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Blog Tool

George Hirsch
Updated

Create blog posts with the Blog Tool!

A blog is a great resource for sharing with the community. You might use a blog to interest prospective members, share upcoming or past events, and highlight staff awards and recognition. A blog usually requires a dedicated page due to the longer post content and features you may wish to include, but you can add a blog to any page.

Add the Blog Tool to a Page   

  1. Click Add Content.
  2. Select the Main tab in the Tool Menu.
  3. Locate the Blog Tool under Community.
  4. Click and drag the tool to the Main Panel of the page. 
  5. Type a heading in the Add Header field. 
  6. The tool defaults to Active status. (Click to select Inactive if you want to publish the content at a later date.)
    • If Active, the tool will be accessible. 
    • If Inactive, the tool will not be accessible or visible on the page.
  7. Click Add Post.
  8. Type an Author name.
  9. Type a Post title.
  10. Type an SEO-Friendly URL(only a-z, 0-9, and dashes allowed. If left empty, an SEO-Friendly URL will be created automatically based on the Post Title).
  11. Select a Category. (If you have not set up categories for your blog there will be no categories available. See Adding a  blog category below.)
  12. Select a Post Date.
  13. Add optional Tags(or key words), separated by a comma.
  14. Select an Access status.
    1. If Active, the tool will be accessible. 
    2. If Inactive, the tool will not be accessible or visible on the page.
  15. Upload Image(optional) and select an Image Orientation for cropping: Square, Landscape, or Portrait.
    *Note: If your images are not displaying correctly, your site may be missing an SSL certificate. Please reach out to communitysupport@factsmgt.com. 
  16. Add Image Alt Text.
  17. Type and format your Post.
  18. Click Add (or Cancel to discard your changes).

To make any needed edits, simply click into the tool. Click Options to edit Blog Properties.

*Note: Once added, you can move or copy your tool to another page by clicking Move/Copy in the Blog toolbar.

Add a Blog Category

  1. Click into the tool.
  2. Click Options and select Edit Categories.
  3. Click Add Category.
  4. Type a Category Name.
  5. Click Add (or Cancel to discard changes).
  6. Click Save.

To reorder categories, click and drag them into the desired position. You can also quickly delete categories by clicking the x to the right of the category name.

Schedule An Access Status Change     

You can schedule a tool to become Active or Inactive on a specific date. 

  1. Click into the tool.
  2. Click Schedule in the Blog toolbar.
  3. Select a Date for the status change.
  4. Select a New Access Status.
    • If Active, the tool will be accessible. 
    • If Inactive, the tool will not be accessible or visible on the page.
  5. Type your email address(es) in the Notify Email Address(es) field if you want to be notified of the status change.
  6. Click Save (or Cancel to discard your changes).

Blog Properties

Display tab

  1. Click into the tool.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Select Tool Properties.
  4. Add a Title.
  5. ShowRSS for Posts to include an RSS button for posts:  Select Yes or No.
  6. Display a Search so users can easily find content in older blog posts: Select Yes or No.
  7. Display a Categories Section to display all categories as well as the number of posts in each category: Select Yes or No.
  8. Display an Archives Section to allow users to easily jump to a specific month on your blog: Select Yes or No.
  9. Display a Tag Cloud to list all of the tags on your blog for users who are looking for specific information: Select Yes or No.

Comments tab

Allowing users to interact with your content gives them the opportunity to ask questions, express appreciation for what you've written, or offer different viewpoints. 

  1. Click into the tool.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Select Tool Properties.
  4. Select the Comments tab.
  5. Allow Users to Submit Comments to Existing Posts: Select Yes or No.
  6. Approve Comments before They Appear on Site: Select Yes or No.
  7. Send New Comments Via Email (optional): Type email addresses to be notified of new comments. This is recommended if you require approval for new comments.
  8. Select account(s) to Automatically Post to Facebook.
  9. Click Save.

Add Comments 

Users can add comments by clicking Leave a Comment below each blog post. This will present them with a short form requiring their name, email address, and comment.

Approve Comments 

  1. Go Site Manager. 
  2. Click Page Builder.
  3. Click the Main Menu Category where your page is located.
  4. Click the title of the page where your blog is located.
  5. Click into the tool.
  6. Click Show Posts Awaiting Approval. 
  7. Select Approve or Delete for each comment to be posted on the website. (Click Show to see the comment before approving. )
  8. Click Submit. Approved comments will display on your site. 

*Note: Once a comment is deleted, you will not be able to recover it.

Delete Previously Approved Comments 

  1. Click the comment number next to the post title for this comment's post.
  2. Find the comment you wish to delete and click the trash can icon next to it.
  3. Confirm that you would like to delete this comment. 

*Note: Once a comment is deleted, you will not be able to recover it.

Use Social Stream With the Blog Tool 

You can use Social Stream with your Blog to automatically share blog posts on your Facebook page. If you have already set up the Social Stream Tool Database, connect your blog to the database.

 

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