To use Mailchimp for email marketing, set up an account, build one audience, collect subscribers with a signup form, send a campaign to subscribed contacts, and review its report. Start with that basic workflow before adding automation or more complex targeting.
1. Set up your Mailchimp account
Create an account and activate it through the email Mailchimp sends. Mailchimp is web-based and works in supported browsers, so you do not need to download or install an application. Its getting-started guide follows the same progression: account, audience, signup form, email, and reporting.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
2. Create one audience and choose consent settings
For most small businesses, one audience is the simplest starting point. Mailchimp recommends organizing that audience with tags, groups, and segments rather than creating separate audiences for every campaign or customer type. Contacts present in multiple audiences count toward each audience’s total, and audiences do not share data. Use more than one only when there is a real need to keep contact records distinct. See Mailchimp’s audience guidance.
Choose single or double opt-in
During audience setup, Mailchimp lets you choose single or double opt-in. With double opt-in, a person receives a confirmation message and is added as a subscriber after confirming. This adds a step to signup and records confirmation; Mailchimp does not prescribe one choice for every business. Consider the signup experience you want and the evidence of confirmation you need.
#1 Best Overall
Consider GDPR fields
Mailchimp also offers GDPR fields for collecting consent and explaining how data will be used. These are platform options, not a determination that your signup process meets the law where you operate. Check the requirements that apply to your business and subscribers.
3. Collect subscribers with a signup form
Mailchimp can generate a signup form that you customize and share. If you have a website, its embedded signup form builder can provide code to add a form to a page.
If you later edit an embedded form, changes to the form in Mailchimp do not update code already pasted on your site. Copy the updated code from Mailchimp and replace the old code on the website.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →4. Organize contacts for relevant campaigns
Use the organization method that matches the information you need:
- Tags: labels you assign to contacts, such as “webinar attendee.”
- Groups: interests or preferences that contacts can indicate, such as the type of updates they want.
- Segments: criteria-based filters that select contacts by attributes or activity for targeting.
Segmentation capabilities vary by plan. Mailchimp’s current help documentation says Free and Essentials segments can have up to 10 conditions; higher tiers have an advanced builder subject to plan qualifications. Check the current segment options before designing a workflow around a particular condition or feature.
5. Create and send your first email campaign
In Mailchimp’s campaign builder, choose recipients, enter the email details, select a template, and add content. Review the message before sending it or scheduling it for later. Use the builder’s steps to check the recipient list and email before committing to a send; Mailchimp’s campaign instructions describe the process.
Send marketing email only to contacts whose status is subscribed. Mailchimp distinguishes subscribed contacts from non-subscribed contacts, and having someone’s address in an audience does not by itself mean they are eligible to receive marketing messages. Its contact-status guidance explains those distinctions.
6. Check campaign results and audience analytics
After sending, review the campaign report for opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. Use the results to decide what to change in the next email—for example, whether its content or call to action should be adjusted. Mailchimp describes available email campaign reports in its help center.
Audience analytics can show contact totals and subscription status. Mailchimp lists this feature for Standard plans or higher, and says at least one email or SMS contact is needed to generate report information. Confirm current audience analytics access before relying on it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Choose a plan based on contacts and needs
Compare plans using your total contact count, expected growth, segmentation needs, and whether you need audience analytics. Mailchimp’s contact total includes subscribed, unsubscribed, and non-subscribed contacts; archived, cleaned, and deleted contacts are excluded. A list with relatively few active subscribers can therefore still have a larger billable or plan-relevant contact total. Check the current contact-count definitions and plan details for your region and account before choosing.
Prices, plan availability, limits, and feature inclusions can change, so use Mailchimp’s live pricing information rather than relying on an old quoted price. In particular, verify the plan’s segmentation and analytics features if those capabilities are essential to your workflow.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
8. Add automation after the basics work
Once you can collect subscribers, target an appropriate audience, send a campaign, and interpret its report, consider an automation flow. Mailchimp describes flows as contact journeys built from triggers, branches, and actions, which can personalize what happens based on a contact’s path. Automation is an optional next step, not a prerequisite for sending a first campaign. See Mailchimp’s automation-flow overview.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
