Importing Email Subscribers

Introduction

If you already have a list of email subscribers from previous marketing efforts, you can import them into GushSend to continue your email marketing campaigns. This tutorial will guide you through the process of safely and effectively importing your existing subscriber data while maintaining compliance with email marketing regulations.

Important: Only import subscribers who have explicitly given you permission to email them. Importing purchased lists or contacts without consent can harm your sender reputation and violate anti-spam laws.

Before You Import

Legal Compliance

Before importing any subscribers, ensure that:

  • Explicit consent: All contacts have opted in to receive emails from you
  • Documentation: You have records of when and how they subscribed
  • Recent engagement: Contacts have engaged with your emails recently (within the last 6-12 months)
  • Clear expectations: Subscribers know what type of content they'll receive

Technical Requirements

  • You have your subscriber data in a CSV (Comma Separated Values) format
  • Your email list is already created in GushSend
  • You have access to the Contacts section in your GushSend account

Preparing Your Subscriber Data

Required CSV Format

Your CSV file should include the following columns:

Essential Fields

  • Email Address (required): The subscriber's email address
  • First Name (recommended): Subscriber's first name for personalization
  • Last Name (recommended): Subscriber's last name

Optional Fields

  • Phone Number: For SMS marketing (if applicable)
  • Company: Business name (for B2B lists)
  • Custom Fields: Any additional data you want to track

Sample CSV Format

Email,First Name,Last Name,Company
john@example.com,John,Smith,Acme Corp
jane@example.com,Jane,Doe,Tech Solutions
mike@example.com,Mike,Johnson,

Data Cleaning Tips

Before importing, clean your data:

  1. Remove duplicates: Ensure each email address appears only once
  2. Validate email formats: Check for proper email address formatting
  3. Remove invalid emails: Delete obviously fake or malformed addresses
  4. Update information: Ensure names and other data are current
  5. Remove unengaged subscribers: Consider excluding contacts who haven't engaged in 12+ months

Import Process

Step 1: Access the Contacts Section

  1. Navigate to Lists in the left sidebar
  2. Click on "Contacts" from the dropdown menu
  3. You'll see the contacts management page

Contacts Page

Step 2: Start the Import Process

  1. Click the "Import" button (usually located in the top-right area)
  2. Select your target list from the dropdown menu
  3. Choose your CSV file by clicking "Browse" or "Choose File"

Step 3: Map Your Fields

  1. Review the field mapping: GushSend will attempt to automatically match your CSV columns to subscriber fields
  2. Verify mappings: Ensure each column is mapped to the correct field
  3. Set required fields: Make sure the email address field is properly mapped

Step 4: Configure Import Settings

Choose your import options:

Subscription Status

  • Subscribed: Import contacts as active subscribers (recommended for opted-in lists)
  • Unconfirmed: Import contacts who will need to confirm their subscription

Duplicate Handling

  • Skip duplicates: Don't import email addresses that already exist
  • Update existing: Update information for existing subscribers
  • Import all: Import all records (may create duplicates)

Notification Settings

  • Send welcome emails: Choose whether to send welcome emails to imported subscribers
  • Send confirmation emails: For double opt-in lists

Step 5: Review and Import

  1. Preview your import: Review a sample of the data to be imported
  2. Check the summary: Verify the number of contacts to be imported
  3. Click "Import" to start the process

Step 6: Monitor Import Progress

  • Wait for completion: Large imports may take several minutes
  • Check for errors: Review any error messages or failed imports
  • Verify results: Confirm that contacts were imported successfully

Managing Imported Contacts

After Import Verification

  1. Check contact count: Verify the number of imported subscribers
  2. Review contact details: Spot-check a few contacts to ensure data integrity
  3. Test segmentation: Create a segment to test your imported data
  4. Send a test email: Consider sending a re-engagement email to imported contacts

Organizing Imported Contacts

Create Segments

  • Import date: Create a segment for recently imported contacts
  • Source: Tag contacts based on where they originally subscribed
  • Engagement level: Segment based on previous engagement history

Add Tags

  • Use tags to identify the source of imported contacts
  • Tag contacts based on their interests or demographics
  • Create tags for different import batches

Best Practices

Data Quality

  • Start small: Test with a small batch before importing large lists
  • Clean regularly: Remove bounced emails and unengaged subscribers
  • Validate emails: Use email validation tools before importing
  • Backup data: Keep a backup of your original subscriber data

Compliance

  • Document consent: Keep records of how and when subscribers opted in
  • Provide easy unsubscribe: Ensure all emails have clear unsubscribe options
  • Honor preferences: Respect subscriber preferences and frequency settings
  • Follow regulations: Comply with GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and other applicable laws

Engagement

  • Send re-engagement campaigns: Welcome back imported subscribers
  • Set expectations: Remind subscribers what they signed up for
  • Provide immediate value: Send valuable content right away
  • Monitor metrics: Track open rates and engagement for imported contacts

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Import Errors

  • File format issues: Ensure your file is saved as CSV with UTF-8 encoding
  • Large file size: Break large files into smaller batches
  • Invalid email addresses: Remove or fix malformed email addresses
  • Missing required fields: Ensure all required fields are included

Low Engagement

  • Old data: Imported contacts may have lower engagement rates
  • List fatigue: Subscribers may have forgotten they signed up
  • Content mismatch: Ensure content matches subscriber expectations

Deliverability Issues

  • Gradual sending: Start with smaller sends to warm up your sender reputation
  • Monitor bounces: Remove hard bounces immediately
  • Watch spam complaints: High complaint rates can hurt deliverability

Next Steps

After successfully importing your subscribers:

  1. Create Opt-in Forms - Set up forms to capture new subscribers
  2. Send a Re-engagement Campaign - Welcome back your imported subscribers
  3. Set Up Automation - Create automated sequences for new and existing subscribers

Remember: Imported subscribers may have different engagement patterns than organically grown lists. Monitor your metrics closely and adjust your strategy based on their response to your campaigns.