How to create an RSS newsletter to email with GetResponse

As a writer or a business owner, you understand the importance of creating a list. But how to start?

Yes, of course, you should develop full-of-value reports, manuals, videos, protein bars, and odorless alcohol as thank-you gifts for new subscribers who opt for your list after reading useful content.

But what are you doing NOW like a tide while you develop all those good things?

Ask your readers to join your list to automatically receive their latest blog posts in their inboxes!

Now, these days that's not going to build you a huge list. But it is something. It is a provisional resource while you work on your broader strategy.

This article is a step-by-step guide to creating an RSS to email campaign on GetResponse and WordPress.

If you already created your RSS to the Email newsletter and found this post because GetResponse will not allow you to connect the newsletter to a campaign, you are not alone. Stop banging your head against concrete like I was! Instead, scroll down and read "Connect GetResponse RSS to a newsletter by email to a campaign."

Create the RSS to Email newsletter at GetResponse

Sign in to GetResponse In the menu bar, click on Messages, then on Create RSS to email.

Enter the URL of your RSS feed in the "RSS feed URL". For WordPress sites, this is usually sitename.com/feed (for example, https://xyz.com/feed). GetResponse will try to validate the URL. If successful, a green checkmark will appear at the end of the "RSS feed URL" text box.

If you do not know your URL feed, you should be able to find it by viewing the source of your page.

In Google Chrome, right-click anywhere on your page and click View page source:

Press Ctrl + F and search for "RSS". In the following example, the URL of the RSS feed is https://xyz.com/feed/.

Complete the rest of the options as you see fit. This is how we configure ours:

Frequency: every time a new article is published RSS

Name of the message: RSS Newsletter

Subject: [[rss_title]] (this is the default)

From: Paul Miller <jon@xyz.com>

Follow-up: ON-click, Google Analytics ON

When you are ready to continue, click on "Next step".

Now it's time to select a template. We wanted to use something quite simple that would require little customization. So, we chose Template # 322. At the time of writing this article (April 2017), that template was at the bottom of the list.

Click on the template to use and, optionally, customize it. Continuing with our theme of simplicity, we reduce the template to the basics. This is what we cut:

Now, we liked the look of James Altucher's newsletter, so we added Paul's head shot to the top and rounded the borders. You can do it by adding an Image Block and uploading your photo.

Once you have finished customizing the HTML template, verify the plain text version. This is important for two reasons. First of all, not everyone likes to receive emails in HTML format. Second, many email programs block HTML messages from senders that are new to the recipient.

To check the plain text version, click on "Unformatted Text". It is the underlined link to the left of the "Save as" and "Next step" buttons.

You will see an empty message panel. Do not worry, you do not have to start from scratch. First, click on "HTML to Plain".

GetResponse will convert your HTML template to a plain text version.

Check for lines that are too long and adjust accordingly.

After inserting a line break between the two sentences in the longest paragraph, we add some spaces before some other lines at the bottom of the message. This is what it looked like when we finished:

Now that your template is customized, it's time to preview it. This helps you make sure that it will display well on a variety of devices.

Hover over the "Test message" button in the upper right part of the screen, then click on "Inbox preview".

Once GetResponse receives responses from a variety of services, it will present previews of your message. Take a quick look and make sure nothing looks too clumsy.

If everything looks good, close the preview and click "Next step". You will see the Include Recipients page.

If you are doing this for the first time, it is very likely that you do not have the campaign to connect to the newsletter or that you do not have the correct one.

Do not worry: we'll take care of that in a minute. Continue and click on "Next step".

Your screen should look similar to the image below. You will probably only have the option to save your message as a draft. Go ahead, do it.

If you have not yet created a campaign, do that below. GetResponse has an excellent video tutorial here.

Create a subscription form on your website. You can use the free GetResponse Forms by Optin Cat add-on to do it.

Connect GetResponse RSS to the newsletter by email to a campaign

Unfortunately, GetResponse will not allow you to connect your RSS newsletter to an email campaign until you have at least one subscriber. Then, register on your own list using the subscription form you just created.

Now, go back to your RSS newsletter to Email by clicking on Messages and then on Manage RSS to email. Change the drop-down value from "RSS" to "Draft".

Hover over the "Actions" link at the far right of your RSS message draft and click edit.

Click on the Recipients icon in the menu bar.

Your new campaign should now be visible. Check the box and click on "Next step".

If everything went according to plan, you should now see a "Save" button instead of "Save as draft".

Click on "Save." To confirm that your newsletter is live, click on Messages and Manage RSS to email. Your bulletin should appear in the message list.

How did it go? Please let us know in the comments below.

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