Adding a private newsletter

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 11:47 am

Today’s question:

Hey Mike! I want to start a newsletter for my website. I’d like the link only to be available to subscribers on my e-mail list. Is there a way to work with WordPress to have a special page on my site for a newsletter article that’s not visible on my homepage? Or should I work with an HTML editor and just format my own newsletter?

I’ll answer the question first then I have some comments.

You can create password protected pages and posts. These won’t be able to be accessed except by people that have the password. These will show but can be used as a subscription device if you are comfortable editing the php files.

Here is where you can set the password on your writing dashboard

Just add a password and distribute that to your subscribers. Now if it is a post it will show on your home page (depending in your theme like the pic below.

Now you could edit the display “This post is password etc.” and add in a note that you may get the password by subscribing and instructions as to where.

Then once someone enters the password the page will display normally like below.

If you were to do this as a page it would not display on the main index but may be linked to from the menu or sidebar depending on the theme and set up of your sidebar.

That ends the how to now some questions I have on why?

Now if you were going to use it as a way to increase subscribers as described above I might agree. I would prefer to have my newsletter publicly available as it will do a few things.

Provide quality content to more people (which will help you build your expertise and give more people a reason to follow you whether on the blog rss or at various social sites including Facebook, Twitter and others)
Still allow people to click through to any recommendations you make
Add more content that will get indexed to help you get even more readers

If you are concerned about adding more subscribers give people a solid offer that they need to have in return for their email address.

Now you may need to keep changing and tweaking your offer (no maybe you will ) but this would be a better way in my opinion.