Lesson #3 How To Set Up Your Newsletter Account (For Beginners)
If you are already cool with setting up a newsletter then you can move on to Lesson #4, however there may be something for you below so give it a scan anyway.
Here' we are going to get into some of the technical meat in the sandwich. Some of you will love this and subsequent lessons because you are more technically minded.
Others of you would have loved the last two lessons because they made you go to your heart and find out who you are and what you are doing.
But both the heart and the mind are needed to work together to create a positive result so hopefully you'll find a way to pair the two successfully.
Let's get started...
Besides, Mailchimp has many tutorials that are great for beginners. Fact is whatever newsletter provider you choose, you're gonna need to get your hands dirty and learn the ropes if you are to market yourself properly.
With Mailchimp you get to have up to 2000 list members free before you have to pay a subscription so it's good for beginners.
Mailchimp is what I use so that's what I'm best able to help you with. As your system and business grows you may need to expand and consider a different provider, but I like Mailchimp right now so lets use that.
If you prefer Aweber here's a good setup guide
If you use infusion soft here a guide for that
If you prefer Vertical Response here's a guide for those guys
#1 Signup For An Account
This bit is simples. Go to http://mailchimp.com and signup using your best email address. Then confirm your account.
#2 The Get Started Screen (Dashboard)
Mailchimp has very good tutorial articles and I'd suggest you take the time to read those. Here's one you should defo read.
http://kb.mailchimp.com/accounts/accountsetup/gettingstartedwithmailchimp
Follow the guide on the Dashboard Get Started screen and complete each section.
#3 Adding Members To Your List
To allow people subscribe to your list you'll need to;
1. First create a list in your account
2. Then, create an API Key ( Account >> Extras >> API Keys >> Create API Key)
3. Create a Form (Customise this is you like)
There are several types of "forms" depending on your needs but you don't need to worry too much about this for now. The default forms will do just fine to get you started.
In later Lessons we will customise your visitors experience by editing these forms and changing the visitor landing pages that are currently handled by default within Mailchimp.
#4 Integrating Mailchimp with your website (WordPress)
If your website is not built on WordPress then you will need to consult with a developer to integrate your newsletter provider with your website.
I love WordPress as it has huge flexibility and scope for third party integrations. With Mailchimp it's no different.
I wrote this post and recorded a tutorial video a little while ago which goes into the integration so you should defo check that out.
I also wrote this post about getting started with your email newsletter which I'd also recommend you check out.
A Free Plugin To Allow Mailchimp & WordPress Integration
I use the
Optin Forms Plugin for linking Mailchimp to my WordPress website. There are more sophisticated solutions out there but this one allows you to set things up very easily.
1. Go here and download the plugin
2. Instal the plugin on your website
3. Configure the plugin
The plugin comes with a "shortcode" like this one [optinform], which displays your optin form with the link to your mailchimp account wherever you place the code.
It's really simple to use and allows you place the form anywhere you want to.
In the sidebar, in your footer, at the bottom of pages and/or posts... It's real y flexible and you get to customise it in the plugin settings.
Another Way To Integrate With Mailchimp
I use another Free plugin to integrate with Mailchimp called Mailchimp For WordPress and you should also check that one out. It has a paid pro version that has lots more features than the free version.
Whatever plugin you intend using you'll need to use your Mailchimp API Key to activate the integration which you will find here;
Mailchimp Dashboard >> Account >> Extras >> API Keys
If you have none set up it's easy to do. Just fol ow the instructions.
Once You've Set Things Up...
Once you have set all this up (It's really not that complex at all ), you are almost ready to receive subscribers...
But first there's a little bit of customisation to certain pages that you need to do. After someone signs up to your list, the newsletter application you use will send them to pages that are automatically generated.
These automatically generated Thank You Pages are pretty shitty, so you'll need to modify them and take advantage of a real opportunity to engage with your new member.