MailChimp

If you’ve read an article on monetizing your blog, then you probably understand the importance of email marketing. There is a famous saying in blogging, “Money is in the List”. If you notice to your right, you will see an email subscription option. We use email newsletters to keep our users updated. We also give them an option to choose from their interests. For example, you can choose to receive WPBeginner Daily feed via email. You can choose to receive emails about new books, new coupons, freebies, and blogging tips. In order to do this successfully and efficiently, we utilize an email marketing service MailChimp.

You are probably wondering why don’t we just use create a free email newsletter using WordPress like our article suggested. The main reason is because that method is unreliable. It does not have the functions or capabilities that services like MailChimp or Aweber can offer. Often new bloggers make the mistake of using FeedBurner or a plugin to handle their opt-in and newsletters. You are making a mistake. Yes, you can use a plugin or Feedbuer to send out email newsletters from within WordPress, but it is not the most effective way. As your list gets larger, you will run into SPAM issues, low deliverability rate, and much more.

Experiments have shown that when you do NOT use a third-party service like MailChimp or Aweber, you will see a lower deliverability rate. Meaning your message will automatically go to the SPAM box rather than going into the Inbox. The downside of using a third party service is recurring cost. You will find yourself paying every month for using their service. However, no matter who you ask, they will tell you that it is well-worth the cost.

Often we notice that new bloggers make the decision to use a free WordPress plugin to collect emails with the decision to later move to a service like MailChimp or Aweber. You need to consider double-optin. Most email marketing services do not let you import your list without requiring a double-optin. Meaning all of your subscribers will have to confirm that they subscribed to your list. You will see a huge drop in the numbers.

We have written a pretty thorough article about What, Whys, and How-To’s of Email Newsletter for your WordPress blog. This article will give you a full email newsletter 101. It will show you what is a newsletter, why you need it, which service is the best, how to build a list, how add it into WordPress, how to add opt-in box in your theme’s sidebar, how to add a lightbox popup for opt-in, and other lead generation techniques.

Our founder, Syed Balkhi gives MailChimp a 5 out of 5 star rating. The main reason for that is because MailChimp has a great user-interface. It lets us send emails, manage subscribers, offer SUPERB tracking, setup autoresponders, create beautiful email templates, target subscribers, and split test our campaigns. MailChimp does have a FREE option with certain limitations (Upto 2000 subscribers and 12,000 emails / month). Signup for FREE.

Again don’t forget to read our Email Marketing 101 guide.