Mailchimp Email Marketing: How to Start Email Campaigns in Under One Hour

In 2026, email marketing remains one of the highest-ROI digital channels available to businesses of any size. With an average return of $36 to $42 for every dollar spent, email consistently outperforms social media, paid ads, and other marketing channels. Yet many entrepreneurs and small business owners delay launching Mailchimp email marketing campaigns because they assume the setup process is complex and time-consuming.

The reality? You can set up and send your first email marketing campaign in under 60 minutes using Mailchimp’s intuitive platform.

This guide walks you through exactly how to launch a Mailchimp email marketing campaign from scratch—no technical expertise required.

What is Mailchimp Email Marketing?

Mailchimp email marketing is often the first choice for businesses looking to bridge the gap between simple communication and professional brand growth. In an era where “inbox zero” is a myth and consumer attention is the ultimate currency, the ability to move from idea to “Send” in under sixty minutes is a competitive advantage.

But what is it? Let’s discuss!

Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing automation platform that simplifies email marketing automation MailChimp for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2001, the platform now powers email campaigns for millions of users—from single-person startups to Fortune 500 companies. This platform enables you to manage and communicate with your clients, customers, and other interested parties.

While many view it as a tool for Mailchimp mass email, it has evolved into a sophisticated Marketing CRM. It combines email campaign creation, audience management, automation workflows, and detailed analytics in one accessible interface.

Why Focus on Mailchimp?

Email marketing services like Mailchimp are one of the leading solutions because they combine:

• Ease of use
• Powerful automation
• Reporting & analytics
• Integration with websites, CRMs, and e-commerce

This makes it ideal for both beginners and advanced marketers. Unlike social media, where algorithms determine who sees your content, email provides direct access to your audience’s inboxes. This direct relationship is why email marketing generates an average return between $36 and $42 for every dollar spent, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available.

Why Email Marketing Still Matters in 2026

Understanding why you should invest time in Mailchimp email marketing starts with recognizing email’s unique position in digital marketing. 99% of email users check their inbox daily; some as much as 20 times per day. This frequency creates unprecedented access to engaged audiences.

Consider these key benchmarks: Across all industries, the average open rate is 19.21%, click-through rate is 2.44%, unsubscribe rate is 0.89%, and bounce rate is 2.48%. These baselines matter because they help you set realistic performance expectations and identify improvement opportunities.

Industry context matters significantly. Government emails lead with 30.5% open rates, followed by nonprofits at 25.2% and education at 23.4%. If you operate in these sectors, you can expect naturally higher engagement. Conversely, industries like telecommunications and computers average lower open rates—but this simply means optimization becomes more critical.

Beyond open rates, email’s real power lies in engagement quality. Click-to-open rate (CTOR)—the percentage of people who opened an email and actually clicked something—averages 5.3% across industries, with privacy changes making CTOR and CTR more reliable performance indicators than open rates alone.

This shift matters. It means your email strategy should prioritize clicks and conversions over vanity metrics.

The Three Types of Email Campaigns

Before launching your first campaign, understand what types of email marketing Mailchimp offers. Each serves different purposes and requires different setup approaches.

1. Regular Email Campaigns

These are one-time broadcasts sent to your entire audience or a specific segment. These are ideal for newsletters, promotions, announcements, and one-off content. Regular campaigns are the most common type and the best starting point for beginners.

2. Automated Email Flows

Called “Journeys” in Mailchimp, automated emails are trigger-based sequences that send automatically based on subscriber behavior. Examples include welcome series for new subscribers, abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement campaigns.

Mailchimp offers 80+ pre-built automations organized into five subgroups: Find & welcome new contacts, Nurture leads, Re-engage contacts, Support and manage contacts, and Transactional emails.

3. A/B or Multivariate Tests

These allow you to send multiple versions of the same email and measure which performs better. You might test two subject lines, different email designs, or varying call-to-action buttons. This testing reveals what resonates with your specific audience—critical for email marketing best practices Mailchimp.

For your first campaign within the 60-minute window, you’ll focus on a Regular Email Campaign, which is the fastest path to sending your first message.

How Mailchimp Email Marketing Works Step-by-Step

Here’s how to launch a campaign in under one hour.

1. Set Up Your Account (5 Minutes)

Begin by visiting mailchimp.com and signing up for an account. Mailchimp offers a free plan that supports up to 500 contacts and unlimited sends, making it ideal for testing before upgrading.

• Go to Mailchimp and create your account.
• Enter basic business info and branding preferences.
• Add sender name and email (professional & recognizable).

Pro tip: Use a business domain email (e.g., hello@yourbrand.com) to boost deliverability.

Step 2: Import or Create Your Subscriber List (10 Minutes)

You cannot send email campaigns to an empty list. This is a crucial first step: Mailchimp email marketing requires an audience to receive your messages. If you already have contact information, you can import it directly into Mailchimp.

• Upload your contact list (CSV, Excel, or integrated app).
• Add tags/fields like name, interests, and purchase history.
• Ensure consent (GDPR, CAN-SPAM compliance).

Step 3: Subject Lines and Preheaders (10 Minutes)

Your subject line is the only reason someone opens your email. Email marketing best practices Mailchimp experts suggest keeping subject lines under 60 characters.

• Subject Line: Direct and value-driven (e.g., “5 Ways to Save on Your 2026 Taxes”).
• Preview Text: This is the secondary line visible in the inbox. Use it to finish the thought started in the subject line.

Step 4: Template Selection (15 Minutes)

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Use Mailchimp’s “Creative Assistant” or pre-designed themes.

• Mobile-First: Over 50% of emails are opened on phones. Ensure your text is at least 16px and your buttons are “thumb-sized.”
• Hierarchy: Place your most important information and your Call to Action (CTA) at the very top.

Step 5: Configure Tracking and Settings (10 Minutes)

Before sending, Mailchimp asks you to configure tracking options. These determine which metrics you’ll be able to measure.

Track Opens: Mailchimp counts opens by embedding a tiny invisible image in each email. When recipients load the image, Mailchimp registers an open. Note: Bot activity, such as Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), can falsely inflate open rate data, so supplement open rate tracking with click-through rate (CTR) for a clearer picture.

Track Clicks: Enable link tracking to measure how many recipients clicked links in your email. This is more reliable than open tracking and directly indicates engagement.

Track E-commerce Activity: If you sell products, enable e-commerce tracking to attribute sales back to specific emails.

Automation Triggers (for future campaigns): You can set this email as part of an automation journey, but leave this unchecked for your first regular campaign.

Step 6: Send Your Campaign (5-10 Minutes)

You’ve completed the campaign setup. Now comes the final decision: send immediately or schedule for later?

Send Now: Best for time-sensitive announcements or when urgency matters. However, immediate sending means zero strategic timing consideration.

Schedule for Later: Optimal for regular campaigns. Tuesday and Wednesday consistently show the highest open rates across most industries, while Monday, Thursday, and Friday typically underperform due to holiday schedules, weekend preparation, and Monday email catch-up time. People tend to open emails in the morning, peaking around 10 am and 11 am local time.

Mailchimp Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry

Once you send your first campaign, you’ll have data to analyze. Mailchimp’s benchmarks help you understand whether your results are strong or suggest improvement opportunities.

Industry	Avg Open Rate	Avg CTR	Avg Unsubscribe Rate
Government & Politics	30.5%	2.8%	0.45%
Nonprofit	25.2%	3.2%	0.52%
Education	23.4%	2.6%	0.61%
Professional Services	20.1%	2.3%	0.68%
Retail/E-commerce	16.8%	2.9%	0.89%
Technology	15.4%	1.9%	0.75%

Use these benchmarks as context, not gospel. Your specific results depend on list quality, subject line effectiveness, content relevance, and how well you understand your audience.

Tools & Techniques to Supercharge Your Campaigns

Mailchimp integrates with many tools to extend its capabilities:

Analytics & Reporting

Use Mailchimp’s analytics dashboard to track:

• Opens
• Clicks
• Unsubscribes
• Revenue attributed to campaigns

Integration with E-commerce Platforms

Connect with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce to:

• Sync customer data
• Trigger transactional emails

Lead Capture Forms & Pop-ups

Capture subscribers on your website automatically.

A/B Testing

Split test subject lines and content to improve engagement.

Master Your Mailchimp Strategy with Directory One

Launching your first campaign in under an hour is about momentum, not perfection. As you grow, you may find that the technical nuances of email marketing automation, Mailchimp, require a more dedicated hand to maximize ROI.

If you’re looking to scale your local presence or integrate your email strategy with a broader SEO plan, getting expert eyes on your digital footprint can make all the difference.

Want to take your digital marketing to the next level? Explore how a professional strategy can grow your business by visiting Directory One or give us a call at 713.269.3094 for a consultation.