Email Marketing: Mailchimp illegal in the EU. Are there solutions?

Germany has declared illegal the use of email marketing provider – MailChimp because the data is being transferred from the EU to the US, and the US intelligence service is accessing it. 

The FOGS Magazin company from Munich, which used MailChimp, stated that it used the service only for 2 newsletters and will stop using it with immediate effect, given the illegality found by BayLDA Supervisory Commission, regarding non-compliance with GDPR. 

Find all the information about Mailchimp illegality in the EU in a dedicated article, available on the Data Protection Officers Network website.

Below we will discuss about the Romanian e-mail marketing solution NewsMAN, how it complies with the GDPR and what advantages it offers.

Are there GDPR-ready email marketing solutions in Romania?

Yes, there are GDPR-compliant email marketing solutions in Romania. If you have a business and you sell in Romania, you can try the NewsMAN platform as an alternative to Mailchimp or any foreign solution that is not from the EU.

What does the NewsMAN email marketing platform offers in addition to MailChimp:

• compliance with GDPR clearly detailed in the GDPR NewsMAN Annex;
• ISO 27001 certified solution;
• prices in line with the Romanian market, not the US;
• permanent support (live chat, email, online meetings);
• shared and dedicated resources for increased deliverability;
• DNS authentication for Inbox ok;
• access to advanced segmentation features, eCommerce remarketing and automation flows (at MailChimp only from $300 and above, which somehow denies the right of small and medium companies to grow through promotion);
• free migration from another provider;
• free demo newsletter editor, help with forms and automation;
• onboarding training and help with import, synchronization, sending, etc.

What is important in NewsMAN’s compliance with GDPR?

Below is a list of important things to know about NewsMAN’s compliance with GDPR, extracted from the GDPR Annex art. 11:

• Employees’ access to the backend is limited (I do not see the personal data uploaded by the operator):

• The storage of personal data is done exclusively in the datacenter (nothing is stored at the office) ;
• SSL (secure) backend access using 2-step authentication;
• Server access via VPN + SSH Agent (RSA 2048 bit keys, stored exclusively on encrypted hard disks);
• Secure servers (up-to date updates + IDS running – intrusion detection system);
• Servers with restrictive firewall.

Securing email marketing and marketing automation application NewsMAN: 

• SSL (secure) exclusive access; 
• 2-step authentication (login); 
• Option under accounts (accounts with restrictive access to the application, e.g.: read only or editor only, without the option to download the database); 
• Brute force protection (IP lock after several failed attempts); 
• Strong passwords (minimum 10 characters, uppercase, lowercase, special character); 
• Session high jacking protection (session capture); 
• CSRF / XSS protection; 
• High Security Mode (2-step authentication code reintroduction) required to access sensitive areas of the application (e.g.: view email addresses or change profile or download database – expires in 4 hours after activation); 
• Download notifications, links expiring in 4 hours, extensive logging of downloads;
• New IP / new country login notifications (if 2-step authentication is not enabled);
• Password change notification or profile data (if 2-step authentication is not active);
• Scan monthly application vulnerabilities .

Why is important to have access to complete email marketing features?

It’s important for a newsletter service to allow you to do more than send mass campaigns. From features like AB Testing (which helps you see what title or content generates more openings) to series of automated email campaigns based on people’s actions on the site, before and after the sale – all are important to have email campaigns with results. 

You can have all the above at NewsMAN in any subscription, including the free one. At MailChimp you have access to automation only from $300, which indirectly means that it would restrict the growth of companies that do not have many subscribers or do not have large turnovers to support that budget. We at NewsMAN studied the Romanian market and based on the data, we’ve created the schedule for newsletter and automation rates so that any business can grow.

It is important to have access to functions more than creating and sending newsletters, support, everything at an affordable price at the same time.

Did you know that MailChimp, in addition to NOT being GDPR-compliant as an email marketing solution for EU sites, also practices 57% higher prices? 

If you now use Mailchimp or any third party email marketing solution and want to try NewsMAN you can sign up here. Even without an account, you can see how the newsletter editor looks like:

If you have questions, write us on info@newsman.com or enter the live chat on the site. We are a team of responsive people, and we like to assist customers. You can write us a quick message in the form on the site with your details, and we will contact you.

How to deal with new customers at NewsMAN?

People create an account and list on NewsMAN, get in touch with us, receive a free personalized DEMO, including videos and answers to any commercial or technical questions. The goal is to use the platform to its full potential to see how well it meets their needs. 

In the free version, NewsMAN can be tested without feature limits, and you can call for support at any time. This way you don’t have to worry that you don’t have support like you do in MailChimp or that you don’t have access to certain functions that you actually need to be able to do efficient email marketing. And most importantly, you do not pay until you are convinced that it is what you need and even if you have activated a subscription, you can deactivate it at any time.

We wish you success in conversion and email marketing campaigns with results!