There is no shortage of e-mail newsletter programs
these days because an e-mail newsletter is one of the most powerful ways to connect with customers. However, an e-mail newsletter can be even more effective when it is integrated with a blog, and WordPress is one CMS that can be easily optimized for E-mail newsletter campaigns. A properly optimized blog can provide additional information for the newsletter and generate new leads, while a newsletter will extend the reach of your blog and keep visitors coming back to find more information or to make a purchase.
Darren Rowse of Problogger has been a firm advocate of connecting e-mail newsletters with blogs because of the following reasons:
- Increased Readership
- Promotion of Posts
- Build Community
- Improve Your Blog
- Drive Sales
- Email is familiar and Easy to Use
If you’re ready to set up or improve your e-mail newsletter, here are some ways you can it easily and cheaply through a WordPress hosted blog.
The Best Newsletter Service for You
Though you’ll need to review the many e-newsletter options out there, a few products are frequently mentioned by reviewers that also integrate well with WordPress hosted websites. One popular solution that has a one-time cost is , though it has yet to achieve the kind of popularity held by MailChimp and Aweber.
Speaking in generalities, Aweber has more options and a higher price tag. Professionals such as Darren Rowse at ProBlogger have used Aweber for years. However, for smaller businesses with a tighter budget and a little less technical expertise, MailChimp provides all that you need for a basic e-newsletter with an excellent “freemium” option. MailChimp tends to be the best solution when cost and simplicity are most important.
Use a WordPress Plugin for Your Newsletter
Once you choose an e-newsletter service, look up the related WordPress plugins and add them to your blog. AWeber and MailChimp both have plugins that make their services extremely easy to integrate into your blog. For example, by adding the MailChimp Subscribe Form Plugin, you can drag the MailChimp subscriber box into your sidebar which adds a newsletter sign up form to your blog in a matter of seconds.
Encourage Newsletter Subscribers in Multiple Locations
You can include calls to action for subscriptions to your e-newsletter in the sidebar of your blog using a WordPress plugin, but don’t stop there. You can also use the WordPress Greeter Box or Post Author plugins to encourage more subscribers. In addition, you can add an offer in your sidebar, such as a free E-book, to newsletter subscribers. Services such as MailChimp and Aweber make it easy to create e-mail subscription landing pages.
Integrate a Newsletter with Landing Pages
And speaking of landing pages, you can use a landing page on your blog to encourage more subscribers (in order to collect leads) or you can direct newsletter readers to a particular landing page on your blog in order to make a purchase. Either way, a landing page is a powerful tool you can use to drive up your number of leads and/or subscribers. There are few free solutions that will provide the simplicity and effectiveness of Premise, a premium service that is highly recommended and used on the CopyBlogger site.
Once you set up Premise, you can create landing pages that site visitors or newsletter subscribers can visit where the extra features of your sidebar have been removed so that a focused, one-column sales letter provides a simple, focused message for visitors.
There are many benefits that come from an e-newsletter. When you’ve fully integrated your e-newsletter with your WordPress blog, you can simplify the subscription process, gain more leads, encourage more sales, and increase your blog’s readership.
This guest post is written by Lior Levin, a marketing consultant for printing company that offers a variety of smart press options, and who also consults for a psd to html company.
