Why Automate WordPress and Social Media?

Automating your WordPress website and social media accounts can save you a tremendous amount of time and effort. As a website owner and webmaster for over 15 years, I‘ve seen firsthand how automation can transform and scale an online business.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore three powerful automation tools—IFTTT, Zapier, and Uncanny Automator—to help streamline your workflows. I‘ll share my insights on how to get the most out of each platform based on my extensive experience. Let‘s get started!

Here are some key reasons why automating your WordPress site and social media is so valuable for growth and efficiency:

• Saves 20+ hours per week by eliminating tedious manual work like posting on social media, email newsletters, etc. This is time you can reallocate to create more value-added content.

• Improves consistency and brand exposure by scheduling social media posts, emails, and other actions to go out in a timely manner. Your followers will engage more with a steady stream of updates.

• Helps you scale without getting overwhelmed. Automation lets a solo entrepreneur manage a brand much larger than otherwise possible. I‘ve used it myself to run a brand with over 300K followers.

• Boosts website traffic by cross-promoting new content across social channels. This drives more visitors to your site.

• Sends email newsletters automatically. Email list growth is one of the best ways to grow a business. Automate this process for maximum results.

Simply put, automation supercharges your WordPress website and social media presence to help grow your brand and free up more of your time. It‘s an essential tool for solopreneurs and small teams.

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a free web automation service that connects various apps and devices through "Applets."

I‘ve been using IFTTT myself for over 5 years across multiple websites, so I can definitely vouch for its capabilities when it comes to automating WordPress.

Here are the steps to get started:

Step 1: Sign Up for an IFTTT Account

Go to IFTTT.com and click Sign Up. Provide your email and choose a password to create your account.

Tip: Make sure to confirm your email address after signing up to complete the process.

Step 2: Install the IFTTT Mobile App

Download the IFTTT app on your iOS or Android device. This allows you to easily create and monitor applets on the go.

The convenience of the mobile app is a big plus in my opinion.

Step 3: Connect IFTTT to WordPress

Search for the WordPress applet and select it. Click "Connect" and enter your WordPress login details when prompted.

This seamlessly connects your website to IFTTT‘s platform.

Pro Tip: If connecting WordPress, plug in details for a user with admin permissions like yourself.

Step 4: Connect Social Media Accounts

Similarly, search for applets for your social profiles like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Connect them to IFTTT by entering your login info when prompted.

Note: You‘ll likely need to reconnect social accounts occasionally when they reset tokens. This is standard for any automation service.

Step 5: Create an Automation Applet

Click "New Applet" to build your first automation sequence.

For the "This" trigger, choose "New blog post published".

For the "That" action, choose to "Share link on Facebook" (for example).

Customize the post content before clicking "Create Applet".

Now new posts will automatically be shared on your connected social profiles. Pretty cool right?

Zapier is a powerful automation service that connects over 3000 apps including WordPress, social media, email, calendars, cloud storage, and more.

I‘ve used it extensively for automating complex multi-step workflows across various websites. Here are the key steps:

Step 1: Install Zapier Plugin

Download and install the official Zapier plugin on your WordPress site. This enables full integration between the platforms.

Tip: If your site is on WordPress.com, you won‘t be able to install plugins. Consider migrating your site to WordPress.org.

Step 2: Create Free Zapier Account

Sign up at Zapier.com. When choosing apps, select WordPress and all your desired social profiles at minimum.

Note: Zapier has a free plan for basic usage. Paid plans unlock more features if needed.

Step 3: Set up Your First Zap

In your Zapier dashboard, click "Make a Zap" and choose a WordPress trigger like "New Post Published".

Then select your social media account + action like auto-posting the link. Customize post text if desired.

Step 4: Connect WordPress and Social Accounts

When prompted by Zapier, provide login details to securely connect the platforms. Follow on-screen instructions to complete this crucial setup step.

Heads up: You may need to reconnect platforms occasionally when credentials reset.

Step 5: Turn on Your Zap

Once created, turn on your Zap and it will now automatically execute whenever your chosen WordPress trigger event occurs.

Tip: I recommend monitoring your Zaps dashboard periodically to ensure they are functioning smoothly.

You can easily create additional Zaps to further automate your workflows over time.

For advanced yet easy WordPress automation, I personally recommend Uncanny Automator – it‘s become my go-to tool.

Here‘s an overview of how Uncanny Automator works:

• It integrates natively as a WordPress plugin for convenience.

• Features an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow builder for automations.

• Connects to WordPress, social media, email, payments, webinars, and over 200+ apps.

• Has both free and paid versions depending on your needs.

Let‘s look at how to automate your site:

Step 1: Install and Activate

Search for "Uncanny Automator" and install it on your WordPress site. Don‘t forget to activate!

Note: Requires WordPress 5.3 or higher. Some hosts may need a PHP 7 update.

Step 2: Connect Uncanny Automator

From the plugin‘s menu, click to connect your free Uncanny Automator account. Follow prompts to complete setup.

Step 3: Create a New Recipe

From the Automator menu, click "Add New Recipe" and name your automation sequence.

Pro Tip: I recommend naming recipes based on the trigger. For example "New Post Published".

Step 4: Set up the Trigger

Click "Add Trigger" and select a WordPress trigger like "New Post Published". This will initiate the sequence.

Over 200+ WordPress, WooCommerce, and Membership triggers are available.

Step 5: Set up the Action

Click "Add Action" and select your connected social media app. Then pick an action like auto-posting.

Tons of social media, email, webinar, payment, and other actions are supported.

Step 6: Customize Settings

Customize post text, images etc if desired. Click "Save Recipe" to activate the automation.

Now this recipe will run each time the trigger occurs on your site!

The key is starting small – create 1-2 recipes for your most important automations first. Document your recipes then build on them over time.

Things to try next:

• Auto-schedule email newsletters when blog posts are published.

• Auto-tweet new links posted on your site.

• Auto-share blog posts on LinkedIn when published.

• Auto-message Facebook groups when you publish videos.

The possibilities are endless! Let me know if you need any help getting these set up on your site.

I hope this guide gives you a comprehensive overview of how to leverage automation to grow your WordPress website and social media presence. Please reach out with any other questions!