Integrating MailChimp with Joomla: Building a Subscriber List

Creating a Subscriber List

Before you can use JoomlaMailer to its full potential, you will need to create a subscriber list. At the time of this writing, it is not possible to create lists using JoomlaMailer; therefore, you will need to create lists through MailChimp. Click the Lists link in your MailChimp dashboard.

Since this tutorial will show you how to create the list, there is no need to watch the video unless you really want to. Click the Create Your First List link.

Enter in the required information. Choose a descriptive list name--one which accurately describes the specific use for the list. Use friendly descriptions such as “Monthly Newsletter” or “Weekly Product Updates” as your email subjects, and do not use a real email address for the reply-to email; use something similar to no-reply@website.com just so you do not get bombarded with people replying to your newsletters. Once you have entered the required information, click the Save button.

You should receive a message indicating your list was successfully created. By default, each list stores the subscriber’s email address, first name, and last name. These attributes are called fields, and you can have several custom fields for each list. Fields make it easy for you to personalize your newsletters (“Dear Jake Smith,” “Hi Kevin!,” etc.) and collect additional information about your subscribers (education, race, sex, occupation, etc.). It is possible to add additional fields, but that is outside the scope of this tutorial. You can now proceed with the JoomlaMailer installation.

The next section will guide you through integrating MailChimp with Joomla! using JoomlaMailer.