How to Create a Newsletter Archive on your Blog (no coding!)

You Need to Create a Newsletter Archive Page

Last Wednesday, we got to talk about how to get really engaged subscribers in your emailing list. Today though, I wanted to go a bit further into newsletters and how to make yours one that subscribers LOVE to read. To let them “catch up” on old content, you need to create a newsletter archive page.

Can you imagine trying to hop into a trending series on netflix or hulu, only to get to watch what new stuff in the series airs since you began watching? Even if it’s a show like F.R.I.E.N.D.S. where the order isn’t *quite* so important, you still want that back story! Ha, and good luck on Desperate Housewives, amiright?

If I’ve taken the time (and trusted you enough with my email address) it means I like you, and I want to know more about you or your brand. When I get my first newsletter from you, I’m really hoping you’ll give me the option to go read your past stuff so I can be all caught up and ready for next week! Really, being able to create a newsletter archive page should be one of your top priorities as a blogger.

How to Set it Up

1. First, create a new page (not a post) on your blog. Title it as “Newsletter”, “Email”, “Newsletter Archive”, or “Email Archive”.
2. Make the page password protected. On WordPress, open the page as if you were editing it. Expand the “Publish” box if you haven’t already,. You’ll see “status:_____” [published, scheduled, draft, or review]. Directly below that you’ll see “visability: Public” switch “public” to “password protected”.
3. A small box will pop up, prompting you to create the password. I suggest something that’s short and memorable for your subscribers, but not obvious enough for regular readers to guess.
4. Now you’re ready to add in your content. Starting at the very first newsletter sent, type it’s date sent, subject line, and possibly the excerpt line. You could also add in an additional little blurb explaining what the newsletter is about, up to about a paragraph. Adding in the hyperlinks for each email is the next step.
5. Open your Mailchimp account in a separate tab, and go to your campaigns.
6. Now, click on the first newsletter you sent out.
7. At the top of the newsletter, make sure you’re in “campaign preview”, and not “HTML Source”, “Plain Text Email”, or “Details”.
8. Right below where it says “campaign preview” is a small line of text that says “View this email in your browser”. Click that.
9. This has probably taken you to a new tab, though it doesn’t look like much has changed, other than the mailchimp logo disappearing from the top and your line of tabs called “Campaign Preview”, “HTML Source”, “Plain Text Email”, and “Details” are gone as well. Highlight the url now, and copy it.
10. Go back to your newsletter archive page on your blog or website.
11. Highlight the corresponding email, and insert the link.
12. Repeat steps 6-11 for every email you’ve sent out until they’re all added. If you have more emails than you’d like to do this for, it may be best for you to contract this job out to someone on Fiverr or UpWork.
13. When you’re finished, save your Newsletter page.
14. (Optional) now if you’d like to add this to your sidebar or main menu, you may do so now.
15. Be sure that you change your welcome email to explain your new page on your blog. Hyperlink to that page, and include the password.
16. In the footer of every email from now on, add in a short blurb of your newsletter archive with the link, and the password. Now everyone in your subscription list has access to old emails, even if the emails were sent before they subscribed to your newsletter.

Let’s Talk!

• So what are your thoughts on my method to create a newsletter archive for your email list?
• Would you ever have an email archive, or do you already?
• If you’re receiving my newsletters (subscribe in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post), do you ever use my archive page? There’s a tab for it at the top of this page. Get your password at the bottom of the latest newsletter email from me.

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