Blogs #4
Layout Overview
This Blog layout will display all blog posts that are assigned to it and includes a featured posts section at the top, the option for readers to filter by Date, Category or Author, as well as the ability to search.
Layout Features
Blog List Page
FEATURED BLOG POSTS
- The top section of the blog list page shows the three most recent blog posts you have "Published as Featured."
SEARCH
- Directly below the featured blog posts section is the search bar.
- The search results pull up posts related to the keywords and content within each post.
FILTER
- To the right of the search bar is the "Filter" button. Clicking on this button will show the filter options.
- Date: Filter posts by the date they were published. The reader can choose only one date filter at a time.
- Category: Displays groups of posts in the selected categories designated in the Categories tab of the Blog Module. The reader can choose multiple categories at one time.
- Author: Displays groups of posts written by the selected author(s). The reader can choose multiple authors at one time.
- The reader can combine selections from multiple filters. For example, they could select the date of May 2018, the categories of Bible Study and Faith, along with the author of Isaiah Douglas.
- When the reader is done selecting filters they can click on the "Done" button to hide the filter options. They will still only see the posts that match the selected filters.
- To remove filters, the reader can either click on the "Clear Selection" button under the main filter menu or click on the "x" next to the individual filter selections below the main filter menu.
BLOG LIST
- The list of blog posts automatically displays the most recent posts you have created. Three posts are shown when the page first loads. Below the date of each post, the viewer has the option to share the post through various social media platforms along with email.
LOAD MORE POSTS
- At the bottom of the list of blog posts is the "Load More Posts" button. When a reader clicks this button three more posts will show.
Blog Detail Page
MAIN CONTENT: The main content area of the detail page shows the following:
- Header image (if one is assigned to the post) with the title of the post.
- Breadcrumb menu that allows readers to quickly go back to the main blog page or homepage.
- The date the post was published with the blog image (if one is assigned to the post) under it.
- If there's a video assigned to the post it will show below the date and image.
- Written blog content.
- The category(s) assigned to the post.
- Social share buttons.
- Tag(s) (keywords) that are assigned to the post.
- Author information. If the author is connected to a member in the Members Module, in addition to the authors name, their picture and bio will display.
- Comment form.
- "Previous Page" button.
SIDEBAR: The sidebar on the right side of the detail page allows readers to:
- Search for other blog posts.
- Filter for other blog posts with the same filter options that are on the main blog page.
- View the three most recent posts.
- Click on tags to view all blog posts that have that tag.
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 or Missions Blog. Your website is currently set up 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 layout will show up as blank.
Adding Blogs to the Navigation
To make your Blog visible on the site, you'll need to assign 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 under the "Category" filter.
Content > Blogs > Categories: 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 blog you will publish and it will display automatically on the Blog Layout.
Content > Blogs: Add a New Blog Post
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.
AUTHOR: The author information is automatically pulled from the Members Module and displays the information you've entered for that member — name, image and bio.
POST: This section fully supports all style guide functionality like hyperlinks, CTA buttons, headline styles, etc.
KEYWORDS: The keywords will display on the list and detail pages as "Tags" and help increase SEO.
IMAGE: This image will display on the list and detail pages for the post.
HEADER IMAGE: This image will display on the detail page for the post.
VIDEO: 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 post right away by clicking the "Publish" button.
KEEP AS DRAFT: You can choose to keep the post as a draft by clicking the "Keep as Draft" button.
FEATURED POSTS: To feature blog posts at the top of the layout, you will need to click the "Publish as Featured" button.
SCHEDULE A PUBLISH STATUS CHANGE:
- To publish a post in the future, select a date and time under the Schedule a publish status change field and then click the "Publish" button to save the status change.
- To remove the post from the frontend of site, select a date and time to change the status to "Draft" and then click the "Publish" button to save the status change.
- To make the post "Featured" for a limited time, you can select a date and time to change the status to "Featured" and then select a second date and time to change the status back to "Published." Then click on the "Publish" button to save those status changes.
