Hey there, WordPress wizard!
Are you ready to take your content strategy to the next level? Imagine if you could generate buzz and anticipation for your blog posts before they even go live. Well, you can!
By displaying your upcoming scheduled posts, you invite readers to get excited about what‘s coming and keep checking back for more. It‘s like a movie trailer for your blog – a sneak peek that leaves them wanting more.
In this ultimate guide, we‘ll dive into the benefits of showcasing your future content, then walk you through three methods to make it happen on your WordPress site. We‘ll also brainstorm some creative ways to maximize the impact of your previews and align them with your overall promotion strategy.
Sound good? Let‘s get into it!
Why You Should Unhide Your Scheduled Posts
Before we get to the technical tutorials, let‘s talk about how teasing upcoming content can supercharge your WordPress site. Here are a few key benefits:
Boost Engagement and Loyalty
When you give readers a glimpse of what‘s on deck, they feel like valued insiders. It‘s a way of saying "I‘ve got great stuff in store for you!" This builds anticipation and trust, encouraging them to keep coming back for more.
In fact, a study by CoSchedule found that promoting a blog post before it‘s published can increase traffic by 119%. By hinting at future topics, you‘re planting seeds of interest that will blossom when the post goes live.
Improve Your SEO
Upcoming post previews act like teasers for search engines, too. When you link to a scheduled post from other areas of your site, you‘re signaling to Google that it‘s important and interconnected. This can give the post a rankings boost right out of the gate.
Plus, if readers are intrigued by your upcoming titles, they may link to the previews from their own sites or social profiles. This influx of backlinks before the post is even live can set you up for SEO success.
Refine Your Content Planning
Displaying scheduled posts publicly commits you to following through on your editorial calendar. This accountability can be a great motivator to stay consistent and strategic with your publishing.
Additionally, previewing upcoming posts gives you a chance to gauge reader interest and gather feedback. If a particular title or topic garners a lot of excitement, you might choose to prioritize or expand on it. On the flip side, if a planned piece falls flat, you can revise or replace it before investing too much effort.
Method 1: Unhide Scheduled Posts with Code
The simplest way to display upcoming posts is to tweak your WordPress theme to remove the filter that hides scheduled content by default. You just need to paste a small code snippet into your functions.php file.
Note: If you‘re not comfortable editing theme files, skip ahead to the plugin method below. And always back up your site before modifying code, just in case!
Here‘s how to do it:
- From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor.
- In the list of theme files on the right, click on functions.php.
- Scroll to the bottom of the file and paste in the following code:
function show_future_posts($posts) {
global $wp_query, $wpdb;
if(is_single() && $wp_query->post_count == 0) {
$posts = $wpdb->get_results($wp_query->request);
}
return $posts;
}
add_filter(‘the_posts‘, ‘show_future_posts‘);- Click the Update File button to save your changes.
Now when you view a single post on your site, WordPress will check if there‘s a scheduled post in the queue and display it instead. The URL and page title will reflect the upcoming post, but the content will be hidden until the scheduled date.
To take this a step further, you could create a dedicated "Upcoming Posts" page that automatically pulls in your scheduled content. Here‘s how:
- Create a new page in WordPress and title it something like "Coming Soon" or "On the Horizon".
- In the page editor, add the following shortcode:
[future_posts] - Publish the page and add it to your navigation menu.
Now you have a preview page that will update automatically as you schedule new posts. Pretty nifty, right?
Tip: If you want to get fancy, you can customize the post info displayed on this page. For example, to show each post‘s scheduled date, you could replace the shortcode with:
<?php
$future_posts = new WP_Query(array(
‘post_status‘ => ‘future‘,
‘posts_per_page‘ => 5,
‘orderby‘ => ‘date‘,
‘order‘ => ‘ASC‘
));
if($future_posts->have_posts()) {
echo ‘<ul>‘;
while($future_posts->have_posts()) {
$future_posts->the_post();
echo ‘<li>‘ . get_the_title() . ‘ - <em>‘ . get_the_date() . ‘</em></li>‘;
}
echo ‘</ul>‘;
wp_reset_postdata();
} else {
echo ‘<p>Stay tuned for upcoming posts!</p>‘;
}
?>Feel free to customize the HTML markup and CSS to fit your site‘s design. You could even add post thumbnails, excerpts, or content categories to entice readers.
Method 2: Use a Dedicated Plugin
If you‘d rather not fiddle with code, a plugin like Scheduled Post Shortcode makes it easy to display upcoming content anywhere on your site. Here‘s how to use it:
- Install and activate the plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
- Create a new page and enter one of these shortcodes:
[scheduled-posts]– displays a list of upcoming post titles[scheduled-posts covers=yes]– shows the featured image thumbnails[scheduled-posts excerpts=yes]– includes a short excerpt from each post[scheduled-posts dates=yes]– adds the scheduled publish date for each post
For example, here‘s a shortcode that would display the next 5 scheduled posts with their title, date, and excerpt:
[scheduled-posts num=5 dates=yes excerpts=yes]- Publish the page and add it to your menu or sidebar.
That‘s it! The plugin will automatically generate a preview of your upcoming posts using the shortcode settings you provided. You can easily style the list with CSS to match your theme.
Tip: For a more visual layout, try combining Scheduled Post Shortcode with a grid or columns plugin. This lets you display the featured images in a magazine-style format.
Method 3: Filter the Latest Posts Block
If you‘re using the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), you can adapt the built-in Latest Posts block to show scheduled content instead. This method is quick and easy to set up – no code or plugins required.
Here‘s how:
- Edit a page or post and add the Latest Posts block.
- By default, the block displays your most recently published posts. To change this, click the block settings icon in the toolbar.
- Under Post Type, select "Scheduled" instead of "Published".
- Choose how many posts to display and whether to show the featured images, excerpts, and/or publish dates.
- Update the block title to something like "Coming Soon" or "Mark Your Calendar".
When you publish the page or post, your upcoming content will appear in place of the latest published posts. As each scheduled post goes live, it will automatically drop off the list and the next one will take its place.
This method is great for providing a quick snapshot of your upcoming content. However, keep in mind that the block will be empty if you don‘t have any scheduled posts in the pipeline. For a more permanent solution, consider using the code or plugin approaches instead.
Tip: You can use the Latest Posts block to create multiple "coming soon" sections for different categories or tags. This lets readers filter the list to see only the topics that interest them most.
Creative Ways to Showcase Your Upcoming Posts
Now that you know how to unhide scheduled posts, let‘s explore some fun ways to feature them on your site. With a little creativity, you can build buzz and encourage readers to tune into your upcoming content. Here are a few ideas:
1. Tease with a preview post
Before a major piece goes live, whet readers‘ appetites with a preview post that outlines what they‘ll learn, how they‘ll benefit, and when they can expect to read the full version. Think of it like a movie trailer for your post, hitting the highlights and leaving them hungry for more.
2. Poll readers on title variations
If you have a few title options in mind for an upcoming post, why not let readers weigh in? Present the choices in a poll on Twitter, Facebook, or your email newsletter. This not only helps you gauge interest but also gives readers a sense of ownership in the final product.
3. Drop attention-grabbing stats
If your upcoming post includes juicy data points or surprising findings, sprinkle a few into your site ahead of time. Feature "Sneak Peek Stats" in the sidebar or at the end of related posts to spark interest. Make sure to link to the full post when it goes live!
4. Create a curiosity gap
Tease an intriguing aspect of your upcoming post without giving away the goods. For example, "Next week, we‘ll reveal the three-word phrase that can 10x your conversion rates." This curiosity gap will have readers on the edge of their seats until the post drops.
5. Make a hype video
If you‘re launching a major resource like an ultimate guide or whitepaper, consider making a quick hype video to get people excited. Give a high-level overview of the topic and how it will help them succeed. Post the video on social media and embed it on the preview page.
6. Host a giveaway
Build anticipation for an upcoming series or course by hosting a giveaway for early access. Choose a relevant prize, like a free enrollment or a 30-minute consulting call, and have people enter by signing up for your email list. This can help you gauge interest while growing your audience.
The key is to think outside the box and have fun with it! Use eye-catching visuals, engaging copy, and a clear call-to-action to make your upcoming content irresistible.
How to Align Your Upcoming Posts with a Promo Plan
Of course, featuring upcoming posts on your site is just one piece of the puzzle. To get the most mileage out of your scheduled content, you‘ll want to incorporate it into a broader promotional strategy.
Here‘s a sample timeline for how you might tease an upcoming post across various channels:
- 2 weeks before: Mention the working title in your email newsletter and ask for input
- 1 week before: Share a relevant quote or stat from the post on Twitter/LinkedIn
- 5 days before: Post a behind-the-scenes photo of your writing process on Instagram
- 3 days before: Add the post to your "Upcoming" page or sidebar widget
- 1 day before: Send an email to your list with a sneak peek excerpt
- Launch day: Share the live post on social media and publish a promotional video
- 3 days after: Recap the post‘s key takeaways in an Instagram carousel
- 1 week after: Promote the post in relevant communities (Quora, Reddit, Facebook groups, etc.)
- 2 weeks after: Republish the post on Medium and/or LinkedIn and link back to the original
The exact timeline and tactics will vary depending on your niche, audience, and goals, but this gives you a general idea of how to build momentum over time.
Tools to Streamline Your Scheduling and Promotion
To wrap up, here are a few handy tools to help you make the most of your upcoming content:
- Editorial Calendar or PublishPress: Visually manage your posting schedule right from the WordPress dashboard
- CoSchedule: Align your blog content with social media and email marketing campaigns
- Revive Old Posts: Automatically reshare your scheduled posts on Twitter and Facebook
- Tasksboard: Assign and track promotional tasks leading up to each post launch
- Buffer or Hootsuite: Schedule social media updates to coincide with your posting calendar
- Canva or Adobe Spark: Design eye-catching graphics and videos to promote your upcoming posts
By using these tools strategically, you can streamline your workflow and ensure your upcoming content gets the attention it deserves.
It‘s Your Turn!
Phew, that was a lot to take in! Let‘s recap the key steps to showcasing your upcoming posts:
- Choose a method to unhide scheduled posts on your WordPress site (code snippet, plugin, or block)
- Decide how you want to display the upcoming content (dedicated page, sidebar widget, etc.)
- Brainstorm creative ways to build anticipation and encourage engagement
- Align your scheduled posts with a broader promotional strategy across channels
- Use tools to streamline your scheduling and promotion process
Now it‘s time for you to put this advice into action. Bookmark this guide for reference and start experimenting with different methods and techniques.
We‘d love to see how you showcase upcoming posts on your site! Share a link in the comments below or tag us on social media. If you have any other creative ideas or success stories, we want to hear about those too.
Remember, your scheduled content is an untapped goldmine of potential. By giving readers a glimpse of what‘s to come, you can build buzz, boost engagement, and keep them coming back for more. So go ahead and lift the curtain on those upcoming posts – your audience will thank you for it!
