How to Create Simple MailChimp Campaigns | Step-by-Step Checklist

As a beginner using MailChimp for your bulk email provider, it’s important to remember to keep things simple. Focus your time and effort on your message instead of worrying about all the design features available in your MailChimp account.

Follow these step-by-step checklist instructions in creating your simple MailChimp email campaigns. Click here for video instructions.

Create Your Campaign

• Log into your MailChimp Account

• At the main dashboard, click Campaigns from the top menu bar

• Click Create Campaign button in the upper right of your screen

• Select Email from the pop-up box options

• Type your Campaign Name in the box provided and then click the Begin button

Now you’re ready to fill out and design the details of your campaign

• To Block: Click the Add Recipients button

• Choose your Audience (aka List) in the dropdown menu
  • Skip Segment or Tag section for now
  • Checkmark the Personalize the “To” field
  • In the dropdown, select *|FNAME|* *|LNAME|*
  • Click Save button

• From Block: Should fill out automatically when Audience is selected (within the settings in the Audience)

• Subject Block: Click the Add Subject button

• Type your subject in the box provided
  • Optional: you may type in the Preview text box
    • Consider this a subtitle
    • Not necessary or used all the time
  • Click Save button

• Content Block: Click Design Email button

• Scroll down and select the Simple Text template

Note: Don’t concern yourself with fancy design options in the beginning. Focus on your message. Remember…keep it simple.

• Here, you have sections:
  • Title (1)
  • Body (2)
  • Footer (3) (we will not change anything here in the default footer section)

• Click on the Trash Can icon in the upper right corner of the “It’s time to design your email.” Block
  • As beginners, we won’t worry about this section

• In the second (body) section, click on the Pencil icon

• On the left of your screen is a preview

• On the right of your screen is the editing area
  • Type or paste your text for your email here
    • Tip: If you paste from a Word document, right click and select the “paste in plain text” option. This will remove any formatting that would carry over from your Word document. Sometimes formatting doesn’t transfer well and makes your email look strange.

• Use the icons above the edit text area to format your text

• Once you have your email formatted how you like, you’re now ready to test and preview

Test and Preview Your Email

• From your top menu, select Preview
  • Click Enter preview mode

• This is how your email should look when sent

• You can send yourself a test email
  • From your top menu, select Preview

• Click Send a test email
  • In the Send a test to box, type the email address you want the test email to go to for review
  • Click the Send Test button

• Check the email in your inbox
• Once you’re satisfied with how your email looks, it’s ready to send

• Click the Continue button in the upper right of your screen

Sending your email

• Click the Send button in the upper right of your screen

• Prepare for launch pop-up box appears
• Click Send Now button

Congratulations!!!

You’ve done it!

Notes:

• Schedule button (option) isn’t available for free accounts.
• Use the Finish Later link when you want to get out of your campaign and not send. You can come back to it later.

• Remember…keep it simple. Focus on your message, your content. It’s more important to become consistent and developing your quality content, then it is for fancy formatting.