Set up an amazing welcome email with MailChimp

Goal: Crafting an engaging, compelling automated welcome email using MailChimp.

Ideal Outcome: A welcome email aligned with your brand, automatically dispatched to new newsletter subscribers.

Why this matters: Building rapport with subscribers is crucial; a stellar welcome email can kickstart this process, enhancing subscriber engagement and fostering repeat business.

Location: Primarily within MailChimp, an online platform enabling businesses to automate newsletter welcome emails.

Timing: Ideally, upon initiating your email list building efforts, ensuring the welcome email is ready when the first subscribers join.

Who’s involved: You, your content writer, your email marketing expert, or a digital marketing agency you’ve engaged.

Environment setup

1. Register with MailChimp; the service is complimentary for small businesses with under 2,000 subscribers or fewer than 12,000 emails per month.
2. Once your MailChimp account is set up, proceed to verify your email domain.
3. Navigate to “Domains” under “Website” in the menu, then select “Add & Verify Domain.”
4. Enter your email address and click “Send Verification Email.” Verify by clicking the link in your inbox.

Next, opt for the new default email builder:

1. Click your profile photo at the top right, then select “Profile.”
2. Under “Settings,” choose “Details.”
3. Scroll down and opt for the “New Builder,” which becomes the default mode for new email creation, offering an updated user interface for in-email content editing.

Crafting an outstanding welcome email

Unlike many digital marketing elements, there’s no set formula for a compelling welcome email. However, certain guidelines ensure its attractiveness:

1. Begin with greetings, expressing gratitude for the new subscriber.
2. Set expectations regarding the value subscribers will receive and email frequency.
3. Introduce yourself or your brand to establish credibility.
4. Include a call to action, such as inviting them to explore popular blog articles or whitelist your email.
5. Add your signature and optionally, a headshot for increased credibility.

Automating your stellar welcome email

Manual emailing is outdated; automate the process via MailChimp in a few simple steps:

1. Log into MailChimp and select “Campaigns,” then “Create new.”
2. Choose “Design email” under “Regular email.”
3. Select “Automations” and “Get Started.”
4. Choose your starting point, e.g., “Signs up for Email.”
5. Add a “Journey point” to establish rules and actions, like a time delay before sending.
6. Select a template and customize details such as sender, subject, and schedule.
7. Opt for Google Analytics tracking for enhanced insights.
8. Design your email, suggesting a plain text format for a more personal touch.
9. Add content and images, then save and close.

Voila! Your first MailChimp welcome email is ready to delight subscribers, fostering engagement and loyalty effortlessly.