What do email notifications for locked content show?

Wordpress Plugin
#1

Hey all,
I’m looking at installing the Patreon plugin for Wordpress, but I’m concerned about non-patrons who signed up to receive my posts by email.

  • Do they receive a “locked content, sign up for Patreon” type generic message every time a locked post goes out? (Which would seem spammy if I post locked content often.)
  • Or do they not receive any email when locked content is posted? (If so, do patrons still receive emails of the locked content they have access to?)
  • Or some in between answer?

I don’t want to proceed until I know how it affects the inboxes of my current readers and what changes to email signup I would need to make for a seamless transition for non-patrons.

Thanks for any clarity you can provide!

-Amy

#2

The plugin doesnt change anything in the inboxes of your readers.

If you are only mailing a notification that says “a new post was posted, check it out”, then they would check the post at your site, and see that it is locked.

If, the mailer is sending entire content in the mail, thats a bit different:

Patreon WordPress uses the_content filter which is applied to single post/page (and custom post type) content as they are displayed.

When you mail through Mailchimp etc, naturally this filter is not applied anywhere (since its a 3rd party platform) and hence no content gets locked.

If you are mailing through a plugin installed on your WP site, the mail’s content would depend on whether the plugin applies the_content filter to the content before it sends the mail.

If it doesnt, then the subscriber would get entire content in the mail.

…

Basically the plugin wouldnt change anything in the inboxes of your readers.

#3

Thank you @codebard. I simply use the widget already built into just “normal” WordPress menu options, not Mailchimp and not a plugin. Do you know if that contains the_content filter? It sounds like it might from what you’re saying, but not sure.

#4

‘Normal’ WP menu options? Which ones might they be?

#5

In the Appearance --> Widgets options for the sidebar.

The one I’m using is called “Blog Subscriptions Jetpack: Add an email signup form to allow people to subscribe to your blog.”

I just drag and drop it into my sidebar options and the rest is automated.

#6

I see…

Do the post notifications it sends (before) include the entire post, or an excerpt, or just a notification saying that a post was added/updated?

#7

It shows the entire post

#8

In that case either of 2 things would happen:

1 - The email goes as is, with full content of post is showing because the_content filter is not applied.All users would get the post even if they are not patrons.

2 - The email goes after the_content filter being applied, ending up the content being locked, showing only the locked post interface. Even the users who are your valid patrons would get the locked post.

A solution may be to set the notifications to be notification only, ie, showing only an excerpt or notification. Either via Jetpack, or by moving your subscription and notification to another plugin or service. Then just notifications would go out to all users, they would need to click on notification to see the post at your site. This then, would have valid patrons to see the post at your website, whereas non patrons to be asked to subscribe.

#9

Yes, I like that idea! Thank you for all your help.

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