Blogs #3
Template Overview
Blogs are a journal-style communication tool that are designed to serve readers with regularly published Blog Posts.
The Blog Template will display all blog posts that are assigned to it. The Blog Template sidebar includes the option for viewers toview featured posts, filter by Categories or Series, as well as subscribe to a blog RSS feed.
Layout Features
There are a couple of moving parts to this layout including:
FEATURED BLOG POSTS
- The rotating banner of blog posts is a great way to showcase the most recent posts you’ve added.
- The featured blog post will automatically display the 3 most recent post you have published as featured.
CATEGORIES
- The categories display groups of blogs designated in the Categories tab of the Blog Module.
- The size of the category tab is based on the length of the category title, and the number of tabs is based on the amount you create.
BLOG LIST
- The list of blog posts automatically displays the most recent post you have created.
RECOMMENDED BLOGS
- This section is used to showcase other blogs on the site using a link list to open the blogs. If you do not have any other blogs, simply leave the link list empty and the section will be removed from the layout.
SEARCH
- The search results pull up blog posts related to the key words and content within each post.
2 FULL WIDTH SECTIONS
- You have the ability to add sections of content below the list of Blog Posts. These sections are full editable to add text formatting and links.
Content > Sections. Locate the FullWidth Blog Section.
Blogs & Blog Posts
You have the capability to create multiple Blogs which can then have their own blog posts. ie. Church Blog, Pastor's Blog, Missions Blog. Your website is currently setup with 'Our Blog' in the navigation.
If a new Blog is created, the Blog can be viewed in the website by assigning it a link in the Navigation. Don't forget to create Blog Posts and assign them to the new blog, otherwise the template will show up as blank.
Adding Blogs to the Navigation
To make your Blog visible on the site, you'll need to sign a specific Blog to a navigation item.
Content > Pages > Navigation. Select a Blog to display
Creating Categories
Categories are a helpful tool to organize all of your stories, resources, or posts. The categories you set up will display on the layout and the tab sizes are based on the length of your title.
Content > Blogs > Caregories. Add a New Category
PRO-TIP: Shorter titles are a great option because they’re quick and easy to read- especially for mobile device users.
Creating a Blog Post
All blog posts are added and updated in the Blog Module. Once you have added all content to the article you will publish and it will display automatically on the Blog Layout.
Content > Blogs. Add a New Blog Post
Blog Detail
POST TITLE: This title will display on the list and detail view
BLOG: Be sure to assign the post to the correct blog.
CATEGORIES: Posts can be assigned to multiple categories.
AUTHROS: The author information is automatically pulled from the Poeple Module and displays the information you've entered for that member- an image, name, social media links, and bio. You can add multiple authors to an article if you choose.
POST: This section fully supports all style guide functionlity like hyper links, CTA buttons, headline styles, etc.
KEYWORDS: The keywords will display only on the detail page and help increase SEO.
IMAGE: This image will display on the list view and detail page for the post.
VIDEO: Assigning a video from the Media module will replace the image on the detail. The video must be an .mp4 or third party embed (Vimeo/YouTube).
Publishing Posts
After all blog posts have been created, you'll need to make sure they're all published in order to display on the Blog Layout. You can choose to publish the Blog Post right away by clicking Publish.
KEEP AS DRAFT: You can choose to keep the article as a draft by clicking Keep as Draft
TOGGLE DATE & TIME: To publish a blog post in the future, select a date under the Toggle publishing status on this date and time field.
FEATURED ARTICLES: To feature blog posts on the rotating banner of the layout, you will need to "Publish as Featured."
