Getting Started with Mailchimp: A How-To Guide
The Cheery Marketeery shares information and reviews which may contain products, software or services which is from my independent opinion or experience. If you buy through any affiliate links, a commission make be earned which helps me to continue helping more people with their marketing. If you’ve never used Mailchimp before, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through the basics to get your first campaign up and running.
Step 1: Sign Up and Set Up Your Account
Go to Mailchimp’s website and create a free account (link opens in a new tab).
Complete your profile by entering your organisation’s name, website, and address (don’t skip this—it’s required by GDPR!).
Import your contact list by uploading a CSV file or manually adding subscribers. A top tip here though is to make sure your excel or CSV file headers match the way the audience list is in Mailchimp. It can be faffy if you don’t do this.
Cheery Tip: Always make sure your subscribers have opted in to receive your emails. Nobody likes spam!
Step 2: Create Your First Audience
Mailchimp uses “audiences” to organise your email contacts. Here’s how to set one up:
Navigate to the Audience tab and click Create Audience.
Give it a name, like “Newsletter Subscribers” or “Donors.”
Set up default email settings, such as your “From” name and email address.
Pro Tip: Use Mailchimp’s tags to categorise your audience. For example, tag donors as “Supporters” and event attendees as “Event Fans.” Mailchimp prefers you to have one mass audience and then divvy them up into tags.
Step 3: Design a Beautiful Campaign
Now comes the fun part—creating your first email campaign.
Go to the Campaigns tab and click Create Campaign.
Choose Email and give your campaign a name.
Pick one of Mailchimp’s templates or start from scratch with the drag-and-drop editor.
Design Tips:
Keep it simple: Use a clean design with your logo and brand colours.
Add visuals: Include a banner image or photos to make your email pop.
Clear call-to-action: Tell your readers exactly what to do next—donate, shop, sign up, or attend.
Why VPNs are Good for Small Businesses and Step 4: Automate Your Emails
Automation is where Mailchimp really shines. You can set up a series of emails to go out automatically based on triggers like sign-ups or purchases.
Here’s how to create an automated welcome email:
Go to Automations and click Create Automation.
Choose the Welcome New Subscribers template.
Customise your email with a warm greeting and a bit about your organisation.
Set the timing, such as sending the email one hour after someone signs up.
Why Automate?
It saves you time and ensures every subscriber gets the same warm welcome. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to build relationships right from the start.
Step 5: Track Your Results
Once your campaign is live, it’s time to see how it performed. Head to the Reports tab to view key metrics like:
Open rate: How many people opened your email.
Click rate: How many clicked on your links.
Unsubscribes: Who’s decided to leave (don’t take it personally, it happens!).
What to Do with This Data:
If your open rate is low, experiment with different subject lines.
If your click rate needs a boost, try clearer call-to-actions or more engaging content.
How Mailchimp Helps You Leverage Quality Data
Now, let’s talk about data—the real MVP of email marketing. Mailchimp provides tools to ensure your data is accurate, actionable, and GDPR-compliant.
Segmentation for Personalisation
Mailchimp’s segmentation feature lets you divide your audience into smaller groups based on interests, behaviours, or demographics. For example:
Send a donation appeal to past donors.
Share event updates with attendees.
Promote special discounts to your most loyal customers.
Personalised emails get higher engagement rates because they feel relevant and thoughtful.
List Hygiene Made Easy
Mailchimp makes it simple to keep your subscriber list clean. It automatically tracks bounced emails and inactive contacts, so you can remove them and improve your deliverability.
Analytics for Smarter Campaigns
With Mailchimp’s reports, you can see what’s resonating with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly. It’s like having a crystal ball for your email marketing!
Tips for First-Party Data Success in 2024
As the marketing world shifts to focus on first-party data, Mailchimp is perfectly positioned to help you stay ahead of the curve. Here’s how to make the most of it:
Build Your List with Opt-Ins: Offer something valuable, like a free guide or event access, in exchange for email addresses.
Ask for Preferences: Use Mailchimp’s forms to learn what your subscribers care about most.
Engage Regularly: Keep your list active by sending relevant, high-quality content.
Final Thoughts: Why Mailchimp is Your Best Mate in Email Marketing
If you’re looking for a tool that’s affordable, easy to use, and packed with features, Mailchimp ticks all the boxes. From stunning templates to automation and data-driven insights, it’s the perfect choice for UK businesses and charities aiming to make a big impact on a small budget. Quick thing to note is that if you have a website you may not be able to integrate your mail list sign ups without a developer. Just a wee something to keep in mind.
Ready to give it a go? Pop over to Mailchimp and start creating your first campaign. And remember, if you need a helping hand, I’m always here to cheer you on. Happy emailing, my lovelies! 😊
I can help build your marketing with you
Contact me today for a consultation!
I’m here to help!
I support so many small businesses, start-ups and charities with their marketing and I love it!
I can help you too…
