Guide
Send your first email newsletter (Mailchimp)
From zero to a subscriber list and your first sent campaign, in under an hour.
Create a Mailchimp account
Go to mailchimp.com and sign up for the Free plan (up to 500 contacts). Confirm your email and enter your business details, Mailchimp legally needs a physical address to include in emails.
Create your audience (list)
Audience → Create Audience. Give it a name, add your 'from' address (best if it matches your domain, hello@yourbrand.com looks far more legitimate than a Gmail).
Build a signup form
Audience → Signup forms → Embedded forms. Copy the HTML snippet and paste it into your website footer or a dedicated 'Newsletter' page.
Import your existing contacts
Only import people who explicitly gave you permission (past customers, event attendees). Never upload purchased lists, Mailchimp will suspend your account and your emails will land in spam.
Design your first email
Campaigns → Create → Email → Regular. Pick a clean template. Keep the design simple: one headline, one image, one clear button. Long emails get skimmed.
Write a subject line worth opening
Keep it under 50 characters. Be specific and human, 'We changed our menu (finally)' beats 'March Newsletter'. Avoid ALL CAPS, exclamation marks!!!, and the word 'free' (spam filter red flags).
Send a test, then send for real
Send a preview to yourself and one team member. Check it on mobile. Then click Send. Watch open rate over the next 48 hours, 20–30% is healthy for a small business.
That’s the whole thing.
Keep going
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