After more than 20 years, WordPress still provides a career path for freelancers and agencies. There are opportunities to build your niche while working with clients. For many, the open-source software is a growth engine.
It’s more than just business as usual, though. WordPress also boasts a global community of users and contributors. As such, agencies don’t have to operate in a vacuum. There’s an opportunity to connect with people and pay it forward.
Community engagement is a win-win situation. First, you’re helping others learn and use WordPress more effectively. There’s a great sense of satisfaction that comes with getting involved.
There are also benefits to your business. It puts your name out there and helps you build relationships. That could result in booking more clients. At the very least, you’ll create goodwill and establish a strong reputation.
Giving back is also easier than you think. Here are a few ways to say thanks to the WordPress community!
Join or Host a Local Meetup
If you want to impact the WordPress community at a grassroots level, Meetups are a great place to start. They’re local get-togethers that welcome people of all skill levels, including beginners.
These events open up a world of possibilities. You might have meetings dedicated to a specific subject, guest presentations, or group projects. It’s also an opportunity for attendees to help each other with site issues or plugin suggestions.
Agencies are uniquely positioned to help. Your team of experts can give talks and connect with your local community. That makes you a trusted resource – one that prospective clients will remember when it’s time for a new website or other project.
Finding a place to hold regularly scheduled meetings is challenging in some communities. So, hosting a meetup at your office or another space is a huge help.
Plus, not every city has a meetup. In that case, you might consider establishing one. It brings people together and builds enthusiasm for the WordPress project.
Being part of the meetup space requires a commitment. However, connecting with others one-on-one is worth the effort.
Set Aside Time To Contribute to WordPress
The WordPress project includes several teams tasked with building and maintaining the software. There are also teams dedicated to providing technical support, writing documentation, language translation, and reviewing themes/plugins.
Joining one or more teams is an opportunity to improve WordPress and its community. This could include anything from fixing bugs, building new features, or improving the user experience. That’s only scratching the surface of the potential impacts.
Contributions of all kinds are welcome – even if they don’t involve writing code. So, think about which team(s) interest you and fit your skillset. It’s also worth considering how much time you can dedicate to the project.
The Five for the Future program is a compelling option for agencies willing to commit 5% of their time to the project. Individuals are also welcome to join.
However, the type or number of contributions you make isn’t as important as your willingness to participate. One way to look at it is that every contribution helps someone. That makes a difference!
Build Free Plugins, Themes, or Educational Resources
There’s also a more traditional approach to paying it forward. Your agency is likely building custom plugins or themes for your projects. And teaching is a key part of working with clients. Why not level up and share what you know?
Once again, this benefits everyone. The community receives something useful. Meanwhile, you increase your visibility across the WordPress ecosystem. It’s a way to generate leads while doing good.
What you share and how you share it are up to you. It might be as simple as posting your GitHub repository link on social media. Or, you might opt to distribute your work via the official WordPress theme and plugin directories.
We should note that some responsibilities are involved with either approach. Plugins and themes must be maintained and supported. Community engagement is part of the deal. It’s also a good idea to keep sales pitches to a minimum if your goal is to give back.
Offering educational resources, such as online courses or tutorials, is also a possibility. Being a guide to users or developers will showcase your expertise. Do it well, and you’ll have loyal visitors returning to your site or YouTube channel.
Say Thanks to WordPress and Its Community
If your agency builds websites with WordPress, it benefits from the open-source software. It also stands to reason that you’ve benefited from the knowledge shared by community members. Every code snippet or piece of advice is valuable.
Giving back is simply the right thing to do. It says that you care about the project and the people surrounding it. Consider the potential boost to your business as good karma.
It’s also a chance to connect with other people and organizations. You never know what may come of these relationships. Friendships, business ventures, and side projects could be in store.
So, think about ways to give back and pick one that’s right for you. It will help you grow as a person and a web professional.
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