To fully leverage the capabilities of your WordPress blog, consider incorporating an after post widget.
After post widgets enable you to showcase various elements at the conclusion of your blog posts or pages. For example, you can include a newsletter subscription form, highlight related articles, showcase recent posts, or feature popular products.
We have been utilizing this widget on CanadaCreate for an extended period, and it has effectively promoted other articles on our site. You can see our most popular content prominently displayed.
In this article, we will guide you through the simple process of adding custom after post widgets in WordPress, helping to keep your audience engaged and encouraging them to spend more time on your site.
The Benefits of Adding Custom After Post Widgets in WordPress
You may have noticed calls to action at the end of articles on many well-known websites.
This is because if a user has scrolled to the end of an article, they are already engaged and more likely to respond positively to your offer.
This area can be effectively used to create an email sign-up form, a lead generation form, or enhance user engagement with related posts, popular articles, and other content discovery options.
If you operate an online store, you might also want to display related products or promote a sale by offering discounts.
There are various methods to achieve this. One option is to use plugins such as the MonsterInsights popular posts addon, which allows you to automatically display popular posts or products after your post content.
You can also manually insert after-post content while composing your posts using the block editor.
This approach can be labor-intensive, and the downside is that any changes require manual updates.
This is where widgets become useful.
In web development, widgets refer to non-content blocks that can be added to different sections of your website, distinct from the main content area.
WordPress includes a variety of built-in widgets that you can place in any widget-ready areas designated by your WordPress theme.
Most popular WordPress themes feature common widget-ready areas such as sidebars, footers, and header sections. However, very few themes provide an after-post widget area.
With that in mind, let’s explore how to easily add after-post widgets in WordPress, no matter which theme you are using.
Method 1: Adding After Post Content Using a Plugin
This method is straightforward and compatible with all types of WordPress widgets. It may depend slightly on your WordPress theme for styling, but it should work well for most users.
Start by installing and activating the Add Widget After Content plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
After activation, navigate to the Appearance » Widgets page, where you’ll find a new widget block labeled After Content.
Click the + icon to add any widget to the After Content section.
For example, we have included a suggestion form widget created with WPForms.
Feel free to adjust the settings of each widget as you normally would, and remember to save your changes.
Once you’re done, visit your website to see your after-post content widgets in action. Here’s how it appeared on our demo site.
Depending on the number of widgets you add and your WordPress theme, the widgets may appear slightly unbalanced.
By default, the plugin stacks widgets vertically. If you want to display them side by side, you’ll need to apply custom CSS. You can also modify the background color, add padding, change text color, and more.
Simply navigate to the Navigate to Appearance » CustomizeThen, select the Additional CSS tab.
You can begin by using this custom CSS as a foundation:
.awac.widget { width: 50%; display: inline-block; float: left; padding: 20px; background-color: #fff8e9; border: 1px dashed #fde2a9; min-height: 400px;
} .awac.widget h4 {
font-size: 18px;
color: #666;
} .awac.widget li {
font-size: 16px;
}
In this custom CSS snippet, we’ve adjusted the widget width to allow for two widgets to be displayed side by side. Additionally, we’ve modified the background color and font sizes. Feel free to customize the CSS to suit your needs.
Remember to click the ‘Publish’ button to save your modifications.
This is how it appeared on our demonstration site.
Prefer not to use custom CSS? Consider the CSS Hero plugin, which allows you to personalize every aspect of your site without needing any CSS expertise.
Control Visibility of After Post Widgets
By default, the plugin displays your after post widgets on all posts and pages. It also provides options to hide them in areas where you prefer not to show after content widgets.
For example, you might not want to display after post widgets on static pages.
Start by navigating to the Appearance » Widget After Content section. Here, you can select which categories or post types will hide your after-content widget.
Remember to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to apply your settings.
You can also choose to hide the after-content widget area for specific posts and pages.
Just edit the post or page where you want to disable the after post widgets and scroll down to the ‘Widget After Content’ section at the bottom.
Then, check the box to conceal the widget area and save your post or page. The plugin will no longer display the widget area for that specific post or page.
Method 2: Adding After Post Content with OptinMonster
This approach is more visually appealing and powerful, as it does not rely on default WordPress widgets. Instead, it enables you to incorporate any content you desire, complete with stunning designs and templates.
Another benefit of this method is the extensive targeting options it offers.
For example, you can present personalized content to different users, modify content based on what users are currently viewing, or utilize on-site retargeting for greater effectiveness.
To use this method, you’ll need OptinMonster, the leading software for lead generation and conversion optimization. It helps turn your website visitors into subscribers and customers.
Begin by creating an OptinMonster account. Simply go to their website and click the ‘Get OptinMonster Now’ button.
Once you’ve signed up, head over to your WordPress site to install and activate the OptinMonster plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
This plugin serves as a bridge between your WordPress site and your OptinMonster account.
After activation, navigate to the OptinMonster » Settings page and click the ‘Connect existing account’ button.
A popup will appear where you can log in and link your WordPress site to your OptinMonster account.
With your WordPress site now connected, you can start creating your first geotargeted campaign. Go to the OptinMonster » Campaigns page and click the ‘Add New’ button.
First, select the type of campaign you want to create. OptinMonster offers various options including lightbox popups, floating bars, inline opt-ins, fullscreen, slide-in, and gamified campaigns.
In this tutorial, we will select an inline campaign that automatically displays our campaign after the content.
Next, you can choose a campaign template by clicking on it.
Then, enter a name for your campaign. You can use any name you like and then click the ‘Start building’ button.
This will open OptinMonster’s campaign builder interface, featuring a live preview of your campaign on the right side.
You can easily utilize the drag-and-drop campaign builder to add elements and rearrange them as needed.
Here, you can select advanced elements that are not included in the default WordPress widgets, such as countdown timers, buttons, chatbots, and columns.
After designing your after post campaign, go to the Publish tab and set the campaign status to ‘Publish’.
Then, click the Save button to save your settings and exit the campaign builder.
OptinMonster will direct you to the Output settings page, where you can specify where to display your after post content.
Simply select Automatic, and then choose to show your campaign inside, below, or above the post content.
In this tutorial, we will select the option to display the widget below the post content. Next, set the Visibility status to Published and click the Save button to activate your campaign.
You can now visit your website to see your custom after post widget in action and how it enhances your content.
We hope this article has helped you understand how to add custom after post widgets in WordPress effectively.
Curious about how users are engaging with your after post widgets? Check out our tutorial on tracking user engagement in WordPress, and explore these tips to easily increase your website traffic.
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