Mailchimp merge tags standard (free) vs Premium method
How does the plugin work with Mailchimp?
There are two ways our plugin works within Mailchimp and similar RSS email services, the standard (free) and the Premium method.
The Standard Method (free):
It prepends the <description> part of the RSS feed with the image URL, and so in Mailchimp using the RSSITEM:CONTENT or RSSITEM:CONTENT_FULL merge tag will display the image.
The Premium Method (14 day trial):
When you check the "Media Tag" option, it creates and includes the Media:Content block, and then in Mailchimp you can use the RSSITEM:IMAGE merge tag, and place the image (media tag) wherever you like, create custom designs, etc.
Confirm what methods are in your feed now using the RSS Image Checker.
Mailchimp Preview Caveat
If your website is not on https, Mailchimp's Preview Mode has an issue with the images, but a test or real email send should work fine. The Premium plugin provides a "Disable Responsive Images" checkbox that can resolve preview images not displaying.
Mailchimp Custom CSS
When using the standard method, custom CSS is not required. There are size, alignment and padding options in the standard and the Premium plugin. The size plugin settings will display in Mailchimp using a merge tag. The alignment and padding plugin settings will require Mailchimp specific CSS to be added to the email template. Media tags can be used with a Mailchimp merge tag for advanced designs. Media tags often require custom CSS for specific formatting, which our expert developers can help with, and why it's a Premium option.