Setting up MailChimp & Your Optin Forms

Whoa! We're nearly there.

You are so close to completing your list building setup.

All you need to do is get your optin forms and MailChimp working. So let's do it.

Step 1: Set up a MailChimp Account

If you don't have one already, you will need to create one. It's easy.

First, you'll enter your email address, a username, and a password.

From there, you'll confirm your account via email. Then you'll go through the setup (name, address, etc).

When you're done all that, you'll need to create a list. Here's what to do.

From your dashboard page, hit the Create a List button.

The next thing is to enter in some details. You'll need your list's name, your "from" name, your "from" email address, and a couple other things.

When you're done, hit the SAVE button and you're good to go.

The next thing is to setup the automatic stuff. Like the confirmation email and the thank you page.

So click on Signup Forms and then General Forms.

Now...

From the dropdown menu, click the one for the confirmation email.

All you need to do here is to delete your list's name from the subject line. No one needs to know your list name. :P

The last thing is to replace the thank you page with your download page.

It's easy. Simply paste the URL into field and hit SAVE.

Boom. You're done.

Now it's time to create your optin forms and integrate them with MailChimp.

Step 2: Setup Your Optin Forms

I'm not sure which plugin you chose, so I'm going to show you how to use both.

So let's get started.

How to Setup OptinEngine

If you haven't installed the plugin, do it now.

Creating optin forms with this is pretty easy. Here's how:

First, you click the Create New Optin button and then choose the template and the type (widget, etc).

From here, you customize.

You can colour it the way you want. You can choose a different image. Etc.

To integrate with MailChimp, click the Add Email Provider link. This will bring up a popup box that will ask you for your MailChimp account name and API Key.

To get these you'll have to go back into your MailChimp account.

You can get your account name here: (/account/details)

And the API Key here: (/account/api)

You will likely have to create an API Key first. It's easy...click CREATE and it'll do the rest.

When it's ready, you can paste it to where it needs to be. And you'll be good to go.

You're done!

Now you can create as many optin forms as you'd like.

How to Setup MailMunch

Before you can start creating optin forms with MailMunch, you'll need to create an account. It's free and easy.

All you need is your website name, URL, email, and a password.

Anyway, when you're done with that, click that Create button. Then choose whichever optin form you want to create first.

Customizing it is on you. Everything is your choice. You can choose the colours, the text, the images, and everything else.

But I'd recommend adding the NAME field on your forms. It'll be under Fields. You'll see it.

If you want to turn the exit-intent on, it'll be under Behavior.

i. Choose MailChimp from the group.

ii. Enter your username and password.

And you're practically done. All that's left is the double optin, which is how your confirmation email will be sent.

Save it and you're done. You've got your first optin form.

Now you can create as many as you'd like. Just follow the same steps.

You are finished!

Congrats. You now have a mailing list.

All that's left is to get people on it.

Good luck!