How to Set up a MailChimp Newsletter Campaign

1. Go to your dashboard by clicking on MailChimp and logging in.

2.  Click on Campaigns on the left.

3.  In the next screen, go to the Create Campaign button in the top right corner. There will be a blue arrow pointing towards it.

4. In the dropdown, you will see a few choices. If you are sending out a manual newsletter that you have complete control over, choose Regular Ol’ Campaign. If you are wanting to set up a routine newsletter which goes out every time you post, then choose RSS-Driven Campaign. (See instructions here.)

How to set up a Regular Ol’ Campaign

1. Click on it and in the next screen you will see 3 choices. At this early stage you will be choosing the first option since you will be wanting the newsletter to go out to everyone.

2. Click Next in the bottom right-hand corner.

3. Now name your newsletter – I usually put the date so I can distinguish them later but you can name them what you like.

4.Fill in the Email subject, thinking about whether it will catch your subscribers’ attention.

5. Below the Email subject you can decide whether you want the newsletter to have the subscribers’ names in the greeting line or not. Untick if you don’t want this. If you do, you can choose what to put in that field but what is already there will be adequate.

6. On the right will be your blog name and below will be your email.

7. Below, you can click on Tracking, Social Media and More Options to see if you want anything that is offered there.

8. Click on Next in the bottom right-hand corner.

9. Choose the middle circle – Basic. Click Select.

10. Now you will be confronted with several different options of templates. If you click on the down arrow next to each select, you will see View where you will see a preview of each one.

11. I’m going to choose the bottom right one because it gives you the option to have a sidebar where you can put a few things like your social media icons, maybe your ebook etc. Click Select.

12. This is where you can design your newsletter by dragging over different elements from the right into the left newsletter and dropping them where you want them. Place your header at the top. Make it 600px wide.  To enter any area, click on it and it will appear over in the right, which is where you do the creating. It changes on the left while you work. When you have finished with that element, click Save & Close at the bottom.

13. Make sure you click on the short sentence at the very top on the left and write a short summary of your newsletter up there.

14. Play with the elements until the newsletter is how you want it and then click next at the bottom right-hand corner.

15. When you are in a text screen, you will see a few tools to use like Insert Links, Bolding and Italics but you can access more by clicking on the small arrow on the right. There you will find font sizes, colours etc.

16. If you want to delete a section, hover over it and the tools will show up in the top right and there is an edit button, a duplicate button and a delete button.

17. When you have it looking the way you want it, go up to the menu in the black strip and click on the arrow next to Preview and Test. I always click on Send a test email so I can see it the way my subscribers will see it.

18. Find it in your inbox and check all the links.

19. Go back to MailChimp and make any adjustments it needs and repeat until you are happy with it.

20. When you are satisfied it is perfect, click on Next in bottom right-hand corner.

21. Here you can edit any part if you have changed your mind.

22. The last thing you have to do is choose to click Send and it is all over, or Schedule, which I do because I am usually creating mine in New Zealand when the majority of my subscribers are asleep in the US.

23. If you want to schedule, click on the button and the screen will expand downwards.

24. Choose your date and time. There are a few options below but they are for when you start paying.

25. Click Schedule Campaign and it’s done.

26. Go and get a drink.