WPwatercooler - Weekly WordPress Talk Show

This week on WPwatercooler we'll be discussing how to go about documenting a WordPress project. If you are wanting to provide docs for your clients or you just want to remember what you did with that conditional last week. How do you go about documenting your WordPress projects?

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This week on WPwatercooler we'll be expanding a bit on the topic from this week's WPblab “WordPress Plugins – If you build it they will come” regarding what you should do after you build a WordPress plugin. On that show we spoke about marketing it, on this show we'll speak more about supporting and nurturing it. 00:04:00 – Translations 00:04:20 – multisite compatibility 00:06:01 – Why good developers don't ignore multisite 00:06:21 – Multisite Gotchas 00:07:51 – Email Issues 00:09:10 – Plugin Boilerplates 00:13:09 – WPpb.io Boilerplate 00:16:50 – Code Best Practices 00:18:12 – Plugin Aftercare – Support * HelpScout * Freshdesk|Customer Support Software & Helpdesk Solution * Zendesk|Customer Service Software & Support Ticket System * Awesome Support: The Best Helpdesk and Support Plugin For WordPress 00:24:29 – Jon Browns Utopianistic version of the universe 00:27:44 – Documentation 00:29:46 – Outro

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This week on WPwatercooler we'll be expanding a bit on the topic from this week's WPblab “WordPress Plugins – If you build it they will come” regarding what you should do after you build a WordPress plugin. On that show we spoke about marketing it, on this show we'll speak more about supporting and nurturing it.
00:04:00 – Translations

00:04:20 – multisite compatibility

00:06:01 – Why good developers don't ignore multisite

00:06:21 – Multisite Gotchas

00:07:51 – Email Issues

00:09:10 – Plugin Boilerplates

00:13:09 – WPpb.io Boilerplate

00:16:50 – Code Best Practices

00:18:12 – Plugin Aftercare – Support

* HelpScout
* Freshdesk|Customer Support Software & Helpdesk Solution
* Zendesk|Customer Service Software & Support Ticket System
* Awesome Support: The Best Helpdesk and Support Plugin For WordPress

00:24:29 – Jon Browns Utopianistic version of the universe

00:27:44 – Documentation

00:29:46 – Outro

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WPblab EP72 – WordPress Plugins – If you build it, will they come? w/ Russell Aaron Russell Aaron – Web Dev Studios Bridget – Actions do things, Filters change things What’s a plugin? – File inside directory. Adds or enhance website, or de-enhance, Simmer down down. Finish plugin, ship it and call it a day! Built & tested and released, people are installing and then white screen the site First step in marketing, believe in product. Use it every day. Plugin solves his own problem. His marketing – let me to take it to a competition at a WordCamp ( Plugin-a-Palooza ) and get an idea of who is my core demographic How do you promote? No good marketing thing on the repo… The repo has copy… Real people don’t know repo. Directory good compromise for users. Have a good call to action. Make sense in your copy. Have someone else write the copy. Don’t use terms dev terms. Use words your audience will understand. No one is looking for the product by your name. Users look for Automatic scheduling twitter. “Revival posts” not the name you’re searching for. Use descriptive copy in the repository listing… it may sound like an infomercial but you need to use words that the audience will easily understand. Listen to people in meetup groups. People want to see a top level view of their site, top “query all the posts types” came up. What are people saying about your plugins and how do you tap into that? Get close to pain points essential to marketing. Finding the thing that people ask about over and over again is a good guide to what you should be talking / posting about. Word of Mouth. People willing to try things. WordCamp people will experiment about things and new products. Intro with “Hi my name is russ and you might like my plugin ‘query all the post types’” Use your community to make your plugin better. User feedback. Take it to meetup group. Discounts for early adopters First step of marketing is help evolve the plugin “I need something to do – how can I solve a problem?” Combine those things together and a plugin is born! Don’t get too used car salesman. Somewhere between peace corps and something….. If you make a plugin and put it in the repo, you’re going to get a lot of questions and suggestions for changes to make it better For a tweet about styling gravity forms. Meghan said “shutup and take my money”. Had an idea and built a plugin to just enqueue a stylesheet. Don’t wait tooo long to make premium version of plugin You need a marketing brief – Set achievable, measureable goals. I want 10 downloads a month. Goal 500 or 1000 active installs – figure out how to get that. * Get on twitter. * Tweet 3 times a day. * Make sure to hit ‘reply’. * Be a human being * Organic content marketing * Community advertising * Be on every front possible * 4 times a week posts on the blog Have a strategy Tell people you exist. You won't make a living for at least 3 years on only the plugin. Russell: If you write something that solves a problem and you tweet it with the right hashtags and get it in front of the right people – it can almost promote itself! People are going to share it. Bridget: Be a Human Being. Develop relationships. Then it will matter to people when you share projects you are working on. James Law ( Ninja Forms ) charge what it is. Don’t do discounts. * Plugins Admin Bar – WordPress Plugin Adding Plugin Link To WP Admin Bar Sub Menu * Hashtag URL Placeholder *

WPblab EP72 – WordPress Plugins – If you build it, will they come? w/ Russell Aaron

Russell Aaron – Web Dev Studios
Bridget – Actions do things, Filters change things
What’s a plugin? – File inside directory. Adds or enhance website, or de-enhance, Simmer down down.
Finish plugin, ship it and call it a day!
Built & tested and released, people are installing and then white screen the site
First step in marketing, believe in product. Use it every day. Plugin solves his own problem.
His marketing – let me to take it to a competition at a WordCamp ( Plugin-a-Palooza ) and get an idea of who is my core demographic
How do you promote?
No good marketing thing on the repo… The repo has copy… Real people don’t know repo. Directory good compromise for users.
Have a good call to action. Make sense in your copy. Have someone else write the copy. Don’t use terms dev terms. Use words your audience will understand.
No one is looking for the product by your name.
Users look for Automatic scheduling twitter. “Revival posts” not the name you’re searching for.
Use descriptive copy in the repository listing… it may sound like an infomercial but you need to use words that the audience will easily understand.
Listen to people in meetup groups. People want to see a top level view of their site, top “query all the posts types” came up.

What are people saying about your plugins and how do you tap into that?
Get close to pain points essential to marketing. Finding the thing that people ask about over and over again is a good guide to what you should be talking / posting about.
Word of Mouth. People willing to try things. WordCamp people will experiment about things and new products.
Intro with “Hi my name is russ and you might like my plugin ‘query all the post types’”
Use your community to make your plugin better.
User feedback. Take it to meetup group. Discounts for early adopters
First step of marketing is help evolve the plugin
“I need something to do – how can I solve a problem?” Combine those things together and a plugin is born!
Don’t get too used car salesman. Somewhere between peace corps and something…..
If you make a plugin and put it in the repo, you’re going to get a lot of questions and suggestions for changes to make it better
For a tweet about styling gravity forms. Meghan said “shutup and take my money”. Had an idea and built a plugin to just enqueue a stylesheet.
Don’t wait tooo long to make premium version of plugin
You need a marketing brief – Set achievable, measureable goals. I want 10 downloads a month.
Goal 500 or 1000 active installs – figure out how to get that.

* Get on twitter.
* Tweet 3 times a day.
* Make sure to hit ‘reply’.
* Be a human being
* Organic content marketing
* Community advertising
* Be on every front possible
* 4 times a week posts on the blog

Have a strategy

Tell people you exist. You won't make a living for at least 3 years on only the plugin.
Russell: If you write something that solves a problem and you tweet it with the right hashtags and get it in front of the right people – it can almost promote itself! People are going to share it.
Bridget: Be a Human Being. Develop relationships. Then it will matter to people when you share projects you are working on.
James Law ( Ninja Forms ) charge what it is. Don’t do discounts.

* Plugins Admin Bar – WordPress Plugin Adding Plugin Link To WP Admin Bar Sub Menu
* Hashtag URL Placeholder
*

This week on WPwatercooler we discuss what keeps us using WordPress for the projects that we build.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on WPwatercooler we discuss what keeps us using WordPress for the projects that we build.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bridget Willard and Jen Miller are joined by Justine Pretorious to discuss Marketing hacks to build community connections at a WordCamp. Tweeting as WCLAX by Bridget Willard WordCamp marketing is not like regular event marketing – it’s a very different culture Knowing where your audience exists is important – WordPress users are very active on twitter Justine originally wanted nothing to do with Twitter and didn’t start using it until she was asked to tweet on the business account for her employer Bridget really connected with the WordPress community and met people from the community because of Twitter Volunteering enhances your experience in the WordPress community because it connects you to the people who are most involved – it is a gateway and allows you to put your skills to work Justine moved from Truckee to Portland and found the local WordCamp and volunteered herself to do their social media Jen Miller first connected with the WordPress community through volunteering at WordCamp Orange County Make sure when you post to twitter, especially from a WordPress site, that you use a good image and use featured images on your post! It’s a huge part of good marketing. Canva is a good option if you don’t have Photoshop – they offer layouts and pre-defined sizing Make sure to use a 1200 x 628 featured image in every post or page on your WordPress site You can see what facebook (open graph images) will render when you use the facebook debugger tool https://developers.facebook.com/tools-and-support/ For WordCamps it’s important to remember there are pre-”game” components and post-game – you should still be tweeting & covering those events – the camp doesn’t end when the last session closes! Keep the love going during non-camp times by tweeting other local WordPress Meetups and events – keeps your logo and account in front of people even when you don’t have something going on Don’t forget to keep “hospitality” in mind – make it easier for the new people – share tips. Give important information to help everyone feel welcome, answer questions during the event. Before the event, tweet out as much information as possible, location, snacks/meal info, what to expect, what to bring (and what you shouldn’t), and lots of general advice If you are going to sponsor and be at a WordCamp, make sure you follow the main twitter account, start talking about it several months in advance, talk about your team who is going, help promote the event by sharing info, hashtag and document your time at the WordCamp Put the WordCamp speakers and attendees on twitter lists so that you and others can follow along without getting overwhelmed Bridget: Dear WordCamp speakers: Update your gravatar with your current image with all your relevant info (make sure your photo looks like you!!) Give your current twitter handle and make yourself easy to find Include your twitter handle on your presentation slides – people want to help promote you! Announce speakers before you sell tickets if at all possible – people need to know why they are buying tickets Tweet about speakers with photos and make sure you include their bios/photos on your site Every WordCamp has it’s own unique culture – try to include some of that culture and local color in your marketing tweets – “Local SEO” – share what makes your area / camp unique! Doing teasers of the content in your presentation is a great way to build up interest and get people to come to your talk! Share selfies – it helps people to feel more connected, like they know you. Tweet during the sessions that you attend and share valuable information (with...

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Bridget Willard and Jen Miller are joined by Justine Pretorious to discuss Marketing hacks to build community connections at a WordCamp.
Tweeting as WCLAX by Bridget Willard
WordCamp marketing is not like regular event marketing – it’s a very different culture
Knowing where your audience exists is important – WordPress users are very active on twitter
Justine originally wanted nothing to do with Twitter and didn’t start using it until she was asked to tweet on the business account for her employer
Bridget really connected with the WordPress community and met people from the community because of Twitter
Volunteering enhances your experience in the WordPress community because it connects you to the people who are most involved – it is a gateway and allows you to put your skills to work
Justine moved from Truckee to Portland and found the local WordCamp and volunteered herself to do their social media
Jen Miller first connected with the WordPress community through volunteering at WordCamp Orange County
Make sure when you post to twitter, especially from a WordPress site, that you use a good image and use featured images on your post! It’s a huge part of good marketing.
Canva is a good option if you don’t have Photoshop – they offer layouts and pre-defined sizing
Make sure to use a 1200 x 628 featured image in every post or page on your WordPress site
You can see what facebook (open graph images) will render when you use the facebook debugger tool https://developers.facebook.com/tools-and-support/
For WordCamps it’s important to remember there are pre-”game” components and post-game – you should still be tweeting & covering those events – the camp doesn’t end when the last session closes!
Keep the love going during non-camp times by tweeting other local WordPress Meetups and events – keeps your logo and account in front of people even when you don’t have something going on
Don’t forget to keep “hospitality” in mind – make it easier for the new people – share tips. Give important information to help everyone feel welcome, answer questions during the event.
Before the event, tweet out as much information as possible, location, snacks/meal info, what to expect, what to bring (and what you shouldn’t), and lots of general advice
If you are going to sponsor and be at a WordCamp, make sure you follow the main twitter account, start talking about it several months in advance, talk about your team who is going, help promote the event by sharing info, hashtag and document your time at the WordCamp
Put the WordCamp speakers and attendees on twitter lists so that you and others can follow along without getting overwhelmed
Bridget: Dear WordCamp speakers:

Update your gravatar with your current image with all your relevant info (make sure your photo looks like you!!)

Give your current twitter handle and make yourself easy to find

Include your twitter handle on your presentation slides – people want to help promote you!
Announce speakers before you sell tickets if at all possible – people need to know why they are buying tickets
Tweet about speakers with photos and make sure you include their bios/photos on your site
Every WordCamp has it’s own unique culture – try to include some of that culture and local color in your marketing tweets – “Local SEO” – share what makes your area / camp unique!
Doing teasers of the content in your presentation is a great way to build up interest and get people to come to your talk! Share selfies – it helps people to feel more connected, like they know you.
Tweet during the sessions that you attend and share valuable information (with...

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This week on WPwatercooler we will be discussing how the design of your web design or development agency website affects how people think about you and your work. You've heard of the phrase ‘the cobbler's children have no shoes', how does that directly relate to the kind of work you get as a developer or designer?

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