Get Perplexed and Burst Your Way to MailChimp on WordPress

Step 1: Are You Ready?

So, you’re a website owner looking to share news, promote products, and keep in touch with your audience? Sounds like you need MailChimp, the popular email marketing platform that can be integrated with WordPress in just a few steps.

Step 2: Get a MailChimp Account

First things first, to use MailChimp with WordPress, you need a MailChimp account. But don’t worry, if you don’t have one, head to the MailChimp homepage and sign up for a free account, then log in to your account.

Step 3: Create a List… for What?

Now that you’re all set up with a MailChimp account, navigate to the Lists tab on your MailChimp dashboard. What’s a list, you ask? It’s where you’ll store the email addresses of your subscribers. Click on the “Create List” button and fill out the required information, including your list name and the email address you’ll use to send your newsletters. You may also need to add some information, such as your physical address, to comply with email marketing regulations.

Step 4: API, Say What?

Alright, here’s where things get a little bit technical. To connect WordPress with MailChimp, you need to generate an API key… What’s an API key, you ask? It’s a long string of characters that allows WordPress to connect with your MailChimp account. Here’s how you generate one:

Click on your account name in the top right corner and select “Account” from the dropdown menu. From here, click on “Extras” and then “API Keys”. On the API keys page, click “Create A Key” to generate a new key. Copy the long string of characters and save it for later.

Step 5: Get the MailChimp for WordPress Plugin

Ready for some more technical jargon? To add MailChimp to your WordPress site, you need to install the MailChimp for WordPress plugin. This plugin makes it easy to connect your WordPress site to your MailChimp list, and it allows you to add signup forms to your site. In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” and then click “Add New”. Search for “MailChimp for WordPress” and click “Install Now”. Once the plugin is installed, click “Activate”.

Step 6: Let’s Connect, Baby!

You’re almost there! Now that you’ve installed the plugin, the next step is to connect your MailChimp account to your WordPress site. To do this, go to “MailChimp for WP” in your WordPress dashboard. This is where you paste in the API key you generated earlier. Head to the “Global Settings” tab, paste in your API key, and then click “Save Changes”. This will verify your MailChimp account and allow you to use the plugin to create signup forms.

Step 7: Get Creative with Signup Forms

Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to get creative with your signup forms. The MailChimp for WordPress plugin comes with a number of templates and tools to help you create effective signup forms. To create a new form, go to the “Forms” tab and click “Add New”. From here, you can choose a form type and customize it to fit your needs. You can choose from widgets, embedded forms, and popups, and you can customize the look and feel of your form to match your website.

Step 8: Let’s Get This Party Started!

You’ve done all the hard work, now it’s time to place your signup form on your WordPress site so that people can sign up. Depending on the type of form you created, there are a few different ways to do this.

To add a widget form, go to “Appearance” and then “Widgets” in your WordPress dashboard. Find the “MailChimp Signup Form” widget and drag it into the sidebar or footer where you want it to appear. To add an embedded form, copy the shortcode provided in the “Forms” tab of your MailChimp for WordPress plugin and paste it into any page or post on your site. To add a popup form, go to the “Popup” tab in the MailChimp for WordPress plugin and click “Create New”. From here, you can customize your popup and set it to appear on specific pages or at specific times.

Step 9: Congrats, You’re a Pro!

We told you it was just a few simple steps! Now that MailChimp is set up on your WordPress site, you can start collecting email addresses and sending newsletters and promotional emails to your subscribers. With the right content and a solid marketing strategy, email marketing can help you build a loyal audience and grow your business.