how to notify subscribers of new posts in wordpress

How to Notify Subscribers of New Posts in WordPress (3 Ways)

As a seasoned WordPress expert with over 15 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by notifying your subscribers whenever you publish new content. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through three proven methods to ensure your subscribers are always in the loop about your latest WordPress blog posts.

Let’s face it, in today’s digital landscape, it’s easy for your website visitors to get lost in the vast ocean of online content. A staggering 70% of website visitors never return. That’s why it’s essential to build a strong relationship with your audience and nurture their engagement. By notifying subscribers about fresh content, you can effectively re-engage them, bring them back to your website, and ultimately transform them into loyal customers.

In this article, we will delve into the various methods of notifying subscribers about new posts on your WordPress blog, covering everything from setting up email newsletters to leveraging the power of RSS feeds and push notifications.

Why Notify Subscribers of New Posts in WordPress?

The benefits of keeping your subscribers informed about your latest posts are undeniable. Here’s why you should make it a priority:

• **Increased Website Traffic:** Subscribers are more likely to visit your website when they receive updates about new posts. This translates to higher traffic and greater visibility for your content.
• **Enhanced User Engagement:** By providing valuable content and keeping your audience updated, you cultivate a loyal following that actively engages with your website and brand.
• **Boosted Lead Generation:** Subscribers are warm leads who have already expressed interest in your content. Notifications can effectively nudge them further down the sales funnel, leading to potential conversions.
• **Stronger Brand Loyalty:** Consistent communication with your subscribers through new post notifications fosters trust and builds a stronger brand connection.

Method 1: Send New WordPress Posts to Email Newsletter Subscribers

Your email list is your most valuable asset. It’s a direct line of communication to your audience, allowing you to deliver personalized messages and nurture relationships. When it comes to notifying subscribers about new posts, email marketing is your go-to strategy.

If you haven’t already, take the time to choose the right email marketing service provider to get started. I highly recommend Constant Contact. It’s user-friendly and packed with features specifically tailored for small businesses. You’ll enjoy simple tracking and reporting, unlimited emails, social media sharing tools, segmentation, a free image library, and much more.

Constant Contact also boasts exceptional customer support, available through live chat, email, and phone. This means you can get assistance whenever you need it.

Here’s how to notify your email subscribers about new WordPress posts using Constant Contact:

1. **Create an email newsletter:** Constant Contact makes it incredibly easy to design professional-looking newsletters. You can use their drag-and-drop editor to add text, images, and even embed your new blog posts directly into the email.
2. **Schedule your emails:** You can set up automated email sequences to ensure your subscribers receive notifications about new posts as soon as they’re published. This saves you time and ensures consistent communication.
3. **Track your results:** Constant Contact provides detailed analytics to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns. You can track open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics to optimize your email strategy.

If you prefer other email marketing services like HubSpot, ConvertKit, Drip, or Mailchimp, the process will be similar. Most platforms offer a straightforward way to set up automated email notifications for new blog posts.

Method 2: Send an Automatic RSS Email to Your Subscribers

RSS feeds are a powerful tool for website owners. Built into WordPress, RSS feeds automatically send out regular updates whenever you publish new content. These feeds publish your latest content in a structured XML document. While the document itself isn’t easily readable by humans, you can leverage it to automatically send out emails whenever a new post goes live. This eliminates the need to manually create an email newsletter each time.

I recommend using Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for this purpose. It’s a reputable email marketing service that offers a forever free plan, allowing you to send up to 300 emails a day and manage an unlimited number of email contacts. Brevo also enables you to create email workflows, send transactional emails, and optimize your email send times.

Here’s how to set up an automatic RSS email notification using Brevo:

1. **Create a Brevo account:** Visit the Brevo website and click on the ‘Join for Free’ button to set up your account. Enter your email address and password, and confirm your email address.
2. **Configure your profile:** You’ll need to provide your personal and company information. You can choose the Free plan for this tutorial but can upgrade to a premium plan later if needed.
3. **Access the Plugins & Integrations section:** Navigate to the Brevo dashboard, then click on the dropdown button next to your profile icon in the top-right corner. Select the ‘Plugins & Integrations’ menu option.
4. **Search for RSS campaign:** Type ‘RSS’ into the search bar to locate the RSS campaign option.
5. **Create an RSS integration:** Click on ‘RSS campaign’ to access the integration setup. Give your integration a name (this won’t be displayed, but it helps for organization).
6. **Configure settings:** Enter the URL for your RSS feed. You can find it by adding ‘/feed/’ to the end of your website’s address. Click ‘Load RSS feed,’ and you’ll receive confirmation if it’s loaded successfully.
7. **Continue with the integration:** Scroll down under your RSS feed and click the ‘Continue’ button. You can choose to use the default template or select from your existing email templates. I recommend using the default template as it’s already formatted correctly. Click ‘Confirm email template.’
8. **Select your email list:** Choose the list you want to send the RSS email to from the dropdown and click ‘Continue.’
9. **Customize campaign settings:** Enter a descriptive ‘Campaign Name’ and craft a compelling ‘Subject line’ that will entice your subscribers to open the email. Use the dynamic content fields to automatically generate subject lines. Click ‘Add a dynamic content’ button and choose ‘TITLE’ to automatically include your blog post title in the subject. Select your ‘From Email’ address and enter a ‘From Name’ that your subscribers will recognize. Click ‘Continue.’
10. **Set email delivery schedule:** Check the boxes for the days of the week you want your new post emails to be sent. Make sure the automatic campaign radio button is selected, and click ‘Continue.’
11. **Activate the integration:** Finally, click the ‘Save and activate’ button.

That’s it! Now, whenever you publish a new post, Brevo will automatically send an RSS email notification to your subscribers.

If you’re looking to optimize your WordPress RSS feed for better performance, consider checking out our comprehensive guide.

Method 3: Send New WordPress Posts to Push Notification Subscribers

Push notifications offer a more immediate and engaging way to connect with your website visitors. These popup notifications can be delivered to your audience across desktop and mobile devices. The beauty of push notifications is that you can reach your visitors the instant a new post goes live, without waiting for them to check their email inboxes.

Here’s how push notifications work:

• **Subscriber Opt-In:** Website visitors are prompted to subscribe to your push notifications. They usually need to click a button to confirm their subscription.
• **Real-Time Delivery:** When you publish a new post, the push notification is immediately sent to your subscribers. It usually appears as a popup message on their device.
• **Click-to-Read:** Subscribers can click on the notification, which takes them directly to the new blog post on your website.

The easiest way to implement push notifications for your WordPress website is by using PushEngage. It’s the industry leader in push notification software, trusted by over 25,000 businesses.

Here’s how to set up push notifications using PushEngage:

1. **Install and activate the PushEngage plugin:** You can find the PushEngage plugin in the WordPress plugin directory. Once installed and activated, follow the on-screen instructions to connect your website to the PushEngage platform.
2. **Customize your notifications:** PushEngage allows you to customize the design of your notifications, including the message, image, and call-to-action button.
3. **Set up automatic notifications:** You can configure PushEngage to automatically send notifications for new posts. The notification will typically include the post title and a thumbnail image. Clicking the notification will take subscribers to your new blog post.

For a detailed breakdown of setting up push notifications, check out our comprehensive guide on adding web push notifications to your WordPress site.

Expert Guides on Email Marketing in WordPress

Now that you understand the fundamentals of notifying subscribers about new posts, let’s explore some additional resources to enhance your email marketing strategy:

• **How to Send Email to All Registered Users in WordPress:** Learn how to send bulk emails to your registered WordPress users.
• **How to Send Automated Emails in WordPress:** Discover how to set up automated email sequences, such as welcome emails or abandoned cart reminders.
• **How to Send a Custom Welcome Email to New Users in WordPress:** Learn how to greet new users with a personalized welcome email to build a strong first impression.
• **How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step):** Get a comprehensive guide on crafting engaging and effective email newsletters.
• **What Is An Email Blast? How To Do An Email Blast “The RIGHT Way”:** Learn the best practices for sending mass emails to your subscribers.
• **Email Marketing Mistakes WordPress Users Must Avoid:** Discover common pitfalls to avoid when using email marketing for your WordPress site.
• **How to Properly Configure Your WordPress Email Settings:** Ensure that your email notifications are sent reliably by configuring your WordPress email settings correctly.

Conclusion

Notifying your subscribers about new posts is a powerful way to keep them engaged and coming back to your website. By leveraging email marketing, RSS feeds, and push notifications, you can effectively reach your audience and keep them updated about your latest content. Remember that consistent communication is key to building a loyal following and driving traffic to your website.

If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: www.naveedahmed.me.

FAQs

How often should I send out new post notifications?

The frequency of your notifications depends on your content publishing schedule. If you publish daily, you can send out daily notifications. If you publish weekly, send out weekly notifications. Avoid bombarding your subscribers with too many notifications, as this can lead to them unsubscribing.

What should I include in my new post notifications?

Include the title of the new post, a brief summary or excerpt, and a link to the full post. You can also include a call to action, such as “Read more” or “Click here to learn more.”

How can I make my new post notifications more engaging?

Use a strong subject line that will catch your subscribers’ attention. Personalize your notifications by addressing your subscribers by name. Use a clear and concise writing style, and make sure your notifications are easy to read on mobile devices.

What are some best practices for email marketing?

Segment your email list to send targeted messages. Avoid sending out too many emails, and make sure your emails are mobile-friendly. Include a clear unsubscribe link in your emails. A/B test different subject lines, content, and calls to action to see what works best for your audience.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my new post notifications?

Track your open rates, click-through rates, and website traffic to see how your notifications are performing. Use the analytics provided by your email marketing platform and website analytics tools.

What are some alternatives to email notifications?

In addition to email, you can use social media, RSS feeds, push notifications, and in-app notifications to keep your subscribers informed about new posts.

How can I build a strong email list for my WordPress website?

Offer valuable content, such as free ebooks, webinars, or discounts. Use pop-up forms, signup forms, and social media to collect email addresses. Provide a clear incentive for subscribers to join your list.

What are some tips for writing engaging blog posts?

Write about topics that are relevant to your target audience. Use a clear and concise writing style. Break up your posts with headings, subheadings, images, and videos. Include a call to action at the end of your posts.

How can I improve the SEO of my blog posts?

Use relevant keywords throughout your posts. Optimize your images with alt text. Build high-quality backlinks to your posts. Promote your posts on social media. Use a WordPress SEO plugin to help you with these tasks.

What are some tools that can help me with my email marketing?

Constant Contact, Mailchimp, HubSpot, ConvertKit, and Brevo are popular email marketing tools. These platforms offer features such as email automation, segmentation, analytics, and more.