How to Use Mailchimp For Lead Gen Freebies

So, you've probably heard about the method of gaining subscribers or leads through freebies - ammiright?  If not, it's a method where you take your most popular blog posts, articles, or any other kind of content on your blog or website and you create a freebie or an upgrade to entice people into subscribing.

Freebies can come in many forms:

• E-books
• Email Courses
• Printables
• Worksheets
• E-courses
• Guides
• Challenges
• Facebook Groups

What's the point?

When you have a solid subscription list, you have a solid list of prospects that are interested in your work.  You have direct access to your potential customer.  Whether you use affiliate links and ads to make money off of your blog or you create products, your subscribers are still potential customers and your biggest fans.  They are statistically more likely to share your posts on social media as well.  So, who is ready to start using Mailchimp to gain subscribers and deliver your freebie?

First, you need to create the freebie. 

Use your website analytics to find your most popular posts.  Which ones get visited over and over again and are evergreen?  Begin brainstorming on a freebie for it.  You can choose to create something as simple as an action plan worksheet to go with a blog post or a printable (an easy way people can print/visualize your post - good for a recipe post).  You may also choose to do something more complex, which will take more time, but probably garner more leads.  An e-book, for example, can take a HOT MINUTE to write and design, but, it also can be a lead magnet for years.  Once you've created your freebie (hint:  make it pretty.  I design mine in Canva.), it's time to create a form.

Second, you need to create a form and/or landing page.

If you are creating a simple freebie (worksheet, printable), create a form to capture emails for the freebie.  You can do this in Mailchimp.

1)  Go to Mailchimp.com (nope, not an affiliate link, just a fan).

2)  Click on LISTS and then CREATE LIST.

3)  Fill out your preferences for the list and save.

4)  Click on SIGN UP FORMS and then GENERAL FORM.

5)  In the drop down menu, you will first want to choose SIGN UP FORM.  Here you can add the form fields you want (the less, the better) in the BUILD IT screen.

6)  To design the form so it matches your brand, click on the DESIGN IT tab.

7)  You will need to know your color codes for the design section.  If you don't know the codes to the colors on your site, click here for color codes.  You can upload a picture of the color (a screenshot from your site will do) and it will tell you the code of the color in the picture.  You just click your mouse on the color you need the code for.  In the DESIGN IT section, you can also change the font to match your website's font.

8)Next, go back to the BUILD IT tab and go to the drop down menu.  You now want to choose FINAL WELCOME EMAIL.  This is where you will add your freebie link.  When someone fills out your form, they will automatically receive the final welcome email with the link to the freebie.

9)  You will see something like this --> 

The part you can edit is the, "Your subscription to our..."  Click there and write a note to your new subscriber.  

Click on the link button.

And, choose FILE in the drop down menu.  You'll be directed to a screen like this.

10)  Click UPLOAD and upload your newly created freebie.  Then, select the freebie.  Now, it is added to your email.

BOOM, DONE.  It's that easy.  Now, anyone who signs up for your freebie will automatically get an email with the freebie in it - yay!

If you haven't already, don't forget to add a link or embedded form to your blog post, so people can subscribe to get your freebie.  I like to create buttons that lead to my forms, but you have many options.  You can also create a landing page for your freebie - like this one.  It's your call.

Any questions?