Migrating To A New Email Software: The "Why" + "How"
Mar 13, 2026
When I hear "migration" I instantly think about birds.
Like-
Where exactly do they go in the winter, and how long does it take them to get there?
(These are the questions that keep me up at night lawlz.)
This post is about migrating to a new email software.
I just helped a client migrate from MailChimp tol Kit, and realized it's something that business owners might learn from.
I'll be covering:
Why you would want to migrate in the first place
A few things you need to take care of for a successful migration
The things to put on your to-do list the ~month after a migration
Let's check it out-
4 Reasons For Migrating To A New Email Software
Why would you want to migrate to a different ESP in the first place?
Here are four reasons you might make the switch:
#1: You want a fresh start.
Let’s be honest: there is something really motivating about starting with a new ESP.
Obviously you want to bring over your subscribers, sign-up forms, etc.
But a migration is a cool moment to kind of “start again.” Treat it like January 1st.
This was the case of my client. She hadn’t emailed her list in a while, didn’t like MailChimp (see next point), and wanted to start taking email seriously again.
A migration is a good chance to do that.
#2: You don’t like your current email service provider.
My client had used MailChimp for years, and had reached the point where logging into her account stressed her out.
(And I get it - I have never liked MailChimp.)
But Kit? She liked how user-friendly it is, and so the migration was a the perfect opportunity to start using a software she actually enjoyed.
And with how important email is?
Simply liking the software you use for it is at least worth considering a migration.
#3: You want better deliverability.
Email deliverability is perhaps the most important aspect of your email marketing.
Think about it: nothing (literally nothing) matters if you are in spam.
You need to prioritize deliverability.
But some ESP’s do that better than others. So when you migrate?
Great chance to bump up your deliverability health.
#4: You’re doing a full-scale rebranding.
Sometimes it’s time to throw out the baby and the bath water.
A rebranding often involves changing a bunch of things up:
Your positioning
Your website
Your social media strategy
And yes, your emails
So what better way to change your emails than start with a brand new ESP?
What To Do Before Migrating To A New Email Software
#1: Check if the ESP you are migrating TO offers a “done for you” service
A lot of them do. Thankfully, my client was switching from MailChimp to Kit. These are two of the most common ESPs that business owners use, so Kit actually offered a “done for you” service.
Certainly made my job easier.
#2: Export all your email subscribers on CSV files to your computer
Your email subscribers themselves are the most valuable part of your email system.
Not your signup forms. Not your lead magnets. Not your sequences. Your subscribers.
Treat this as your insurance policy. You want these CSV files stored somewhere safe in case anything weird happens with your migration. (It probably won’t, but again - insurance policy.)
#3: Think about what new tagging structure you want.
A good tagging structure is how you ensure effective segmentation. And as any business owner will tell you - you sometimes get to the point with an email list where keeping a bad system is easier than setting up a better one.
But when you migrate? It’s a good chance to improve things. Do you want to set up a VIP segment? A “most active subscribers” segment? A tag that you give to people that have been on your email list for at least a year?
Now is the time to do it.
#4: Ensure your sending protocols are working correctly.
These are the technical things you need to set up for proper deliverability health. Specifically,:
DMARC
SPF
DKIM
These don’t always transfer over to your new software, so it’s important that you get them set up.
#5: Set up your lead magnet / sign-up form functionality.
Nothing worse than doing all the work to migrate to a new email software…
Only to have your lead flow completely stall because your forms don’t work. These are worth testing out. Obviously it takes a bit of work ensuring proper functionality, but it’s absolutely essential.
What To Do The 1-2 Months After Migrating To A New Email Software
#1: Slowly expand the number of people you send to.
You don’t want to immediately dive straight into “blast everybody with emails” after a migration.
The reason? Your new infrastructure is still new, so providers like Gmail and Outlook still don’t trust it. When you immediately email a bunch of people? That looks spammy - and harms your deliverability as a result.
What to do instead? Increase total number of email recipients by another 10% of your email list each email. This gives you time to warm up your new email account.
(Good idea to start with the most engaged subscribers first, and work your way down to the least engaged.)
#2: Tell your list that you are switching softwares.
You need to treat your list with the respect they deserve.
That’s why letting them know that you are switching software is actually a great idea. It’s honest. It’s up-front. And it keeps them in the loop.
Related to that-
#3: Set expectations.
Migrating to a new software is a great way to “start over” with your email marketing. What have you been meaning to do with your list, but have put off until now? More emails? A new newsletter? More opportunities for people to buy?
This is a great opportunity to publicly commit to whatever it is by setting expectations with your list.
#4: Ask for replies.
Replies to emails are increasingly important as a sign of engagement. More so than even open rates of click-through rates. So get as many replies as you can. A good thing to do in the context of an email migration: an “Ask Me Anything.”
This is what it sounds like: just let your email subscribers ask you any question, and then promise an answer to each one.
This results in a flood of emails, and also gives you a ton of ideas for new content with proven demand.
#5: Take cleaning your list seriously.
Something I’ve noticed with business owners: they don’t clean their list enough. Or at least not aggressively enough.
One of the worst things you can do for a new email list is to bring over a bunch of dead weight. So if you weren’t running an “inactive + unsubscribe” sequence before-
Now is the time to do it.
Assuming you have been slowly increasing your overall sends, and doing it from most engaged to least engaged, you likely haven’t yet emailed your least engaged yet.
Run them through your re-engagement / unsubscribe sequence immediately. This will allow you to shed the dead weight soon into your migration.
It Happens To Everybody…
A post on migrating to a new email software isn't relevant to most business owners…
At least not immediately.
But most business owners will eventually migrate to a new software. And when you do
These things are the only gameplan you need!
…
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