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Jason Hobbs, LLC

Digital marketing strategist for people ready to get their business online with aplomb.

Add Email List Signup

By 19 Comments

Add Mailchimp Email List Signup

  1. Setup a Free MailChimp Account
  2. Install the Free Genesis eNews Extended Plugin
  3. Add the Email List Signup to your website

1. Lets Setup Our MailChimp Account

1.1 MailChimp | Signup

  1. Enter your email address you want associated with this MailChimp Account
  2. Choose your username for this MailChimp account
  3. Create your password
  4. Click the Create My Account button

1.2 Activate Your Account

1.3 Click Activation Link

In the email from MailChimp Client Services

1.4 Are You A Human? | MailChimp

Confirm your humanity for the Chimp. 🙂

1.5 Your Account Information for MailChimp

  1. First Name
  2. Last Name
  3. Email Address you signed up with
  4. How many people in your organization?
  5. How old is your organization?
  6. Have a list of emails to import as the starting  point of your email list?
  7. Is this account for you or your client?
  8. Company Name
  9. Company Website
  10. Company Address Street Address
  11. City
  12. State
  13. Zipcode
  14. Country
  15. Your industry
  16. Your Timezone
  17. Your mugshot (I kid, I kid)
  18. MailChimp Getting Started Emails?  Yes.
  19. Click the Get Started Button

1.6 Dashboard

Clicking the Save and Get Started button above presents you with this screen.

  1. Click the Create A List Button

1.7 Confirm You Want to Create a List

1.8 Complete List Details for Your New List

  1. List Name: Your subscribers will see this, so make it something appropriate. Good example: “Acme Company Newsletter”
  2. Default From Email (It’s also the Email Address people will reply to)
  3. Default from name for emails sent to this list. (Use something that they will instantly recognize, like your company name)
  4. Remind people how they got on your list (Example: “You’re receiving this email because you opted in at genesisgoodies.com. ”)
  5. Verify Your Contact Information is correct (Important with the CAN SPAM Act)
  6. Choose when you want to be notified of new subscribers
  7. Click the Save button

1.9 Setup Signup Form

You have your list people can signup to, now you need to create the form on your website for users to signup with

1.10 Signup forms for Genesis Goodies Emailer| MailChimp

  1. Click the Select button for Embedded Forms

1.11 Embedded Form Code | MailChimp

  1. Choose Naked – Embedded Form Code
  2. Copy the code snippet for your form

1.12 You Need the Form Action URL

I drag a text widget into the inactive widgets area and then paste the code snippet in the empty text widget, since all I need is to copy the form action url, which is highlighted in the image below

2. Search for the Genesis eNews Extended Plugin under the Add New Plugins menu

  1. Hover on the Plugins Menu abd Click Add New
  2. Click the Search Link
  3. Type: Genesis eNews Extended into the search query box
  4. Click the Search Plugins button

2.1 Install Plugin

  1. Click the Install Now link

2.2 Confirm Installation

2.3 Click the Activate Plugin Link

3. Add the eNews Extended Widget to Your Website

3.1 Widgets ‹ southerntraditionsinc.com — WordPress

  1. Fill in the title for your email capture widget
  2. Enter your text to show above the entry field, explaining the benefit to readers in joining your email list.
  3. Paste the Form Action from the snippet you copied in MailChimp
  4. Enter EMAIL into the E-Mail Field If you want users to fill in their first name, enter FNAME in the First Name Field. For users to enter their last name, enter LNAME in the Last name Field.
  5. If you want, change the Button Text
  6. Click the Save Button

3.2 And heres your email list signup

This is the Genesis eNews Extended Widget inside the Primary Sidebar using Parallax Pro, the Genesis Child Theme.

4. Having trouble with the tutorial?

Comments are on, just ask Jason a question about troubleshooting this tutorial, in the comments or use the contact form.

Troubleshooting Tips

Why don’t the error messages show on my site (inline) rather than showing on the MailChimp site?

The inline error messages require your theme use HTML5 to work. If your theme is not built with HTML5, the errors will be displayed on MailChimp.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Awesome tutorial. I have decent web skills but would have stumbled (or wasted major time) if not for your tutorial. Thanks. Especially liked the screen shots.

    Reply

  2. I found this article really helpful – thank you. I followed the steps for MailChimp but when I test to subscribe I receive an error on a MailChimp page. It forces me to re-enter my contact info again. I used the Naked setup but does something else need to configured?

    Reply

    • Chris, how did you resolve that? I have the same problem: once I test to subscribe I receive an error on a Mailchimp page which forces me to re-enter my contact information. I only took the “form-action” URL from the code snippet of NAKED, which looks like this (without “html:” before the url): //interno42.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=83292cc07572f597116d4d10a&id=e13d792ccc
      Can you help me?

      Reply

  3. Thanks you for this. 🙂 I only needed the “form action” because we already have mailchimp and the widget set up. But thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  4. Forgive me for being so new to the blogging world, but I have a question. When a person decides to use MailChimp for their blog, does it automatically override what you originally set up in WP? When I first started to blog several months ago, I just let WP automatically send my newsletters.

    The EXTREME Newbie:D

    Reply

    • Never apologize, as we all start as extreme newbies. 🙂

      Its not going to be automatic, you will need to make the change.

      Although, I must say that I am not clear how WordPress was/is sending your newsletters automatically? Were you using the JetPack plugin to send newsletters?

      Reply

      • Honestly…I’m not sure. I’m on information overload! LOL!
        I just checked…when your in the Admin panel, under “Settings”, then “Reading”, there’s an area that reads, “Blog Follow Email Text”. I’ve always just assumed that’s what it did:( Pretty bad right…Good grief the struggles. It’s downright painful.

        Originally I bought a theme 3 years ago that no longer exists…niiice. But, I thought I’ll just use it for starting out. Then, I became a big girl, and bought the Genesis framework, a new theme from Restored 316, and now the struggle begins again.

        So, I have this theme, and it told me to down load the plug-in eNews Extended. But then when I started to go through everything, I saw the word “MailPoet” and freaked. So then I downloaded that plug in-_- Now, I can’t understand anything.

        I think I want MailChimp because I like what I’ve seen. Seems user friendly, TUTORIALS!!!!!!, etc. But now I’m afraid to do anything because I don’t know if I have to deactivate something else???? I’m crying over here Jason Hobbs! Please help this poor girl:D HAVE MERCY….

        Reply

        • I doubt Restored316 is really commenting on which Mail provider to use along with the eNews Extended Widget, so you’ll be fine using MailPoet or Mailchimp.

          I’ve used Mailchimp for years, they’re only about 3hrs north of me, and they have a monkey with personality as their mascot. I’m a bit simple.. 🙂

          You’re on the right track with Genesis and a quality Genesis Child theme by Restored316.

          Deep breaths.

          You got this. The technology is merely a means to an end.

          Your message/service/talent/gift powers your results, in spite of the tech.

          Reply

  5. Okay, I have another question:D I generated my code (chose naked), but noticed that its missing the http: before my web address. Any ideas?

    And was I suppose to get the API key?

    Reply

    • Don’t need the API key, did you try the URL without the http:// already?

      You realized you only use the Form Action URL from the code block you copied within Mailchimp?

      Reply

  6. Hi, this is the first plugin I’ve attempted on this site. I’ve followed all the instructions, and for whatever reason it’s not reflecting the changes when I hit refresh. Any ideas?

    Reply

    • Hi Wendy,

      You’ve added the Genesis eNews widget, by dragging it from the top left of the Widgets panel found by clicking Appearance –> Widgets once you’re logged into your WordPress backend?

      You need to drag that widget into the Primary Sidebar or other widget area.

      Then complete the title. As well as the text areas appearing before and after the form.

      Then add the Post Action URL. Type: EMAIL into the email field and be sure to click the save button.

      Then, when you head out front of your website and look at your primary sidebar using the Modern Blogger Pro child theme and look at your sidebar, it will show the form for people to sign up for your email list.

      Make sense? Just reply if you’re still stuck.

      Reply

      • Thanks! I repeated everything twice, to no avail. I uninstalled the plugin and reinstalled it, and it worked. Very weird! Thank you for your help. I appreciate your responding so quickly.

        Reply

  7. Hi! I have a similar question to Cindy. I copied the form action URL but it didn’t show http before it or anything like that. Looked really weird. Then, I tried to test out the sign up on my own to see what happens and it allows me to enter in information and says I need to confirm by clicking on the link they will send to my inbox…. but I never receive anything in my inbox to confirm. Does that make sense? What did I miss?

    Reply

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