In MailChimp v4.2, you now have the ability to segment your list by ZIP code. When you set up your campaign and choose the list you want to send to, you’ll want to click on the “send to a segment of list” option. Then select Address from the left-most drop down menu and then “is within distance”. (Sorry international chimps, but this feature is currently only available in the US.) Next, a box will appear where you can enter the mile radius you want to send to, and finally, the appropriate ZIP code. The one caveat here is that you need to be collecting address data from your subscribers when they sign up for your list. Click through to learn how.
The good news is that it’s super easy to add the address field to your signup form. Just click on the Lists tab at the top of the Dashboard screen. From there, select the list that you want to segment and click on the “forms” link.
Next you’ll 1. select Signup Forms from the pulldown menu on the left, and then 2. click on “address” in the Add a Field column on the right.
If you plan to segment by ZIP code often, you will probably want to go ahead and set “address” as a required field on your signup form.
This could be a very useful feature, except that I rarely (i.e., don’t need or really want to) collect full addresses. Is there a way to segment by ZIP code while collecting ZIP codes only? When I try adding addresses, it won’t allow me to enter only the ZIP code.
Chris – not yet, though we’ve had several different variations of this request, so it’s possible we’ll look at doing something like that.
In the meantime, we don’t actually validate what you put in the other fields, so you could just fill them with bogus data if you have that field hidden on your forms and a way to update them – custom forms with hidden fields for the extra address fields, an upload using update existing to set them, or using the API.
I second Jesse’s request. I saw sign-up go way down when I asked for more information, but I would like to get the zip code.
That’s not really my request – I was just reiterating the feedback that we’ve heard from users. In the meantime, also take a look at this:
http://jungle.mailchimp.com/forum/topics/split-the-address-data-type
Yes, it requires a little legwork, but it will help you accomplish what you want.
I agree with Chris and Paul–would love the ability to either select which address fields to place in the form, or to make certain addr fields required (i.e. zip) but not others (i.e. addr1)
@Derek
One way to collect only the zipcode info in your form like Jesse was saying is to only have a zipcode text field for the user to fill out, and use hidden fields filling out the other ones such as address, state, city. For each hidden field you would write something like the following snippet of code (if it isn’t redacted by wordpress running this blog):
This info is not visible to the user and would fill out values for the other fields in your list besides zipcode.
Hi, the code you wrote isn’t showing up on your post, is there some other way you could share this code with hacking dummies? I’ve been wanting to implement this for a while, and while the geotargeting is cool, many people sign our mailing lists at shows with a zipcode only…
Thanks for sharing,
S.F.
This is amazing. I love how digital products are helping web services target the message locally. I can’t wait until this is doable in Canada.
How do I import address data with the names and emails to my list?
Check out this KB article:
http://eepurl.com/cApE
scroll down to “tips for address field”
Sweet feature. We have been collecting address data before the nifty Address Field was added to MailChimp.
Please make this feature work with Zip Codes collected as a plain Text Field.
Oh yes please, please make this work with zip code collecting only – I’m in a band and NO ONE is going to want to put more than a zip code and country in when signing up to our mailing list. I’ve looked into hiding the address fields, but I don’t have the prowess to code this in the advanced forms section.
This would be a VERY important feature for bands who tour.
Thank you!!
PLEASE tell me that by now, April 2010, MailChimp allows you to require only a zip code, not a full street address, from your new members. CC allows this, but for other reasons I am hoping to move to MailChimp.
It’s really fundamental. Signups plummet for every additional field you require from someone signing up.
seriously…
zip code only would be great.
This is amazing! It really helps.
Does the geotargeting now supercede the address by zip code? I was trying to segment my list, and it was not identifying people by their zip code but instead by their ISP address. Is there a way to segment so it uses both locations?
I’d contact our support team, so they can have a look at the segment you’re trying to build: mailchimp.com/support/
Can you make this information/how-to available to us all? I’m in a band, and we really need to segment by zipcode + geotargeting. No one wants to write their address on an email signup for bands…
Agreed. I would very much like to only ask for zip codes and country. And then be able to easily send to segments of the list based on this information. Is this possible?
Yes I need this same exact feature! I need a stand alone zip field and am not advanced enough to customize it. Please wiggle your little thumbs and make it happen. I will have to look for alternative companies just because of this minor issue.
Thanks
UPDATE: I found a solution! (with some help on this site) see it here: http://www.whitneywolanin.com/subscribe.php
Basically if you push submit without filling out the form then the rest of the address will pop-up with n/a filled in. Otherwise it is “hidden”.
In the MailChimp database I can target by zip code radius!
i did figure out a work around. you can have the zip code field as a regular text or number field. then when segmenting use the less than or greater than feature and you can target a certain area. you can also have a drop down country list as one of the fields as well.
but you can’t have a radius search this way… its a guessing game.
Glenn, have you given it a real time test run? I found this tool to help find zip codes within up to a 125 mile radius:
“Find Zip Codes Inside a Radius” – http://www.freemaptools.com/find-zip-codes-inside-radius.htm.
MailChimp, do you have any news for us on a simple, built-in solution to this? Are you working on it at all?
yes i have seen a similar site to that one. that is what i was planning on doing.
So what is the status on this feature request?
I am thinking of switching to MailChimp… from iContact. My 100% biggest need is the ability to target subscribers by zipcode “radius”. As others have written above, subscribers naturally do not give their full addresses, only zipcodes.
So in order to justify switching to MailChimp, I need to make sure there is an ability to (A) collect ONLY the zipcode & then (B) email subscribers who reside within a certain radius of a zipcode/area.
So can any answer if MailChimp offers this yet? (Trying to get clarity & seems that they still require full address.)
Also, Glenn’s suggestion above to do “greater than” and “less than” numbers in a text field… is not a sturdy workaround. You need a radius– simple as that. The reason is because if you are trying to mail people in, say, the NYC area, there are just way to many zipcode variables since cities like NYC border zipcodes in New Jersey, Connecticut, etc where numbers change radically. This applies to many major cities.
Also, targetting your fans by “city name” instead of zipcode radius is not effective either, since fans in NYC might write their city name as: “New York City,” “NYC,” “Manhattan,” “Brooklyn,” “Williamsburg,” “Tribeca,” “Hoboken,” etc. Just too many variables for someone trying to target emails to fans in a given city.
Zipcode radius-targeting is the only effective method. But ONLY if subscribers are not forced to submit full addresses.
Launched it last week: http://blog.mailchimp.com/zip-field-for-signup-forms/
Thanks for the update Ben! This is good news :)