How to Notify Subscribers of New Posts in WordPress
October 31. 2021
New content is the lifeblood of any website. However, if users aren’t aware that you have new posts on your page that content can remain unread. In order for your articles to get the attention they deserve you should let your users know when you post something new. By informing subscribers that you have new content you can rekindle their interest in your website. Here is how to notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress.
The importance of subscribers for any website
Most websites need to work hard to find their audience and promote their blog content. Once they manage to form a constant base of users it’s a top priority to cater to their followers. This comes from the fact that a large majority of website visitors are simply passing by. Think of it like window shopping, and they are just having a quick look and then continuing on their way. Typically, users will reach your website organically, or through an ad that takes them to your landing page. From there you have very little time to form a good first impression and give them a reason to stay.
The average user will quickly bounce off pages that don’t instantly catch their interest. Unfortunately, you’ll need to come to terms that you can’t hold on to every visitor who comes to your website. However, for those who do choose to stick around you should go the extra mile. Subscribers are those visitors who want to follow your work and wish to be informed when you have new posts available. The least you can do is indulge them.
Here’s how to notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress
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Send posts to emails of newsletter subscribers
Obviously you will first need to offer your users a way to sign up to receive notifications and alerts. Offer visitors a subscription form and start building your email list. Thankfully, there are plenty of email marketing tools to choose from. Email lists are the best way to keep in touch with customers and notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress.
From there you can directly send new posts to your subscriber’s emails. However, there are numerous other benefits that come with email marketing. Experts at WP Full Care recommend automating email marketing through the use of plugins. Doing this can save you time when you are trying to generate leads and do a follow-up on previous contacts.
Whichever plugin you decide to use make sure to check the notification section and make sure that only published posts are sent to subscribers. You can experiment with notifications and have various setups for the different types of user roles. Since you plan to notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress, you should make sure to publish posts only when they are ready. If you publish a post and then decide to edit it and publish again your subscribers will receive multiple emails. Avoid alienating subscribers and don’t send them several notifications for what is essentially the same content.
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Use push notifications for mobile users
Mobile users have vastly outnumbered people who access the internet via desktop computers. When thinking of how to notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress you should definitely have smartphones in mind. People who follow your website can also subscribe to push notifications, which can represent a better option for mobile users. Not everyone checks their email inbox, and your message can just sit there, waiting for someone to open it. Instead, you can use push notifications to have instantly popped up on the screen. Users will get to see the title of the post as well as a small featured image. What’s best is that push notifications can also be enabled for desktop users as well.
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Go through your email service provider
Some email providers support RSS-to-email services. This can be a handy feature if for some reason you don’t want to use third-party tools and plugins. Your email provider dashboard should have an Automations section on the Campaigns page. You’ll need a URL for your RSS feed. Thankfully, for WordPress users that can simply be done by adding /feed/ to the end of your website’s URL. You can create a custom template and notify subscribers when you have a new post for them to read. However, most WordPress plugins will offer you more control over how you contact and notify your website subscribers.
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Have separate content and only notify paid subscribers
Creating quality content is hard work. Sometimes websites put a lot of research and effort into creating articles which they decide to leave behind a paywall. Paywalls represent an additional login feature, where your users must pay to access your content. You can decide to have limited content available for free and require a paid subscription for the rest. Determine your preferred payment method and do you want monthly, annual, or per-article access. Now you can create a subscription plan and a separate membership page. Until you are sure you have a large and dedicated fan base, it may be a good idea to have at least some of your content available for free. That way, even visitors who stumble onto your website can get a taste of what they’ll get as paid subscribers.
Notifications are great for subscribers
Put yourself in the shoes of your subscribers. They liked your website and thought your content was informative. Now they want more of it, however, instead of forcing them to check your website manually, you can notify them. Sending automated emails will save you a lot of time, but it can also be hugely helpful for your subscribers. They will be notified the moment a new post is live, and they won’t miss out on their favorite content.
In conclusion
Maintaining constant contact with your user base is crucial to any business. The best way to cultivate long-lasting relationships is to offer your customers reasons to come back to your website. Informative and valuable content is definitely the way to go. In this article, we’ve discussed how to notify subscribers of new posts in WordPress so they don’t miss any announcements. Now all you need to do is to start writing quality content for them to read!