How To Use Mailchimp For Email Marketing

Getting To Know The Dashboard

The first thing you need to know about MailChimp is its dashboard. The dashboard is the central hub to access all the tools and features you need to create, manage, and track your email campaigns. It’s important to take some time to familiarise yourself with it before diving into creating your first campaign.

Once you log in, you’ll see a left-hand side menu that provides access to all the different areas of MailChimp – Campaigns, Templates, Lists, Reports, and Automation. From here, you can create new campaigns or edit existing ones. You can also manage your subscribers by adding or removing them from lists.

Create Your First Email List

You need to create an email list before using MailChimp. This list will be the foundation of your email marketing campaign, allowing you to send targeted messages directly to your subscribers.

To create your first email list in MailChimp:

• Log in to your account and click on the Lists tab. 
• From there, click Create List and fill out the necessary information, such as the name of your list, a brief description, and the default settings for sending emails. You can also import contacts from other sources or add them manually one by one.

Keep your email list organised and up-to-date once you’ve created it.

Generate A Signup Form

To create a signup form:

• Log in to your MailChimp account and navigate to the Lists tab. 
• From there, select the list you want to generate a form for and click on Signup Forms. You can choose from several forms, including embedded, pop-up or landing page forms.
• Next, customise your form by adding fields such as name, email address or any other information you want to collect from subscribers.

You can also choose from several design options, such as colour scheme or font style, to match your brand’s visual identity.

Set Up An Email Template

An email template is a pre-designed layout that you can use for your emails. It includes everything from the header, footer, and body text to images and buttons. By setting up a template, you can save time by not designing each new email from scratch.

To set up an email template in MailChimp:

• Select “Templates” from the main menu. 
• Then choose “Create Template” followed by “Regular Campaign.” You can select from pre-built templates or start building your custom design.

Create Your First Campaign

Once logged in, you’ll be taken to your dashboard to create your first campaign. To begin, click “Create Campaign” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Next, choose the type of campaign you want to create. Several options include regular, automated, and A/B testing campaigns.

Email Marketing Tips To Get You Started

With so many options for design, content, and targeting, it’s important to have a plan in place before sending out your first campaign. 

Here are a few tips to help you get started with email marketing:

Design Your Emails

The design of your emails plays a crucial role in making sure that subscribers notice your message. To help make your email stand out:

• Firstly, keep it simple and clear. Your email should be visually appealing but not too cluttered, as this might overwhelm the reader. 
• Stick to a single layout or template for all your emails to create consistency in branding and make it easy for readers to recognise the sender.
• Also, use relevant images and graphics sparingly as they can enhance the overall look of your email but don’t overdo it, as large file sizes can lead to slow load times, which will put off readers.

Test Your Emails

Ensure that your email renders properly across all devices and platforms. This includes desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. A responsive design will ensure your email looks great on all these devices.

Test different subject lines to gauge which ones generate more opens. The subject line is the first thing people see when they receive an email from you, so it should be compelling enough to make them want to open it.

Experiment With A/B Testing

With so many emails flooding people’s inboxes daily, making your email stand out from the crowd can be challenging. That’s why A/B testing is an essential tool for any email marketer.

A/B testing involves sending two different versions of an email to a small portion of your subscriber list and then analysing which version gets a better response. This process helps you understand what works best for your audience and refine your email marketing strategy accordingly.

By experimenting with A/B testing in your email marketing campaigns, you can identify what resonates with your subscribers and improve the overall effectiveness of each campaign.