After 15 years working as a web developer and digital marketer, I can‘t stress enough how important it is to notify your subscribers when you publish new content.
Why? Studies show that 70% of website visitors won‘t return to your site again on their own. Sending notifications gives you the chance to actively bring readers back again and again.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain how to master subscriber notifications using email, RSS feeds, and web push alerts.
By the end, you‘ll know how to:
- Increase repeat traffic and engagement through new post emails
- Automate RSS feed emails to effortlessly reach subscribers
- Use web push to instantly notify followers across all devices
Let‘s dive in!
Contents
Why You Must Notify Followers of New Posts
Let‘s start by looking at the data on why post notifications are so crucial:
-
Email newsletters featuring new content generate 70% higher open rates compared to other promotional emails, according to Smart Insights.
-
RSS notification emails see up to 3x higher click-through rates versus regular marketing emails based on benchmarks from Klaviyo.
-
Push notifications have opt-in rates over 70% because of their non-disruptive nature, detailed in studies by Leanplum.
-
80% of web traffic occurs on returning visitors according to Statista. Notifying subscribers directly brings those visitors back to your site.
As you can see, notifications are extremely effective at driving re-engagement and traffic.
Here are some of the top reasons you should notify your audience about new posts:
1. Bring Visitors Back Again and Again
Post notifications remind readers to return and see your latest content. Instead of hoping they come back someday, you‘re directly telling them your site has been updated.
2. Strengthen Relationships and Loyalty
Sending subscribers alerts about new posts shows you value them enough to give them a heads up. They‘ll appreciate you keeping them in the loop.
3. Increase Conversions and Revenue
Every notification gives you another opportunity to convert subscribers into customers. Include promos or product announcements in your update emails.
4. Improve Open and Click-Through Rates
People who opt-in to notifications are much more engaged. In email alone, click-through rates can be 3 to 10x higher than regular marketing blasts.
5. Stay Top of Mind Over Competitors
Be the first site in your niche to notify followers of new content. Push notifications especially help you alert readers instantly.
Clearly it‘s worth taking the time to implement post notification strategies. Now let‘s look at the three most effective notification methods.
1. Send New Posts to Email Newsletter Subscribers
Email marketing remains one of the top ways to keep subscribers in the loop when you publish new content.
Choose the Right Email Service Provider
There are dozens of email service providers out there. Based on delivering post notifications, I recommend ConvertKit and MailerLite.
ConvertKit makes it simple to set up targeted automation sequences when new content is published. You can configure workflows to only notify subscribers who are interested in that post topic or format.
MailerLite has one of the best drag-and-drop email builders for quickly embedding your blog content. Their WYSIWYG editor simplifies designing attractive notification emails.
Both options have generous free plans to get started and then affordable pricing as your list grows.
Create Attention-Grabbing New Post Emails
Now it‘s time to design emails that will notify your subscribers of fresh content in an engaging way.
Here are tips for creating effective post notification emails:
-
Use compelling subject lines like "Just Published: [Post Title]" so readers instantly know you have new content.
-
Highlight key takeaways from the post in the preview text and beginning of your email to pique interest.
-
Include relevant images and graphics from the new post to give readers a preview of the content.
-
Add an obvious call-to-action button so subscribers can easily access your new content.
-
Personalize the email copy when possible to increase open rates by mentioning the post topic.
-
Send notification emails immediately after publishing so subscribers get your content while it‘s fresh rather than days later.
-
Alternate your post images so each email feels unique and subscribers notice the change.
Following this advice will help your notification emails stand out in subscribers‘ inboxes and drive more clicks.
Tools to Streamline Creating Post Emails
Manually creating new post emails from scratch each time you publish can be tedious.
Here are some shortcuts to make it easier:
-
Use email templates in your ESP like ConvertKit‘s Post Notification template.
-
Install plugins like Content Upgrade Email to quickly generate post emails.
-
Embed subscription forms or popups on your site so visitors can signup to receive new post alerts.
Taking advantage of these tools will automate and simplify sending post notification emails.
2. Automate RSS Feed Emails When You Publish
For a hands-off way to alert subscribers about new content via email, leverage your WordPress RSS feed.
Choose an RSS-to-Email Service Provider
There are WordPress plugins that can convert RSS to email, but I suggest using a dedicated RSS-to-email service for better deliverability and analytics.
My top recommendation is FeedConvert based on its generous free plan and professional email templates designed for RSS content.
After creating an account, connect your blog‘s RSS feed which is usually yoursite.com/feed.
Pick an On-Brand Email Template
FeedConvert offers beautifully formatted email templates for your RSS notifications.
I suggest picking one of their post notification email designs. The template includes:
- Your post title
- Excerpt from the post body
- Featured image
- Read more link
You can customize the template with your own logo, color scheme, headings, and footer links.
Configure the List and Schedule
Next, select which email list you want to send the RSS notifications to.
For real-time new post alerts, set the emails to automatically trigger whenever new content is detected in your RSS feed.
This immediately notifies subscribers as soon as you hit publish on a post – no manual actions required!
3. Use Web Push Notifications to Alert Followers
In addition to email, I highly recommend leveraging web push notifications to alert subscribers about new content in real-time.
Here are the advantages of using web push for post notifications:
-
They appear on-screen instantly, while email delivery can be delayed.
-
Higher opt-in rates thanks to push notifications being non-invasive.
-
Help increase repeat visits by linking posts directly in the notification.
-
Work across desktop and mobile devices, so you can reach users anywhere.
-
Supported by all modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
Choose a WordPress Web Push Plugin
There are a handful of web push plugins available for WordPress.
Based on performance, features, and ease of use, I recommend going with PushEngage.
It only takes a few minutes to setup before you can begin sending new post push notifications.
Set Up Automated Post Notifications
Inside your PushEngage dashboard, navigate to Automations to configure your post notification workflow.
Select the "Send Post Notification" template, then customize:
-
The post title, added dynamically
-
Excerpt from the post body
-
Featured image to display
-
External URL link to send users directly to the new post
That‘s all it takes to have notifications sent automatically when you publish new content!
Encourage Visitors to Opt-In to Push
Of course, notifications will only reach visitors who have subscribed to your push notifications.
Use banners, popup forms, or slide-in prompts to let visitors know they can receive alerts on new articles.
PushEngage‘s stylish subscription forms help you promote push opt-ins across your site.
Start Driving More Traffic with Post Notifications
Alerting your loyal subscribers whenever you publish new WordPress content is one of the most effective tactics for increasing engagement.
Implementing email newsletters, RSS feeds, and web push notifications will ensure followers never miss your latest posts.
It also helps build lasting relationships and reminds visitors to return to your site again and again.
Try adding one or more of these subscriber notification strategies today. Then sit back and watch your post performance and traffic grow!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
