership/customer statuses have the following format:
- Rubi MS: Membership Status
Example tags that will be created and assigned to members in Mailchimp are:
- Rubi MS: Full Member
- Rubi MS: Not Yet Renewed
Note:
- If membership is assigned to a contact individually and also to the primary record (company), the contact’s membership status takes precedence over the primary record's (company’s) membership status. If a contact does not have membership assigned individually, the primary record's (company’s) membership status is used.
- When tags are exported or updated, the Mailchimp automation will not fire.
Export Membership Type to Mailchimp as a tag
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update Rubi contacts’ membership type as a Mailchimp tag.
Tags created in Mailchimp for membership types have the following format:
- Rubi MT: Membership Type
Example tags that will be created and assigned to members in Mailchimp are:
- Rubi MT: Premium (1-5)
- Rubi MT: Gold Member
Note:
- If membership is assigned to a contact individually and also to the primary record (company), the contact’s membership type takes precedence over the primary record's (company’s) membership type. If a contact does not have a membership assigned individually, the company’s membership type is used.
- When tags are exported or updated, the Mailchimp automation will not fire.
Export Business Category to Mailchimp as a tag
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update Rubi Business Category as a Mailchimp tag.
Tags created in Mailchimp for business categories have the following format:
- Rubi BC: Database Provider
Note:
- When tags are exported or updated, the Mailchimp automation will not fire.
Export Contact Address Information to Mailchimp
Set the value to “True” if you wish to export or update Rubi contacts’ address information. All address lines, county, postcode and country information is passed to Mailchimp.
Note:
You need to create the Address Merge Field in Mailchimp and use “ADDRESS” as the field tag for the integration to export or update contacts’ address information.
See Adding merge fields in Mailchimp section for more details. Adding merge fields in Mailchimp.
You can create merge fields in Mailchimp by accessing the Audience > All Contacts > Settings > Audience fields and *MERGE* tags page.
On the merge fields page, click the Add Field button and for the field type, select “Address”.
See below steps with screenshots on how to set this up. Follow the instructions below on how to add Mailchimp merge fields.
1. Navigating to Audience fields and *MERGE* tags page.
2. Adding a merge field.
3. Selecting a field type.
4. Renaming the field tag.
6.4. The integration process
Step 1: Select MailChimp Account
- On the integration page, hover over the "Mailchimp Account" button to reveal a list of available accounts connected to your system.
- Select the Mailchimp account you want to work with from the list.
Step 2: Choose Rubi Reports and Mailchimp Audience
- Select the Rubi Report contacts you want to compare with a Mailchimp audience.
- Choose the Mailchimp audience you want to compare with the selected Rubi Report contacts.
- After selecting the Rubi Reports and Mailchimp audience, click the "Compare Contacts" button at the bottom of the page.
Step 3: Review the Comparison
- Upon clicking the "Compare Contacts" button, two grids will be displayed on the page. The grid on the right shows the Mailchimp members, and the one on the left displays the Rubi Contacts.
- In the Rubi Contacts grid, there is a column labelled "Mailchimp Status" indicating the status of each contact in the selected Mailchimp audience.
- If a contact has a status of "missing," it means the contact is not present in the selected Mailchimp audience. Such contacts can be exported to Mailchimp.
6.5. The integration functionality
Rubi Contacts Grid
Grid containing the contacts for the selected report has the following functionality:
- Columns chooser - Allows to select which columns should be visible for the grid.
- Search – Allows to filter the grid. Search is performed on all columns.
- Export – Selected Rubi contacts are exported to the Mailchimp audience. See the "Export Rubi Contacts" section for further details.
- Update – Selected Rubi contacts are updated in Mailchimp. See the "Update Rubi Contacts" section for further details.
- Synchronise – Selected Rubi contacts are synchronised with Mailchimp. See the "Synchronise Rubi Contacts" section for further details.
- Select All Contacts – Checks all visible contacts. If any filters were used, only the filtered contacts are selected.
Mailchimp Members Grid
Grid containing the members for selected Mailchimp audience has the following functionality:
- Search – Allows to filter the grid. Search is performed on all columns.
- Archive – Selected Mailchimp members are archived in the Mailchimp audience. See the Archive Mailchimp Member section for further details.
- Select All Members – Checks all visible members. If any filters were used, only the filtered members are selected.
Export Rubi Contacts
- To export Rubi contacts to Mailchimp, locate the contacts in the Rubi Contacts grid with a "missing" or “archived” status.
- Check the checkboxes next to the Rubi contacts to select them for export.
- Click the green button at the top of the Rubi Contacts grid to export the selected contacts to Mailchimp.
Note:
- See "Controlling Integration’s Contact Information" section in the related page for more details on what contact data is exported to Mailchimp.
- When exporting contacts with an “archived” status, the contact will be unarchived in Mailchimp and will have the status prior to what it was before archiving.
- If more than 100 contacts are selected for export, they will be processed in a batch. Batch progress is displayed underneath the Mailchimp account name. You can cancel the batch at any time before it finishes. See the "Cancelling Batch" section for more information.
Update Rubi Contacts
- To update Rubi contacts in Mailchimp, locate the contacts in the Rubi Contacts grid with a status other than “missing”, “archived”, or “cleaned”.
- Check the checkbox next to the Rubi contacts to select them for update.
- Click the orange button at the top of the Rubi Contacts grid to update the selected contacts in Mailchimp.
Note:
- See "Controlling Integration’s Contact Information" section on the related page for more details on what contact data is updated in Mailchimp.
- If more than 100 contacts are selected for update, they will be processed in a batch. Batch progress is displayed underneath the Mailchimp account name. You can cancel the batch at any time before it finishes. See the "Cancelling Batch" section for more information.
Synchronise Rubi Contacts
- To synchronise specific Rubi Contacts with Mailchimp, locate the contacts in the Rubi Contacts grid with a status other than “archived” or “cleaned”.
- Check the checkbox next to the Rubi contacts to select them for synchronisation.
- Click the black button at the top of the Rubi Contacts grid to synchronise the selected contacts with Mailchimp.
To synchronise all Rubi Contacts, contained within the selected report, with Mailchimp, click the "Synchronise All Contacts" button located in the top right corner of the page.
Note:
Please see the "Synchronisation" section for further details on what steps are performed during this process and how it’s done.
Obsolete Contacts
Contacts that are marked in Rubi as “Contact Left”, “Do Not Contact”, or aren’t marked to receive emails and are subscribed to the Mailchimp audience will be highlighted with a red exclamation mark.
After hovering over this icon, a tooltip will be displayed with the information about why the contact is determined as obsolete (e.g. “Contact is marked as do not contact”).
Archive MailChimp Members
- To archive Mailchimp members, locate the members in the Mailchimp members grid with “subscribed” or “unsubscribed” status.
- Check the checkboxes next to the members you wish to archive in the Mailchimp members grid.
- Click the red button at the top of the Mailchimp members grid to archive the selected members in Mailchimp.
Note:
- Only members with a “subscribed” or “unsubscribed” status can be archived in Mailchimp.
- If more than 100 members are selected for archive, they will be processed in a batch. Batch progress is displayed underneath the Mailchimp account name. You can cancel the batch at any time before it finishes. See the "Cancelling Batch" section for more information.
Synchronisation
Synchronisation can be run either for selected Rubi Contacts (button next to “1” on the above image) or all Rubi Contacts (button next to “2” on the above image) contained within the selected report.
Please see the "Synchronise Rubi Contacts" section to see how to synchronise selected Rubi Contacts only.
The synchronisation process consists of the following steps:
- Rubi’s contacts’ property “Receive Email” will be unticked for contacts that have unsubscribed but have currently the “Receive Email” ticked.
- Export missing contacts (contacts with “missing” Mailchimp Status). See "Controlling Integration’s Contact Information" section on the related page for further details on what data can be exported.
- Update existing contacts (contacts with Mailchimp Status other than “missing”, “archived” or “cleaned”). See "Controlling Integration’s Contact Information" section on the related page for further details on what data can be updated.
- Archive obsolete contacts in Mailchimp audience - contacts that are marked in Rubi as “Contact Left”, “Do Not Contact”, or have “Receive Email” property unticked (aren’t marked to receive emails) and are subscribed to the Mailchimp audience.
Note:
If there are more than 100 members to process, the synchronisation is processed in a batch. Batch progress is displayed underneath the MailChimp account name. You can cancel the batch at any time before it finishes. See the "Cancelling Batch" section for more information.
Cancelling Batch
If the number of members to process exceeds 100, the action is performed in a batch that is handled completely by Mailchimp. Batch progress is displayed underneath the Mailchimp account name.
You can cancel the batch at any time before it finishes by clicking the “Cancel Batch” button.
See the screenshots below on how a batch operation is presented on the comparison page.
Note:
If the batch is cancelled once it has started, all actions that Mailchimp has already performed cannot be reverted.
1. Indication that the request will be processed in a batch – progress information under the account name and a notification in the bottom right corner.
2. Progress message and batch cancel button.
3. If the batch is cancelled, the above message will be displayed under the account name (in the same place batch progress was displayed).
6.6. Conclusion
The Mailchimp integration in RubiCRM allows you to efficiently manage your contacts and audience between Rubi Reports and Mailchimp.
By following this guide, you can seamlessly export and update contacts and archive members in the selected Mailchimp audience.
Stay tuned for future updates, as we continually enhance the functionality of this integration to provide you with even more capabilities.
If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to our support team.
Happy integrating!
6.7. Our step-by-step guide
Clients can use the Mailchimp integration however they choose using the guidance in our other articles.
However, we understand that sometimes integrations like this can be big and complicated. This step-by-step guide with clips is designed to help you get going with the integration.
Please note this guide is how we recommend you use the integration using Mailchimp best practices and how we feel the integration should be used.
Step 1 - Connect Mailchimp with RubiCRM
We first want to get Mailchimp and RubiCRM talking. To do this you will want to create an API Key in Mailchimp and add it to RubiCRM. Watch below to see how.
Step 2 - Create a report to retrieve the contacts in RubiCRM
We want to retrieve the contacts within your RubiCRM and then pass them to an audience in Mailchimp.
To do this in RubiCRM navigate to Main Menu > Data Management > Reports. Once the Reports module is open we advise creating a new folder to file your soon-to-be-created report into.
To create a new report folder navigate to Main Menu > System > Lists and search/open the list "Saved Reports Folder". Use the "Add new item" field to type in a folder name such as "Mailchimp". To create the folder press the "↵ Enter" key on your keyboard.
You can now close the System List side panel by clicking ().
Now that we have a folder to save the report into let's create the report. You should still be on the Reports module but if not navigate again to Main Menu > Data Management > Reports. If you then open the "Report Builder" tab .
Now that the report builder is open we can start making the report. This report is going to be very straightforward as ultimately we just want to return all the contacts in RubiCRM. This is regardless of whether they are a member, non-member, have "Do Not Contact" ticked or have "Contact Left" ticked. We want all the contacts!
The reason we include contacts who have "Do Not Contact" and "Contact Left" ticked is so that the Mailchimp integration itself can archive those contacts in Mailchimp. If we don't provide those contacts in the report then we aren't telling the Mailchimp integration to actually archive them.
When creating the report you will want to use the following Outputs and Filters:
Outputs
- Contact Record > General > ContactGUID
Filters
- Contact Record > General > Do Not Contact : Yes & No
- Contact Record > General > Contact Left : Yes & No
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Don't worry you will be able to filter your contacts within Mailchimp itself so that you can target specific groups of users such as members or contacts with certain interests. This filtering is called "Segments" in Mailchimp which we will discuss in another step. |
Having created the report you will want to save it. Before you can save a report you must first run the report to ensure it runs without any issues/errors. To run the report scroll down on the report builder and under "Report Type" choose "Grid".
That will run the report providing results in the grid. When you are happy results are being returned you can save the report by clicking "Save Report" at the top right-hand side of the report builder .
A popup will display where you can select the "Report Folder" you created earlier, the "Report Name" and a "Report Description" if you so wish.
Please note the "Report Name" must be prefixed with "Mailchimp - ". You can then save the report by clicking "Submit".
Watch the clip below showing what to do in Step 2 as described above.
Step 3 - Create an audience in Mailchimp
The next stage is that we want to create an audience in Mailchimp. Of course, you may have an audience in your Mailchimp account already but we personally advise creating a new audience which will be populated with the contacts you currently have in your RubiCRM.
This just creates a fresh start for the integration. If you have contacts in an existing Mailchimp audience(s) and you would like to keep these contacts we can import these contacts for you into RubiCRM. Log a support request providing us with an export of the contacts from the given existing audience.
Now onto creating a new Mailchimp audience. If you log in to Mailchimp (https://login.mailchimp.com/) and use the left-hand navigation menu to open the "Audiences" dropdown. Select the "Audience dashboard" option. This will open the audience dashboard where we will then want to navigate to "View audiences" from under the "Manage Audience" button located on the top right-hand side of the page.
This will show you all your current audiences in your Mailchimp account. From there click the "Create Audience" button again located on the top right-hand side of the page.
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You will see that Mailchimp suggests the best practice is to have one audience and use segments and tags to organise and target your contacts. This is the best practice we follow in this guide. |
Fill in the applicable information under the "Audience Details". We advise calling your new audience "All Contacts". Once you have filled in all of the audience details scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Create audience".
That will create an empty audience ready to be filled with contacts from your RubiCRM system.
Watch the clip below showing what to do in Step 3 as described above.
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You may choose to have more than one audience in Mailchimp. The only real benefit of having more than one audience in Mailchimp is that if a contact unsubscribed from one audience they will still be subscribed to the other audience. Some clients may wish to have an audience purely for a newsletter and another for important updates/offers. Mailchimp advises clients to have only one audience as it makes it easier to visualise your contacts as a whole out of one audience. |
Step 4 - Change RubiCRM settings to create tags in Mailchimp
Part of the best practice of Mailchimp is to use tags. These tags are then used to create segments which essentially will be your different groupings of contacts in Mailchimp. For example of segment/grouping of member contacts, a segment/grouping of contacts with the interest "e-Newsletter" etc.
We need to set RubiCRM to pass the contacts to Mailchimp with the contacts' different tags.
By this take it you have a contact in your RubiCRM called John Smith. John Smith is part of a primary record (company record) that has a membership status of "Full Member", a membership type of "Silver", has the contact type "Billing" and a few different contact interests such as "e-Newsletter", "Networking" and "Health & Safety".
If your RubiCRM is set to pass tags alongside the contact to Mailchimp this would pass the following tags associated with John Smith:
- Rubi MS : Full Member
- Rubi MT : Silver
- Rubi CT : Billing
- Rubi CI : e-Newsletter
- Rubi CI : Networking
- Rubi CI : Health & Safety
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Tag differences "Rubi MS" refers to Rubi Membership Status "Rubi MT" refers to Rubi Membership Type "Rubi CT" refers to Rubi Contact Type "Rubi CI" refers to Rubi Contact Interest "Rubi BC" refers to Rubi Business Category |
To set RubiCRM to pass tags to Mailchimp navigate to Main Menu > System > Settings. From the "Settings" card search "Mailchimp". This will filter down to 5 different properties.
We advise setting the following properties to "True":
- Export Contact Interests to MailChimp as tags.
- Export Contact Types to MailChimp as tags.
- Export Membership Status to MailChimp as a tag.
- Export Membership Type to MailChimp as a tag.
The fourth property "Export Contact Address Information to MailChimp" allows you to export the contact's address. For more information on exporting a contact's address as a tag please refer to the the Mailchimp Setup article.
Watch the clip below showing what to do in Step 4 as described above.
Step 5 - Sync RubiCRM and Mailchimp
The next step is the step you will continually do whilst you use the integration. Step 5 relates to syncing the contacts within RubiCRM to Mailchimp.
To start navigate to Main Menu > Marketing > Mailchimp. From there pick the Mailchimp account you wish to connect to.
You will then want to choose the single RubiCRM Mailchimp report you created in Step 2 and choose the Mailchimp audience created in Step 3 to compare against. Once you have selected the RubiCRM report and the Mailchimp audience click "Compare Contacts".
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Please note this comparison can take some time if your systems contain a large number of contacts so please be patient as the comparison is being carried out. |
Once the contacts from the Mailchimp audience and the contacts retrieved from the RubiCRM report are displayed on the screen you can simply click "Synchronise All Contacts".
When you "Synchronise All Contacts" the following process executes:
- RubiCRM passes any contacts to the Mailchimp audience.
- RubiCRM updates any contact information and associated tags in the Mailchimp audience.
- RubiCRM marks any contacts in the Mailchimp audience as archived if they are marked as "Do Not Contact" or "Contact Left".
- If any contacts have been deleted in RubiCRM the contact is marked as archived in the Mailchimp audience.
- Mailchimp updates any contacts that have been marked as archived to have "Receive Email" unticked in RubiCRM.
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Please note the process can take time to complete if your systems contain a large number of contacts so please be patient as the process is being carried out. The process is carried out in batches so you will see the progress of these batches and how long you have left to wait. You can continue to use RubiCRM in the background but please continue to keep the Mailchimp tab open. |
Watch the clip below showing what to do in Step 5 as described above.
Step 6 - Creating segments in Mailchimp
Now that your contacts are in your Mailchimp audience you can begin to segment them.
Watch the clip below showing how to create segments in Mailchimp.
Step 7 - Creating a campaign in Mailchimp and selecting a segment
We are on to the final step of creating a campaign and selecting which segment of contacts you want to send the email to.
Watch the clip below showing how to create a new campaign and how to select a segment of contacts you want to send the email to.