If you’re looking to streamline your email marketing efforts, knowing how to import email lists on ConvertKit and effectively send broadcast messages is essential.

ConvertKit is a powerful email marketing platform designed with simplicity and automation. Its features make it a popular choice among bloggers, content creators, and online businesses.

In this guide, I will walk you through how to import your email list and send a broadcast message.

What is ConvertKit and Why is it a Powerful Email Marketing Platform?

ConvertKit is an email marketing platform that empowers creators to connect with their audience and grow their businesses.

Unlike traditional email service providers, ConvertKit offers intuitive features that simplify the email marketing process. With ConvertKit, you can easily create personalized email campaigns, automate sequences, and segment your audience for targeted messaging.

This platform is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful automation capabilities, making it a top choice for professionals in various industries.

learn more about Convertkit and its pricing here

How to import email lists on Convertkit

Export your email list as a CSV file

CSV stands for ‘comma-separated values’, and is simply a specific format of text file.

If you are coming from another email platform like Mailchimp, you may need to download your email list as a CSV file. This is the recommended file format to import or export email lists from any email service provider.

If you are coming from a platform like WordPress and have collected emails on your website using form plugins like formidable forms or wpforms, you will also need to export the email list as a CSV file.

Also if you have collected emails from forms like google google forms, you will have to export the email list as a CSV file.

Create Tags or segments in Convertkit

ConvertKit allows you to categorize your subscribers using tags and segments.

Tags are labels that you assign to subscribers based on their interests, behaviors, or characteristics.

Segments, on the other hand, are dynamic groups created by applying specific rules to your subscribers’ attributes or actions.

To create tags, navigate to the dashboard and access the “Subscribers” section.

From there, you can create tags relevant to your business or industry and assign them to individual subscribers. Tags enable you to target specific subsets of your audience with tailored content and offers.

Segments are powerful tools for further refining your targeting. By defining rules based on subscriber attributes or actions, you can automatically group them into segments. For example, you can create a segment for subscribers who have made a recent purchase or those who have clicked on a specific link in your previous emails.

Segments allow you to send highly relevant messages to specific subsets of your audience, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

If you don’t have a convertkit account, you can create one for free and start sending broadcast messages.

Please note that for the free subscription, you can send emails or broadcasts to ONLY 1000 subscribers/email.

Let’s create a tag; on the bottom right corner of the page click on “Create a Tag”. Fill in the name you desire then click on save.

Next, click on “Add Subscribers” then click on “Import a CSV”. You will now be required to select where the subscribers will be imported to. That is why the tag was created earlier.

Click on tags and select the preferred one from the dropdown. Select the CSV file from your computer and upload it.

Map the columns to fields

When importing email lists into ConvertKit, it’s crucial to map the columns in your CSV file to the appropriate fields in ConvertKit. Here’s a suggested mapping of common columns to fields:

1. Email Address:
   • Map the column containing email addresses in your CSV file to the “Email Address” field.
2. First Name:
   • Map the column containing subscribers’ first names to the “First Name” field.
   • If your CSV file doesn’t have a specific column for first names, you can leave this field empty or use a default value like “Subscriber” if appropriate.
3. Last Name:
   • Map the column containing subscribers’ last names to the “Last Name” field.
   • If your CSV file doesn’t have a specific column for last names, you can leave this field empty or exclude it from the mapping.
4. Tags:
   • If you have a column in your CSV file that denotes specific tags for each subscriber, map it to the “Tags” field in ConvertKit.
   • You can assign multiple tags to subscribers by separating them by commas or semicolons within the mapped column.
5. Custom Fields:
   • If you have additional columns in your CSV file containing custom data or subscriber attributes, map them to the corresponding custom fields in ConvertKit.
   • For example, if you have a column for “Location,” you can create a custom field in ConvertKit called “Location” and map it accordingly.
   • Similarly, if you have columns for “Interests” or “Preferences,” create custom fields in ConvertKit and map them accordingly.

Remember to review your CSV file and ensure that the data in each column aligns correctly with the mapped fields in ConvertKit. It’s essential to double-check the mapping to avoid any data discrepancies or misalignment during the import process.

By accurately mapping the columns to fields, you can seamlessly import your email list into ConvertKit while ensuring that the relevant subscriber information is correctly mapped and stored within the appropriate fields.

After that, click on “import subscribers”. Depending on your list, it might take a while to import.

That’s it! You have successfully imported your email lists on convertkit. YOu can now proceed to send a broadcast message.

Please note it may take some time for all of the imported subscribers to show up in your account. However, you’ll receive an email once your import is complete.

Bonus: How to send a broadcast email on convertkit

Sending a broadcast message in ConvertKit allows you to send a one-time email to your subscribers, keeping them informed about updates, promotions, or other important announcements. Follow these steps to send a broadcast message in ConvertKit:

1. Access the ConvertKit Dashboard:
   • Log in to your ConvertKit account and navigate to the ConvertKit dashboard.
2. Create a Broadcast:
   • In the dashboard, locate the “Broadcasts” tab under “send” and click on it.
   • Click on the “+ New Broadcast” button to start creating a new broadcast message.
   • Choose a template or create one from scratch.
3. Choose the Audience:
   • Select the audience or segment you want to send the broadcast message to. You can choose from your existing segments or select all subscribers.
   • You can also choose from the tags you created.
4. Compose the Message:
   • In the broadcast message editor, you’ll find options to customize the subject line and the content of your email.
   • Craft a compelling subject line that grabs the attention of your subscribers and encourages them to open the email.
   • Use the visual editor to create the content of your email. click on the “+” icon that appears when you hover over a section of the email.
   • Personalize the message by using subscriber-specific variables like first name, last name, or any custom fields you have set up.
5. Review and Preview:
   • Before sending the broadcast, it’s crucial to review the content and ensure there are no errors or typos.
   • Use the preview feature to see how your email will appear to subscribers. Check for any formatting issues or broken elements.
6. Schedule or Send Immediately:
   • Choose whether you want to send the broadcast immediately or schedule it for a specific date and time.
   • If scheduling, select the desired date and time for the broadcast to be sent.
7. A/B Testing (Optional):
   • If you want to test different versions of your broadcast message, ConvertKit offers A/B testing capabilities.
   • You can create multiple versions of the email with slight variations of the subject line to see which performs better.
8. Confirm and Send:
   • Once you have reviewed all the details and settings, click on the “Send Broadcast” button to send the email to your selected audience.
9. Analyze Performance:
   • After sending the broadcast, you can track its performance using ConvertKit’s analytics.
   • Monitor metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and engagement to evaluate the effectiveness of your broadcast message.

By following these steps, you can send a broadcast message in ConvertKit and effectively communicate with your subscribers. Remember to craft engaging content, personalize the message when possible, and analyze the performance to optimize your future email campaigns.

To wrap it up;

In this guide, we explored the process of importing email lists and sending broadcast messages using ConvertKit. By following the steps outlined, you can effectively engage your subscribers and optimize your email marketing campaigns.

We covered the basics of ConvertKit, preparing your email list for import, and managing subscribers through tags, segments, and custom fields. Additionally, we discussed crafting compelling broadcast messages and the steps to send them.

To ensure continued success, we emphasized best practices such as building a responsive email list, automating sequences, and analyzing performance.

Take action now by leveraging ConvertKit’s features to connect with your subscribers on a deeper level. Start your journey with ConvertKit today and unlock the potential of effective email marketing!