Ever think of doing an email newsletter?

This often starts as “Yeah! we need to communicate with our _____ (customers, members, constituents, donors).”  Now, thanks to the combination of WordPress (the content management system behind your website) and MailChimp (the cheeky, free email marketing service), you can do this effectively and with style. 

This blog post was written and formatted using a WordPress template. WordPress web sites automatically establish a “feed” that is picked up by the MailChimp service (once it is configured to do so).  The blog post contents are then e-plopped into an e-newsletter format and then emailed out (automatically) by “the MailChimp.” It looks nice and you can read it on your phone as an email, or click through to the website and see the wild ponies (a fun free photo I downloaded from UnSplash.) This is all rather slick, and it’s just the beginning. There’s a ton more we can do with MailChimp, including all the social media cross-posting you might expect. 

There are a few important rules to consider when setting up MailChimp. The biggest deal is the integrity of your email list. You must have a real relationship with the people you are emailing — ideally having gained either their express or implied permission via some form of opt-in to your newsletter. And your messages can’t be “spammy” to the point where your audience starts complaining and unsubscribing. As soon as MailChimp flags you as a spammer, all the free goodness of the platform is suspended. I have some insight regarding the right and wrong way to use MailChimp … having already done it both ways. 

If you are intrigued by this newsletter approach and believe a combo blog post/email newsletter might be the thing for you, please reply and let me know if you would like to learn more, or leave a comment below. 

Thanks for being a valued client!