sometimescode.com/EMAIL_SIGNUP_OPTIONS.md

Email Signup Options for Category-Based Subscriptions

Overview

For category-based email subscriptions (Programming, Family), you'll need a third-party email service provider since Hugo is a static site generator and can't handle server-side functionality.

Recommended Services

Option 1: ConvertKit (Recommended)

Best for: Creator-focused email marketing with automation

• Pros:
  • Excellent automation workflows
  • Tag-based subscriber management (perfect for categories)
  • Good free tier (up to 1,000 subscribers)
  • Easy integration with static sites
• Setup:
  1. Create ConvertKit forms for "Programming" and "Family" categories
  2. Add forms to blog with JavaScript embeds
  3. Set up automation to tag subscribers by category
  4. Create category-specific broadcasts
• Cost: Free up to 1K subscribers, then $29/month

Option 2: Mailchimp

Best for: Established service with good free tier

• Pros:
  • Well-known and trusted
  • Good free tier (2,000 contacts, 10,000 emails/month)
  • Audience segmentation by interests/tags
• Setup:
  1. Create signup forms with category selection
  2. Use Mailchimp's embedded forms or API
  3. Set up audience segments by category
  4. Create targeted campaigns
• Cost: Free up to 2K contacts, then $10/month

Option 3: Buttondown

Best for: Simple, newsletter-focused approach

• Pros:
  • Built for newsletters and blogs
  • Markdown support
  • Good API for automation
  • Clean, simple interface
• Setup:
  1. Create subscription forms
  2. Use tags for category management
  3. Send category-specific newsletters
• Cost: Free up to 1K subscribers, then $5/month

Option 4: EmailOctopus

Best for: Budget-conscious option

• Pros:
  • Very affordable
  • Good API
  • Amazon SES integration for deliverability
• Cost: Free up to 2.5K subscribers, then $8/month

Implementation Approaches

Approach 1: Category Selection Form

Create a single form where users choose which categories they want:

<form action="[SERVICE_URL]" method="post">
  <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="your@email.com" required>
  <label><input type="checkbox" name="tags" value="programming"> Programming</label>
  <label><input type="checkbox" name="tags" value="family"> Family</label>
  <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
</form>

Approach 2: Separate Category Forms

Create separate signup forms for each category:

• "Subscribe to Programming Posts"
• "Subscribe to Family Posts"
• "Subscribe to All Posts"

Approach 3: RSS-to-Email Services

Alternative approach using existing RSS feeds:

• Kill the Newsletter: Converts RSS to email automatically
• Blogtrottr: RSS to email service
• FeedBurner: Google's RSS-to-email (being phased out)

Recommended Implementation Plan

1. Start Simple: Begin with ConvertKit or Mailchimp
2. Create Two Forms:
   • One for Programming category
   • One for Family category
   • Option for "All Posts"
3. Add to Site: Place signup forms in:
   • Footer of each post
   • Sidebar (if added later)
   • Dedicated subscription page
4. Automation: Set up welcome emails and category-specific sending

Code Integration Example (ConvertKit)

Add to your Hugo layouts where you want signup forms:

<!-- Programming Signup -->
<div class="email-signup">
  <h3>Get Programming Updates</h3>
  <script src="https://convertkit.com/[FORM_ID].js"></script>
</div>

<!-- Family Signup -->
<div class="email-signup">
  <h3>Get Family Updates</h3>
  <script src="https://convertkit.com/[FORM_ID].js"></script>
</div>

Next Steps

1. Choose a service (ConvertKit recommended)
2. Create account and forms
3. Add forms to your blog templates
4. Test the subscription flow
5. Set up automated category-based sending

The RSS feed is already working, so email-preferring users can use RSS-to-email services as an alternative.