Mailchimp allows you to perform a mail merge by using merge tags, which are placeholders that dynamically insert personalized content—such as a recipient's first name or unique links—into your emails. Here's how to set up and use merge tags in Mailchimp: 

1. Add Custom Fields to Your Audience: 
  • Access Audience Settings: 
  • Log in to your Mailchimp account. 
  • Navigate to Audience and select All contacts. 
  • Click on Settings and Audience fields and *|MERGE|* tags
  • Create a New Field: 
  • Click Add A Field and choose the appropriate field type (e.g., Text, Number, Date). 
  • Label the field (e.g., "Donation Amount) and assign a merge tag name (e.g., |DONATION|). 
  • Click Save Changes to add the field to your audience. 

2. Prepare Your Data for Import: 

  • Organize Your Data: 
  • Create a spreadsheet (e.g., in Excel or Google Sheets) with columns corresponding to your audience fields, including the new custom field. 
  • There are a few reports in the Query Tool that can be exported to include data for your custom or merge fields.
  • Ensure each row represents a contact, with data accurately entered under each column. 
  • Save the File: 
    • Save the spreadsheet as a CSV or TXT file, as these formats are compatible with Mailchimp imports. 


3. Import Data into Mailchimp: 

  • Initiate the Import: 

    • In Mailchimp, go to Audience and select All contacts. 
    • Click on Manage Audience > Import History and choose Import contacts. 
    • Select Upload a file and click Continue. 

    • Merge with records that exist in mailchimp

      Tag your contacts      		Check columns match your data

  • Upload and Map Fields: 
    • Upload your CSV or TXT file. 
    • Create a tag for your group of contacts. Tag are labels you create to differentiate your contacts. You can use tags to send personalized marketing, create a segment or to set up an automation.
    • Mailchimp will attempt to match the columns in your file to your audience fields. Verify that each column is correctly matched, especially the new custom field. Adjust mappings if necessary. 
  • Finalize the Import: 
    • Review your import settings, including tags and groups if applicable. 
    • Click Finalize Import to complete the process. 


4. Utilize Merge Tags in Your Campaigns: 

  • Insert Merge Tags: 
    • When creating an email campaign, place your cursor where you want personalized content to appear. 
    • Click the Merge Tags drop-down menu in the editor toolbar and select the desired tag (e.g., |DONATION|). 
  • Set Default Values: 
    • To handle contacts without data in certain fields, set default values: 
      • Go to Audience > All contacts. 
      • Click on Settings > Audience fields and |MERGE| tags. 
      • Enter default values in the "Default merge tag value" column for each relevant field. 
      • For example, if there is no data in the First Name field, you can enter a value such as 'Member' to be displayed. 


4. Test Your Email with Merge Tags: 

  • Before sending, preview your email to ensure merge tags work correctly: 
    • In the email editor, click Preview > Enter preview mode. 
    • Toggle on Enable live merge tag info to see how the email will appear to recipients. 

5. Send Your Email: 

  • Once satisfied with the preview, send your email. Mailchimp will replace the merge tags with the corresponding data for each recipient. 
    • For your recipients, below Send To, you can choose the Tag or group of contacts to send an email to. You can choose the tag created earlier from the list of contacts that was uploaded.


By following these steps, you can effectively add and utilize additional data in your Mailchimp campaigns through merge tags, enhancing personalization and engagement. 


For more detailed guidance, refer to Mailchimp's official documentation on merge tags: Getting Started with Merge Tags


For a visual guide on using merge tags in Mailchimp, you can watch the following tutorial: https://youtu.be/Zdwtc1geQFM