WordPress in the Long View with James Farmer — Post Status Draft 129

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette discuss plans for a future Rochester meetup presentation on images and open graph, with intentions to record and share the session on YouTube. They explore the idea of teaching using their own examples, similar to how a forum might demonstrate a product. The conversation also touches on reviewing the homepage for typos and excitement about making good plans. They encourage listener engagement through Slack, YouTube, and Twitter for ideas and feedback. The episode concludes with one speaker needing to prepare for a massage appointment and the other ensuring the next episode will proceed as scheduled.

Top Takeaways

• Importance of Alt Text: Michelle and Corey discuss the importance of alt text for images on websites, highlighting the need for proper descriptions to ensure accessibility.
• Utilizing Open Graph: Corey explains the limitations of Open Graph in describing images and the need for additional metadata like OG image alt to improve accessibility.
• Engagement at WordCamps: Michelle and Corey discuss the value of attending WordCamps for networking, learning about new plugins, and engaging with the WordPress community.
• Feedback and Collaboration: Michelle and Corey emphasize the importance of feedback and collaboration in the iterative process of website development, indicating their willingness to receive input from others.
• Iterative Improvement: Corey mentions the ongoing process of iterating and improving the homepage, highlighting the quick iteration phase and the importance of continuous improvement in website design and content.

Mentioned In The Show:

• Open Graph
• Matt Medeiros
• Dense Discovery Newsletter
• WP Beaver Builder
• Pexels
• Unsplash
• Pixabay
• WP Minute
• Cadence website
• Matomo
• Sticker Mule
• WordCamp US
• WordCamp Ottawa
• BBC Radio One
• Orbital 
• Underworld
• WP Campus
• WordCamp Montclair 
• WordCamp Rochester 
• Post Status 
• WordCamp Montreal
• Canva
• Twitter
• YouTube
• 404, the story of a page not found

🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.com

Build and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Corey Maass
• Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette discuss the strategic pivot of the podcast to concentrate on marketing a WordPress product. They delve into the changes needed for their homepage, refining their messaging, and creating educational content tailored for their audience. They emphasize the importance of demystifying technical jargon like "open graph" for their customers. The episode also covers their business decisions, branding strategies, and the integration of image APIs into their plugin. They highlight the need for clear communication of the plugin's features and benefits, as well as the importance of a user-friendly website design.

Top Takeaways:

• Importance of Homepage Design: The conversation underscores the critical role of a homepage in capturing visitors' attention within a few seconds and enticing them to explore further. Corey and Michelle discuss the significance of crafting compelling visuals and messaging to keep visitors engaged.
• Consideration of Target Audience: They emphasize the importance of tailoring the homepage to different customer segments or niches, such as content creators, agencies, marketers, and bloggers. Understanding the specific needs and preferences of each group helps in creating targeted messaging and visuals.
• Show, Don't Tell: Corey and Michelle stress the value of demonstrating the benefits of their product rather than simply describing them. They discuss the effectiveness of using before-and-after visuals and examples to showcase the transformation their plugin can bring to users' websites.
• Collaborative Approach: The conversation highlights the benefits of collaboration and fresh perspectives in homepage design. Michelle's input as an outsider brings new ideas and insights to the process, helping Corey overcome analysis paralysis and make progress on refining the homepage.

Mentioned In The Show:

• Chat GPT
• Slack
• Unsplash
• Pexels
• Pixabay
• Canva
• Photoshop
• DALL-E
• Post Status
• Yoast
• Eli Finer 
• Radaar 
• TikTok
• Robin Williams
• Mork and Mindy

🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.com

Build and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Corey Maass
• Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette and Anne McCarthy discuss the development of a mentorship program and an empowerment grant aimed at supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the WordPress ecosystem. They highlight the need for a safe and inclusive environment, address financial barriers, and consider privacy for those not ready to come out. The episode covers the importance of genuine community support, the mentorship program's timeline, and expectations for engagement. They urge underrepresented groups to apply, offer information on the LGBTQ press website, and invite feedback to improve the initiative. The conversation underscores the value of lived experiences and the commitment to financially empower individuals within the WordPress community.

Top Takeaways:

• Queeromattic Mentorship Program: Anne McCarthy discusses the launch of the Queeromattic Mentorship Program, aimed at supporting individuals in the queer community within the WordPress ecosystem.
• Financial Support for Queer Individuals: The program involves financial support for selected mentees, allowing them to focus on contributing to WordPress without financial constraints.
• Collaboration with Mentorship Programs: The mentorship program collaborates with existing mentorship initiatives, leveraging their expertise and guidance in the selection and support of mentees.
• Application Deadline: Interested individuals are encouraged to apply for the mentorship program, with a deadline set for February 7th, offering a six-week duration from February 19th to March 29th.
• Feedback and Collaboration: Anne invites feedback, collaboration, and ideas from the community to ensure the program evolves to address the needs and challenges faced by queer individuals in the WordPress space.

Mentioned In The Show:

• LGBTQ Press
• Automattician Resource Groups
• Make WordPress Community
• Black Press
• Automattic
• Queeromattic
• Underrepresented in Tech
• Out In Tech
• Lesbians Who Tech

🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.com

Build and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Anne McCarthy (Product Wrangler, Automattic)
• Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this co-branded podcast episode, Cory Miller from Post Status and Matt Medeiros from WP Minute discuss the "WP drama" within the WordPress community, focusing on leadership challenges and the impact of internal conflicts. They share personal experiences, emphasizing the importance of civility and understanding towards leaders like Matt Mullenweg. They highlight the need to listen to diverse voices within the community, including agencies and businesses, and acknowledge external competition from other platforms. They stress the human aspect of leadership and community engagement, encouraging constructive dialogue and community contributions through platforms like Post Status and WP Minute.

Top Takeaways:

• Passion and Emotion in the WordPress Community: The discussion emphasizes the passion that individuals in the WordPress community have for the project. However, it acknowledges that this passion can sometimes lead to heated debates and conflicts.
• Leadership and Decision-Making: The conversation delves into the challenges of leadership in the WordPress project, specifically focusing on the roles of Matt Mullenweg and Josepha Haden. It touches upon the difficulty of balancing the diverse perspectives within the community.
• Community Engagement and Support: Both speakers encourage community members to engage in constructive ways. They discuss platforms like WP Minute and Post Status as spaces for contributing content, discussing issues, and seeking support from fellow members.
• The Human Element in Online Interactions: The conversation highlights the importance of remembering the human element in online interactions. It suggests that amidst  disagreements and debates, it's crucial to approach discussions with empathy and to recognize the person on the other side of the screen.

Mentioned In The Show:

• Slack
• WordPress
• WP Minute
• Post Status

🙏 Sponsor: A2Hosting

A2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Matt Medeiros (Publisher, The WP Minute)
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Cory Miller welcomes Greg Zakowicz from Omnisen to discuss the effectiveness of various marketing channels such as email, SMS, and web push messages. They explore the increasing impact of SMS marketing, especially during peak shopping periods, and the growing trend of automation in marketing communications. Greg shares insights from Omnisen annual report, emphasizing the success of behavior-based automated messages in driving sales. They also discuss the simplicity of starting with SMS marketing and the potential of web push notifications. The episode concludes with an offer for Post Status listeners to try Omnisen and a reminder of the accessibility and support provided by the Omnisen team.

Link for 15% off first three months: our.omnisend.com/poststatus

Top Takeaways:

• SMS Marketing Growth: SMS marketing is experiencing significant growth, with a 396% increase in 2021 over 2020. Greg emphasizes the importance of leveraging SMS as a valuable marketing channel.
• Web Push Notifications: Web push notifications have shown a 27% year-over-year lift, and the growth of using push messages has been consistent. Automation plays a key role in the effectiveness of push notifications, with 21% of all automated push message orders coming from 3% of the sends.
• Automation Impact: Automated messages, whether through email, SMS, or push notifications, are highly impactful. For instance, 41% of all email orders come from automated emails, despite comprising only 2% of sends. Greg suggests focusing on high-intent messages, such as welcome, cart abandonment, and browse abandonment. 

Mentioned In The Show:

• Omnisend
• Mailchimp
• Klaviyo

🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.com

Build and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts.

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Greg Zakowicz (Sr. Ecommerce Expert, Omnisend)
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Cory Miller discuss marketing a WordPress plugin, focusing on the use of open graph data across different platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. They emphasize the importance of customizing images and content for specific pages and posts, and the value of rich content for SEO. They also discuss the use of a social previewer tool and the necessity of a default image for every URL. The conversation includes the significance of educating clients on updating their websites and the need for a strong online presence.

Top Takeaways:

• Strategic Approach to OG Images: The discussion emphasizes a strategic approach to Open Graph (OG) images, focusing on the main brand image, specific OG images for pages and products, and additional opportunities for content like blog posts.
• Importance of OG Images for Branding: OG images act as a visual representation of a brand when content is shared on various platforms. Ensuring a strong, visually appealing OG image is crucial for brand recognition and engagement.
• Understanding Channel-Specific Requirements: Different social media channels have unique requirements for displaying OG images. The conversation touches on the importance of understanding these nuances, such as Twitter's preference for image-only display and the need for specific image sizes.
• Educating Clients and Website Owners: The conversation discusses the significance of educating clients or website owners about the importance of OG images and the potential pitfalls of neglecting them. It highlights the need to guide them in creating compelling content for sharing on social media.

Mentioned In The Show:

• OMGIMG
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Google
• Discord
• Post Status

🙏 Sponsor: Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is the easiest and most trusted advanced forms solution for your WordPress website. Packed with time-saving tools and features, Gravity Forms is the only WordPress form management plugin you will ever need. Stop losing valuable leads and grow your business with Gravity.

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Corey Maass
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Cory Miller interviews Roger Rosweide, co-founder of WildCloud, shares his journey with WordPress and WildCloud, and introduces the concept of website as a service. He discusses how this model can provide pre-built, managed websites for a monthly subscription fee, benefiting agencies, marketers, business consultants, and individuals. Roger also explains how agencies can incorporate this model into their business and discusses pricing and packaging strategies for selling websites through WildCloud. He emphasizes the collaborative spirit of the WordPress community and the potential benefits of a WordPress website as a service for marketers. Cory and Roger also discuss the importance of businesses functioning as communities.

Top Takeaways

• Niche Focus and Blueprints: Agencies can benefit from creating specialized services for specific niches and using pre-built blueprints. This approach allows them to target particular industries or professions, such as therapists, and deliver tailored solutions that cater to the unique needs of those clients.
• Community Collaboration: Building a community around the WaaS model fosters collaboration among agencies, developers, and marketers. This collaborative spirit strengthens the WordPress ecosystem by encouraging dialogue, sharing insights, and addressing challenges collectively.
• Adapting to WordPress Changes: As WordPress evolves, particularly with the introduction of Gutenberg and other updates, agencies may face challenges in adapting their existing solutions. However, these challenges can be viewed as opportunities to enhance and innovate, pushing agencies to improve and stay competitive.
• Business Growth Through Community: By transitioning from a customer-centric to a community-centric approach, businesses can create more value for their clients. Providing resources, best practices, and a supportive community enables businesses to grow while helping clients achieve their goals.

Mentioned In The Show:

• Zoom
• Porsche
• Axel Springer
• WP Calorie Calculator plugin
• Google My Business
• WooCommerce
• Shopify
• Wix
• Weebly
• Squarespace
• OWASP
• All Counseling

🙏 Sponsor: Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is the easiest and most trusted advanced forms solution for your WordPress website. Packed with time-saving tools and features, Gravity Forms is the only WordPress form management plugin you will ever need. Stop losing valuable leads and grow your business with Gravity.

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Roger Rosweide (Co-Founder Wildcloud)
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Cory Miller interviews Amber Haynes, CEO of Equalize Digital, about the importance of accessibility in WordPress and web design. They discuss the recent award received by Equalize Digital for their Digital Accessibility Checker plugin, which audits WordPress websites for accessibility. Amber highlights the challenges faced by screen reader users and the increasing legal requirements for website accessibility. She also shares insights on the role of plugin developers in improving web accessibility and the competitive landscape of different platforms in terms of accessibility. The episode concludes with Amber discussing upcoming improvements to their plugin.

Top Takeaways: 

• Accessibility as a Skill Set: Agencies and web developers are encouraged to recognize the growing importance of accessibility in web development due to upcoming legislation. Amber suggests adding accessibility as a skill set and recommends starting with tools like the Accessibility Checker plugin to identify and address issues.
• Practical Steps for Improvement: To enhance accessibility, developers are advised to incorporate the Accessibility Checker plugin into their starter themes, whether custom or using a page builder. Amber emphasizes the importance of testing websites using only a keyboard, focusing on navigation, and ensuring that all functionality is accessible without a mouse.
• Evolution of the Accessibility Checker Plugin: The Accessibility Checker plugin has evolved over time, with a focus on improving user experience and introducing features such as full site reports and audit history. The plugin is continually refined to provide developers with meaningful insights into accessibility issues on their websites.
• Challenges and Opportunities in WordPress Accessibility: While WordPress powers a significant portion of the internet, there are ongoing challenges with accessibility, particularly in the core product. Amber discusses the need for a more strategic approach to accessibility within the WordPress community, addressing issues and making accessibility a priority in the development process. The conversation also touches on how other content management systems, such as CraftCMS, are actively prioritizing accessibility.

Mentioned in the Show:

• Equalize Digital
• Accessibility Checker plugin
• GAAD Foundation
• Gaady Award
• Slack
• European Accessibility Act
• Craft CMS
• Drupal
• Meetup
• Shopify
• Squarespace
• Lone Rock Point
• NASA

🙏 Sponsor: Elementor

Elementor enables web creators to build professional, pixel-perfect websites with an intuitive visual builder. Quickly create amazing websites for your clients or your business with complete control over every piece, without writing a single line of code. Join a vast community of web creators from all around the world who deliver exceptional websites using Elementor.

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Amber Hinds (CEO, Equalize Digital)
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Cory Miller discuss the performance of their WordPress product, launched in October, during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They talk about their marketing strategies, including the importance of building a mailing list and repurposing content from a WordCamp talk. They also discuss their target audience and the potential of their product which helps implement open graph on WordPress websites. They plan to create a presentation showcasing the benefits of OMGIMG.

Top Takeaways:

• Targeting Technical Audience: The focus of the discussion is on tailoring the presentation for a technical audience, particularly agencies and developers who already understand the concept of Open Graph.
• Channel-Specific Examples: To resonate with agencies, the plan is to provide channel-specific examples, such as Pinterest for food bloggers or Facebook for local businesses, showcasing how OMG can enhance visibility on various platforms.
• Lead Magnet Strategy: The speakers propose turning the refined presentation into a lead magnet, allowing agencies to download the slide deck as a brochure. The goal is to encourage sharing and make the information easily accessible.

🔗 Mentioned in the show:

• WordPress
• Twitter
• Facebook
• WordCamp
• Kanban
• Social Link Pages
• ChatGPT
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Buffer
• Main WP
• Yoast
• All in One SEO
• RankMath

🙏 Sponsor: Elementor

Elementor enables web creators to build professional, pixel-perfect websites with an intuitive visual builder. Quickly create amazing websites for your clients or your business with complete control over every piece, without writing a single line of code. Join a vast community of web creators from all around the world who deliver exceptional websites using Elementor.

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Corey Maass
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Cory Miller discuss plans for the second season of their show. They consider rebranding and focusing on marketing a WordPress product. They discuss potential topics such as selling and scaling a business, and the progress they've made with their WordPress product. They also discuss the importance of open graph data, optimizing images for SEO, and the value of simplicity in marketing a WordPress product. They plan to submit a talk to a WordCamp and provide tools to optimize content sharing. They also discuss upcoming product features and the importance of providing value to their audience.

Top Takeaways:

• Product Value Proposition: The conversation underscores the value proposition of their product, focusing on its ability to simplify complex tasks related to image optimization and branding. The product is positioned as a solution that goes beyond existing options in the market, providing a unique set of features.
• Anticipation of New Features: The anticipation of upcoming features, such as branding, watermarking, and pixel-perfect device mockups, is highlighted. This serves as a persuasive element for potential customers, suggesting that the product will continue to evolve and provide additional value beyond its initial offerings.
• Cost of Staying in the Status Quo: A recurring theme revolves around the "cost of staying where you're at." The conversation emphasizes that maintaining the status quo, especially in terms of content visibility and marketing efforts, may have negative consequences. This concept is presented as a compelling reason for users to consider their product.
• Balancing Technical Details and Simplicity: The participants discuss the balance between catering to users who may want to delve into technical details and those who seek a simplified solution. The product is positioned as a tool that can be beneficial for both types of users, providing straightforward solutions while acknowledging the more intricate aspects for those interested in them.

Mentioned in the Show:

• Canva
• Photoshop
• Beaver Builder
• Google Docs
• Social Media Examiner
• WordCampUS
• Twitter
• Yoast
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Slack
• Pinterest
• ChatGPT four
• Crop Express
• Fiverr
• Upwork
• Rank Math
• WP Minute
• Post Status

🙏 Sponsor: A2Hosting

A2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!

🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:

• Corey Maass
• Cory Miller (CEO, Post Status)
• Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)

The Post Status Draft podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝

Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧