“Good to Know” Newsletters for a Successful WordPress Website
Reading Time: 4 minutes 
Part of my job is tracking the questions I get asked by clients and through my websites. A common question is how I find all the information I share and how I “keep up.” Suffice it to say, I read a lot.
I Read So You Don’t Have to…
Next, I’m asked whether I’d mind making some recommendations for required reading for those who “don’t know what I know.” “How about pointing us in the right direction so we can hone our website knowledge and skills?”
So, I’ve thought about email newsletters to help people stay informed about the latest trends and essential information. These are for site owners who are more comfortable running their businesses rather than their websites, but are eager to learn.
I’ll leave out the over-techie stuff, the multitude of WordPress, Marketing, SEO, and Social Media feeds that land in my inbox every day, and make it easy for you by narrowing it down to what I’ve determined to be your “good to know.”
These suggestions cover the basics to keep up with the topics critical to your success. Security, Search, Social Media, Content — and a little inspiration! Yes, inspiration. There will be days when your frustration kicks in, and you feel like throwing in the towel. This is where mindset matters, which is just as important as everything else.
Start with These Resources
Subscribing to the following resources and adding them to your reading list will help you stay broadly informed about what you need to focus on.
Add your particular industry websites and specific interests (marketing, branding, podcasting) to the above, and you can quickly become overwhelmed. So I recommend not subscribing to more than ten at a time—even that’s pushing it.
Prioritize What You “Need to Know”
“Need to know” is different for everyone. Experience and priorities will determine what is most vital for you to track and learn.
“Want to know” is more realistic. And that list will evolve as it should.
You may find that other sites better meet your goals. That’s fine; subscribe to them instead. These are just suggestions to get you rolling.
The key is to not overwhelm yourself by subscribing to too many “resources.” This produces numerous emails that take up space in your inbox and time to absorb. (Email organization is imperative to your efficiency, by the way.)
Be sure to block out some time on your calendar to read and bookmark at least once a week. Once you’ve read a newsletter, delete it. You’ll often never refer back, and information gets outdated so quickly that it isn’t worth keeping.
Choose wisely and enjoy!
Work towards subscribing to those resources you genuinely enjoy and look forward to receiving. Only subscribe if you know you can benefit from the information provided.
Unsubscribe if it is not your cup of tea or doesn’t provide value. The sooner, the better, to keep your inbox clear of fluff and time-wasters.
I still learn new things — all the time. I’ve been at this longer than most, and I’ve been subscribed to a bunch of resources for years. At the same time, others fall by the wayside when I no longer find them helpful, sound, or fresh. If I don’t read an email three times because it’s apparently not important enough, I unsubscribe.
When you narrow down your subscriptions to the core 5 to 10 you need and enjoy, you’ll be more likely to learn and apply that information to your program. So… what are you going to read next?
At your service,
