Small business web design new & views.
Another post freshly unveiled courtesy of Envato Tuts+ Tutorials. Quite likely among the most reliable providers of free information online.
If you’re looking for a great way to reach your audience, consider using a Mailchimp newsletter. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to get people’s attention and using Mailchimp makes the process even easier.
In this Mailchimp tutorial, you’ll get tips on Mailchimp newsletter creation to help you connect better with subscribers and customers. And we’ll share how you can improve your newsletters even more with professional newsletter template designs from Envato Elements and ThemeForest.
Why Mailchimp?
So why would you use Mailchimp for email newsletter creation? One of the main reasons is that it’s ridiculously easy to use. It also includes clear steps for newsletter creation within a simple, one-page interface.
.png)
Mailchimp also wins for small businesses on a budget. That’s because the Mailchimp free plan is excellent and allows you to manage an audience of up to 2,000 contacts and send up to 10,000 emails a month.
Even Mailchimp’s starter plan is pretty affordable when you need to upgrade. So, if you start your newsletter for free you won’t be left hanging when it’s time to level up.
Another reason to use this type of email marketing software is that Mailchimp automations are available even in the free plan. You can use these to build a better relationship with your audience. For example, you can easily set up a welcome email sequence to encourage new subscribers to visit your website and get more engaged with you.
Learn more about welcome emails in the article below:
-
Email DesignEverything Developers Need to Know About Sending Transactional Email
Mailchimp has other useful marketing features, too, like the ability to create landing pages. And Mailchimp provides statistics you can use to better understand subscriber behavior so that you can improve future emails and interactions. This is useful when you’re using email marketing to grow your business.
Finally, another plus is that you don’t just have to use the default email newsletter templates. You can import your own templates into Mailchimp to improve email newsletter design.
Why Use a Premium Newsletter Template?
If you’re going to use a template within Mailchimp consider using a premium newsletter template. There are several reasons why this makes sense.
Sometimes default templates can be limited and you won’t get precisely the look that you want for your email newsletter. And if you’ve got limited design skills, using a prebuilt premium Mailchimp template means you can still wow your subscribers with a great-looking newsletter.
Another downside of creating a newsletter with free or default Mailchimp templates is that you’re using the same design as thousands of other people, so your email newsletter may not look unique. When you get a premium template, it’s likely to be used by far fewer people, so you can be sure your newsletter will stand out in subscribers’ inboxes. Plus, you’ll be able to easily customize it to match your business branding.
Plus, making an investment in a premium template means the template developers get paid. In turn, that means they can invest the time to ensure their templates comply with the latest web standards. That means you’ll get a responsive, mobile-friendly newsletter template that looks good on every device.
A good place to look for premium email newsletter templates is Envato Elements. There are hundreds of newsletter template designs for you to choose from, and they’ve got a great offer you can take advantage of today: download as many templates as you want for one low price.
%20(1).png)
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to get a single newsletter template for one-off use, then consider ThemeForest, which has hundreds of affordable email newsletter templates.
How to Use Mailchimp to Create a Newsletter
Ready to create a Mailchimp newsletter? Follow the tips in our guide to create a stunning email newsletter for your audience.
1. Choose a Template
The first thing to do is to choose a template for your Mailchimp email newsletter. Don’t worry too much about branding and color scheme at this point. If you use a premium template, you’ll definitely be able to change those later.
To find a premium Mailchimp newsletter template on Envato Elements, click the side of the search box to select Web Templates. This will refine your search to templates suitable for web use, including email templates.
Type Mailchimp into the search box, then use the filtering tools at the side to select email templates. This will show you all the possible Mailchimp templates you could use.
Tip: Ideally, your email newsletter template will be fully responsive, so look for that information in the template description. It’s also worth knowing that a standard width for email templates is 600px.
If you see a template you like, click on it to see a preview and get further details. Then use Add&Download to add your chosen template to your Envato account. Learn more about selecting email templates in the following article:
-
Email TemplatesA Guide to Selecting Email Templates for eCommerce
2. Brand Your Template
Before you add your template to Mailchimp, there’s another step. Many premium newsletter templates include a template designer or editor so that you can tweak the template before downloading it and importing into Mailchimp. This is your chance to edit your template to match your company branding.
Things to do include:
- Change the colors to match your branding.
- Add your company logo.
- Remove unwanted modules if it’s a modular template.
- Duplicate any modules or sections you’ll need more than once.
Once you’re finished, import your template into Mailchimp and you’re ready to start creating your newsletter.
3. Choose Your Topic
It’s important to decide what your newsletter will be about. This will vary depending on your business, and will likely be a mix of offers, tips, and announcements.
For example, if you’re a fashion retailer, you’ll likely send information about new lines of clothing or upcoming sales. If you’re in travel, you’ll talk about destinations and great deals. If you’re in real estate, you’ll showcase new properties and share home buying tips. And if you own a restaurant, you’ll talk about new dishes and maybe offer coupons.
There are more email newsletter content ideas later in this guide.
4. Write Your Email Subject Line
Did you know that 34% of people (according to Litmus) check the email subject line before deciding whether to open your email? The email subject line is what people see when an email lands in the email inbox, and it’s essential to get it right so they decide to open the email. If they don’t open, they’ll never see the rest of your beautiful newsletter.
Options for your email subject line include:
- Telling it like it is. Describing the offer or deal that’s inside.
- Inspiring curiosity. Asking a question that makes subscribers open the email for the answer.
- Using humor or inspiring emotion. When your subscribers feel something, they’ll be interested in opening your email.
Learn more about writing appealing email subject lines in the following article:
-
Email MarketingHow to Write Great Subject Lines for Your Marketing Emails
5. Write Your Headline
Once subscribers open your email, they’ll see the headline. This is usually slightly different from the email subject line. Like headlines for other content, an email headline has to wow subscribers and make them want to read on.
It’s also important that the headline delivers on the email subject line. In other words, if your email subject line says you’re making an offer, then your headline should also mention the offer. People expect your headline to be relevant to what you’ve promised with the subject line. Here’s an example of what I mean.
6. Draft Your Email Copy
The body of your email is your message to subscribers. Keep it short. The latest research from the Public Relations Society of America suggests that since most people spend less than a minute looking at your email, the ideal length of email copy is 200 words. Clearly, every word has to count.
Having said that, don’t get too hung up on best practices. If you need more space to deliver your message or achieve your aims, take it. But if you’re going to write a longer email, make sure you break it up with subheads and bold or italic text. This draws your readers’ gaze to those areas.
The last part of your email copy is the call to action (CTA). We’ll look at that next.
7. Add a Call to Action (CTA)
As the name suggests a call to action tells subscribers what you want them to do. This is the goal of your email newsletter. Even if you’re in business, your CTA isn’t always about making sales. Email marketing is about building a relationship with subscribers, so most emails will avoid the hard sell.
Many studies say that more than 80% of the emails you send should be non-promotional. So, in addition to asking people to buy, your call to action might ask people to visit a product page, read a blog post, or download a free resource.
An effective CTA is:
- is short, usually no more than two to four words
- is direct, using a verb to tell subscribers what to do (like “get”, “download”, or “buy”)
- highlights a benefit, for example when something is free or low-cost
- appeals to urgency, using time-sensitive terms like “now” and “today”
Learn more about writing effective CTAs in How to Create a Compelling Call to Action.
7. Add Images
As humans, we’re hardwired to pay attention to images. That’s why it makes sense to include at least one image in your Mailchimp newsletter. An image that’s relevant to your content can draw the gaze and make the rest of your email newsletter look more appealing.
Of course, there’s a trade-off. Too many images will slow loading time for your email newsletter. That’s a problem on mobile devices, which is where many people read newsletters these days. So, don’t overdo the images, and use an image compression tool to make sure they load quickly.
9. Add Your Social Profiles
Most email newsletter templates include a section where you can add links to your social media profiles. Do this, because it’s an easy way to encourage more interaction from subscribers. If they like your newsletter, they’ll probably check you out on social media, and may even follow you if they like what they see. Plus, when people see a consistent, branded presence across the web, it builds trust, and subscribers who trust you are more likely to take your offers or buy your products.
10. Test Your Email
The last step before you send your newsletter to subscribers is to test it, so you get a feel for the experience they’ll have when it arrives. There are two kinds of testing to do.
First, send a test email to your own address. Make sure it’s not in the spam box, then check the subject line and see what the email template looks like. This is a good time to do a final proofread. You don’t want avoidable mistakes to make your newsletter look less professional.
If your email ends up in the spam or junk email box, then try another test. Use an email spam testing service like Mail-Tester or GlockApps to troubleshoot any problems that are keeping your email out of the inbox. Fix any issues, then you’re ready to send.
Newsletter Ideas For Email Marketing
Stuck for ideas on creating your email newsletter? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Share a useful resource you’ve created, like a checklist, worksheet, or guide.
- Share a useful resource from another site or business. You can find a never-ending stream of up to date content by using Feedly to monitor your niche.
- Give subscribers a quick tip to help them get more from your website, product or service.
- Let subscribers peek behind the curtain and get an insider’s view of your business. This will help to make them feel part of your network and will build trust.
- Share a video—this can be an explainer video, a how-to video, or a video that you found interesting. Even in email newsletters, video grabs subscribers’ interest. Be sure to mention there’s a video in your subject line.
- Offer a deal or freebie—that’s guaranteed to appeal.
Learn More About Mailchimp
Learn more about Mailchimp in the following articles:
-
MailChimp25 Best MailChimp Responsive Email Templates (2019 Newsletter Designs)
-
Email MarketingHow to Quickly Make Newsletters in Mailchimp With Pro Template Designs
-
Email NewslettersMailChimp vs. Campaign Monitor: Which Is the Best Email Newsletter Software?
-
MailChimpMastering MailChimp: Best Templates and Email Tips for MailChimp Newsletters
-
MailChimpBest MailChimp Templates to Level Up Your Business Email Newsletter 2019
Get Started on Your Own Mailchimp Newsletter
Now it’s over to you to use the tips we’ve shared to become a Mailchimp expert and start creating your own Mailchimp newsletter. Don’t forget; you can make the task easier with a stunning premium newsletter template from Envato Elements or ThemeForest.
Originally published here Envato Tuts+ Tutorials
Hope you found that useful information that they provided. You’ll find similar articles on our website: https://www.designmysite1st.com
Leave me your views just below, share a quick comment and let me know what topics you want us to write about in up coming articles.