One of the biggest benefits of choosing WordPress for your website is that it is perfect for blogging. This is true of both wordpress.com and wordpress.org sites. The ease of use of this dynamic CMS system makes it simple and easy to publish content and share to your audience. Having fresh content that increases your number of WordPress subscribers are key factors that influence and improve traffic to your WordPress website.
But how do you go about getting those much needed subscribers? The answer may seem simple enough: by writing new, engaging articles that attract readers. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s take a look at how you can grow your subscriber list, both through direct WordPress subscriptions and through email.
1) Consistently write new content
After a visitor gets to your website for the first time, what are you doing to keep them there and get them to come back on a regular basis?
You must start by regularly updating your site with new posts. You don’t have to rewrite sections like your about page or home page. Instead, by consistently posting relevant articles through your WordPress blog, you will naturally increase your followers and subscribers as they choose to come back each month.
You should take the same approach if you choose to create an email newsletter. You don’t have to bombard your email subscribers with tons of promotional emails. But by consistently sending useful emails (even just once a month), you’ll give subscribers a reason to open your messages.
2) Write unique, fresh, and easy-to-read blog posts
If you are writing about the same topic over and over again or your content is not particularly enriching or captivating, you may bore your readers. Online readers tend to have a shorter attention span, so you need to make sure your articles are worthy of their clicks.
Of course, your articles should also be easy to understand. You don’t want your readers digging out a dictionary when reading your content. This persuades them to go elsewhere.
Consider your audience’s interests and needs, as well as any unique insights that you can provide. This way, what you write will always get their attention!
3) Share your posts on social media
Use Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to your advantage. By making use of your existing connections, you can already start reaching out quickly to others. Those who like what you post on social media could also share your website with others. This makes social media an easy way to connect with new audiences who could become new subscribers.
In addition, sharing copy from your blogs or newsletters will help you fill out your social media schedule. You won’t have to worry about running out of social media posts when you have your blog to help out!
4) Set up your RSS feed
By having an RSS feed in place, you make it easy for others to be notified and stay up-to-date with your blog. This makes it easier to retain your subscribers who now don’t necessarily need to keep checking your site. Convenience goes a long way!
WordPress makes it easy for you to share and follow your content. WordPress actually has a built-in RSS widget that you can add to your website. Don’t hide it where visitors can’t find it! By placing the RSS feed in your footer or a sidebar, you make it easy for visitors to find links to your latest blogs. Users can also click on the RSS feed button to subscribe to your content, which will alert them whenever you make a new update.
If you use this option, make sure the subscriber user role is clearly defined. Confirm what permissions (if any) are available to the subscriber role so that they can’t make changes to your site. As the site owner, you should control all access and permissions.
5) Make it easy to subscribe to your email list
In addition to letting users subscribe to your RSS feed, it may also be helpful to set up an email list. You’ll need to collect visitors’ email addresses and use an email service like Mailerlite or Mailchimp that lets you send mass emails.
Many of these services allow you to set up pop-up menus or other forms that collect and automatically import email addresses to your lists. Make signup as easy as possible by only asking for a visitor’s email address. Don’t ask new subscribers to enter their name or create a profile and username. Just let them submit their email so they can receive your updates.
Manage your pop-up settings so that the newsletter signup form only appears after users scroll a set amount on your page or spend a certain amount of time on your site. This will help you convert more engaged visitors to your list.
6) Maintain your website
It may sound basic, but properly maintaining your website and your WordPress blog is key to gaining and keeping subscribers and visitors. Pay attention to details like loading time, the quality of your posts, and open and unsubscribe rates on your emails. Actions like compressing image files so your pages load faster and keeping each plugin up to date will improve the site usability and the readability of your blogs.
At Site Rockstar, we bring a deep understanding of WordPress and the many benefits that it offers, especially when it comes to growing your brand through blogging. We’ll help keep your WordPress site running smoothly so that you can deliver a high-quality experience each time comes to visit.
