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If you're a blogger, you need an email list. Plain and simple! And, in order to grow your list. You're going to need an opt in freebie. This article is going to cover the basics on what an opt in freebie is, why you need one, and how to auto deliver an opt in freebie with Mailchimp.
What is an opt in freebie?
An opt in freebie is something that you provide to your readers (for free, of course) in exchange for their email address.
There are lots of different types of freebies:
- ebooks
- ecourses
- stock photographs
- free consults
- video training
- discounts/coupons
- worksheets
Essentially, you advertise your freebie throughout your blog. You'll notice on my blog, I include opt in incentives at the bottom of every post, in my sidebar, and even throughout my blog posts. If your readers enjoy the blog content you've provided them with and they are intrigued by your freebie offer, they'll be sure to subscribe.
Grab your freebie now 🙂
Do you need an opt in freebie?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yes.
Without an opt in freebie, you're left with a basic newsletter subscription box. It's probably going to look something like this:
BORING. Seriously, think about it. If you happened to come across a form like this on someone's site, would you honestly enter in your information? Mmmmm, probably not.
People aren't willing to give their email addresses for free. They want something in return. That's where opt in freebies come into play. Your freebie should be something exciting and it should entice them to fill out that form. And, if you've done your job right, they'll be EXCITED to fill out that form because they know that, in a few minutes, a freebie will be on its way to their inbox.
How to auto deliver an opt in freebie with Mailchimp
I'll start by saying that I'm not Mailchimp's #1 fan. In fact, I started using Mailchimp when I first launched my blog. The only reason I opted to use them was because I was familiar with them from my past work experiences.
So, I went with what I knew. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that Mailchimp isn't made for bloggers. And, for basic automation functionalities, it can get very expensive (they charge a lot!). So that's when I hopped over to Aweber, and from there, to ConvertKit (my email service provider crush - love 'em).
I won't spend time talking about the pros and cons of Mailchimp. I know that it's budget friendly for beginner bloggers (they have a free plan), so instead of convincing you out of it, I'm going to spend time teaching you how to successfully auto deliver an opt in freebie with Mailchimp. If you're going to use it, I want you to use it well.
Mailchimp configuration instructions
Note: I do not actively use Mailchimp. Screenshots are from an old account from year's ago. Lists are not active - sorry, guys, I know longer offer free website setup or web development! This article is purely meant to show users of Mailchimp how to auto deliver an opt in freebie with Mailchimp free accounts.
STEP ONE: Login to Mailchimp
STEP TWO: Navigate to "lists"
Click on the list that you'd like to work on. When someone subscribes to this list, they'll receive your freebie. For this example, I clicked on "website development".
STEP THREE: Select "signup forms"
STEP FOUR: Select "General Forms"
STEP FIVE: Select "Final Welcome Email" from the "forms and response emails" dropdown menu
STEP SIX: Check "send a final welcome email" (DON'T FORGET THIS)
The final welcome email that your subscribers receive will be the one that contains the freebie. What does this mean exactly? Here's how it works:
- First your subscribers sign up
- Then they receive an email asking them to confirm their subscription
- Once they click to confirm their subscription, they are redirected to a URL that confirms they aren't a robot (standard captcha)
- Next, they'll receive an email in their inbox --- THIS is the final welcome email that contains (or WILL contain, I should say) your freebie.
STEP SEVEN: Edit the subject line (should say something like "download now" to entice people to click)
STEP EIGHT: Edit the BODY text
You'll want to create text that shows people where to click to download their freebie.
STEP NINE: Link the freebie to the text
Highlight the text that you want to link to the freebie, then select the link button (circled in red in the picture below).
Next, choose "file" from the dropdown menu.
Now, you'll be able to choose your file. If you haven't saved your file yet to your Mailchimp media library, do so now. You can select UPLOAD, or you can drag and drop the file right from your computer over to Mailchimp and it will begin uploading.
Once you've selected the freebie file, click "insert" (top right hand side of the screen).
Congrats! You're done!
Woohoo! Now that wasn't too bad, was it? Unfortunately, it IS a bit more complicated to figure out how to auto deliver an opt in freebie with Mailchimp than it is with other email service providers that are made more for bloggers. But it's still possible and you should 100% take advantage of this if you are a Mailchimp user.
Have questions? Leave them in the comments below!
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