As an entrepreneur, you’re always looking for new opportunities to expand your business and generate sales. Having an effective and high-quality content strategy is one way you can increase your reach. The most straightforward way to implement your content marketing plan is in-house. However, it’s not the only option. You can get people to submit posts to your website, which can help you generate more traffic and leads.
In this article, we’ll show you how to accept user-submitted posts for WordPress. We’ll cover the benefits of accepting user-submitted posts, how to set up a submission form, and how to manage the submissions.
Benefits of Accepting User-Submitted Posts
There are several benefits to accepting user-submitted posts on your website. Here are a few:
1. Increased Traffic
When you accept user-submitted posts, you’ll have more content on your website. This means that search engines will have more pages to index, which can lead to increased traffic. Additionally, when people submit posts, they’re likely to share them with their own networks, which can also drive traffic to your site.
2. Diverse Content
When you accept user-submitted posts, you’ll have a wider variety of content on your website. This can help you attract a more diverse audience and keep your existing audience engaged.
3. Cost-Effective
Creating high-quality content can be time-consuming and expensive. When you accept user-submitted posts, you’re getting free content that you can use to promote your business.
How to Set Up a Submission Form
Now that you know the benefits of accepting user-submitted posts, let’s talk about how to set up a submission form on your WordPress site.
Step 1: Install a Plugin
The easiest way to set up a submission form is by using a plugin. There are several plugins available that allow you to create custom forms on your WordPress site. One popular option is WPForms. WPForms is a drag-and-drop form builder that makes it easy to create custom forms.
To install WPForms, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on “Plugins” > “Add New.” Search for “WPForms” and click “Install Now.” Once the plugin is installed, click “Activate.”
Step 2: Create a New Form
Once WPForms is installed and activated, you can create a new form by going to “WPForms” > “Add New.” Give your form a name and select the “Blank Form” template.
Step 3: Add Fields
Next, you’ll need to add fields to your form. The fields you add will depend on the type of content you want people to submit. For example, if you want people to submit blog posts, you’ll need fields for the title, content, and author name.
To add fields, simply drag and drop them from the left-hand side of the screen to the right-hand side. You can customize each field by clicking on it and adjusting the settings.
Step 4: Configure Form Settings
Once you’ve added your fields, you’ll need to configure your form settings. This includes setting up notifications, confirmation messages, and form actions.
To configure your form settings, click on the “Settings” tab at the top of the screen. From here, you can customize your notification settings, confirmation message, and form actions.
Step 5: Add Your Form to Your Website
Once your form is complete, you’ll need to add it to your website. To do this, go to the page or post where you want to add the form and click on the “+” icon to add a new block. Search for “WPForms” and select the “WPForms” block.
From here, select the form you just created from the dropdown menu. You can also customize the appearance of your form by adjusting the settings on the right-hand side of the screen.
Managing User-Submitted Posts
Now that you know how to set up a submission form, let’s talk about how to manage the submissions.
Step 1: Review Submissions
When someone submits a post through your form, you’ll receive an email notification. You can also view all submissions by going to “WPForms” > “Entries” in your WordPress dashboard.
From here, you can review each submission and decide whether or not to publish it on your website. You can also edit the submission if necessary.
Step 2: Publish Posts
To publish a post, simply click on the “Publish” button next to the submission. The post will be added to your website just like any other post.
Step 3: Promote Posts
Once a post is published, be sure to promote it on your social media channels and in your email newsletter. This will help drive traffic to your website and increase engagement.
Conclusion
Accepting user-submitted posts can be a great way to generate more traffic and leads for your business. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily set up a submission form on your WordPress site and start accepting posts from your audience. Just be sure to review each submission carefully and promote the posts once they’re published.
