This is your WordPress Dashboard!
Here is a simple video showing you how to upload a blog to your Member News page. Below is a breakdown of the topics covered in the video. Think of it as a cheat sheet!
Highlights and Tips:
Go to POSTS > ADD NEW
The first text area on the top is where you add the post’s title.
The content area is where you will write your post. You can use the formatting options from the toolbar or use one of the many keyboard shortcuts available which will speed up your writing process.
As you write, WordPress will automatically save a draft of your post. This autosave is stored in your WordPress database temporarily.
Add Images and Media
Between the title and content fields, there is a large Add Media button. You will need to click on it when you want to upload an image or any other media to your WordPress post. This will launch the media uploader in a popup window. Simply click on the select files button to upload images or any other media to your WordPress site. You can also create image galleries and audio playlists from uploaded files.
Publishing Options
The WordPress post edit screen is divided into two columns. The column on your left contains the post title and content editor. On your right hand side, you have different meta boxes to configure post settings.
The top most meta box in this column is labeled Publish. This is where all the publishing options for your posts are managed.
1. Save Draft button stores a draft of the post or page that you are working on. WordPress also auto-saves your posts as you write them.
2. Preview button shows a live preview of your post. You can use it to see how your post will look after publishing.
3. Status allows you to set a status for your post. WordPress automatically handles post status for drafts and published posts. Unless you are using a plugin to add custom statuses, you don’t need to worry about this option.
4. Click on the Edit link next to visibility to expand it. The first option under visibility will allow you to make your post sticky on front-page. Sticky posts in WordPress are like featured content that are displayed on top of all other posts.
5. The next option allows you to password protect a post in WordPress.
6. The third option under visibility is labeled private. This allows you to privately publish a post on your WordPress site. The private posts will be visible to users who have the editing privileges on your site.
7. Click on the edit link next to Publish, and WordPress will display the time and date options. You can use this option to schedule posts or create back dated post in WordPress.
8. Move to trash allows you to delete a WordPress post. Deleted posts live under trash, and you can restore them if you need to for up to 30 days.
9. Finally, the publish button makes your WordPress post public. Remember if you scheduled a post, then it will appear on your site on the scheduled date and time.
Adding Categories and Tags
Categories and tags help you organize your content in a meaningful and browsable format. Not only your users can easily find your content, it also boosts your site’s SEO. See this guide on the difference between categories and tags and how to use them to sort your content.
You must choose Member Blog Posts if you want your post to appear on the Member News page.
Excerpts
Ideally, you should display summary or excerpt for your posts.
DIVI
The WordPress theme your site is built through is called Divi. It’s super flexible and quite frankly, awesome. The more you work with it, the more comfortable you’ll be when editing text, adding images, etc.
If you find yourself wanting to better understand WordPress or are wanting some more in-depth tutorials, I recommend this site: www.wp101.com. You can also google your questions on YouTube and often finds hundreds or walk-thru videos. But feel free to email me at amber@margaretrivermarketing.com or call 0405 448 582 with any issues or questions you may need.
Important News:
Later this month you will be able to access specific training videos and documentation on DIVI. With DIVI you can get really creative with your blog posts in a couple of clicks. For more information on DIVI, watch this introduction video: