Blog Tutorial
A blog (short for "weblog") allows you to quickly post articles, news, events and more to your website! Your blog is included as part of the hour per month of maintenance provided with your website hosting and email service.
Please Note: Your blogs' functions may vary from this tutorial based on design modifications or plugins you are using. If this tutorial does not answer your questions, or you are looking for a feature not described here, please email .
Administration and Users
- How do I log in to blog administration?
- What do I do if I lose my username or password?
- How do I change my password?
- Can I add users to my blog?
Blog Look and Feel
- How do I change the text at the top of my blog?
- How do I change the colors at the top of my blog?
- How do I change my blog's background?
- Can I use my website's design on my blog?
Posts
- How do I create post categories?
- How do I write a post?
- How do I add images to my post?
- How do I add a PDF to my post?
- How do I add links to my post?
- Can I save drafts of posts to be published later?
Pages
Comments
Blogroll
Additional Resources
How do I log in to blog administration?
1. In a web browser, go to http://blog.yourdomain.com (replace yourdomain.com with your website's address). Do not add www to the blog URL (i.e. http://www.blog.yourdomain.com).
2. Click the Login link under Tools on the right side of the page (You can also go directly to http://blog.yourdomain.com/wp-admin to access the blog login page).
3. OnYourMark, LLC will provide you with a username and password. Enter your username in the Username box and your password in the Password box.
If you want to save your username and password information, check Remember Me.
3. Click the Log In button. You will now be logged in to blog admin.
The list of features available in admin appears in a column on the left of every page. When you click a tab, additional options under that tab will appear. Click the tab again to close the options menu.
What do I do if I lose my username or password?
1. Click the Lost your password? link on the blog admin login screen.
2. Enter your blog username or the email associated with that username. If you cannot remember either, please email .
3. An email will be sent containing a password reset link. Click on this link.
4. Clicking the link will trigger a second email. The second email contains your new password.
5. Return to the login page at http://blog.yourdomain.com/wp-admin. Enter your username and the password from the second email to log in.
If you do not want to keep the password sent to your email, follow the steps under How do I change my password? to create a new one.
How do I change my password?
1. Click the Users tab. A list of your blog users will appear on the screen.
2. Click the Username of the account that needs a new password.
3. Scroll to the New Password section. Enter the new password in both password boxes. As you type, the password strength indicator will gauge the security of your password. You want a password that shows Strong in the box.
4. Click Update Profile to save your new password.
Can I add users to my blog?
The ability to create user accounts is currently disabled on basic client blogs. If you would like to add a user to your blog, please email .
How do I change the text at the top of my blog?
1. Click the Settings tab, then click General.
2. Enter your desired blog title in Blog Title. This could be your company name or website address.
3. Enter a brief description about your blog's content in Tagline. You could also use a company slogan or catch phrase here.
3. Click Save Changes
How do I change the colors at the top of my blog?
1. Click the Appearance tab, then click Header Image and Color.
2. Click Font Color, Upper Color or Lower Color. A box of colors will pop up.
3. Click your desired color. You will see a preview of the color in the header graphic. Click other colors if you wish to try different color schemes. Click Close Color Picker when done.
4. Click Save to record your changes.
How do I change my blog's background?
1. Click the Appearance tab, then click Background image.
2. A list of images will appear. Click the button next to the image you want to use as the background. The image you select will "tile" horizontally and vertically to fill in your blog's background. Solid colors and patterns are available.
3. Click Save to activate the new background.
4. The image you selected will appear under the Current image heading. Repeat the steps above if you need to change the background.
Can I use my website's design on my blog?
The default template that your blog uses can be altered to use your website's colors using the above steps. If you would like the blog to display your logo or match your website's design, please email . We can quote blog customization based on your needs.
How do I create post categories?
Before you create blog posts, we recommend creating categories to better organize them.
1. Click the Posts tab, then click Categories.
2. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Category Name: Enter a title for the category.
- Category Parent: If you would like to nest this category under another, select an existing category from the drop-down menu. Leaving the menu on None will make the category a top-level category.
- Description: Enter detailed text describing the content of the posts in this category.
3. Click Add Category to save the category.
Editing and Deleting Categories
1. Click the Posts tab, then click Categories. A list of existing categories will appear.
2. To Edit a category, click the category Name. Edit the name, parent or description and click Update Category to save.
3. To Delete a category, mouse over the category Name. A Delete link will appear. Click the Delete link. A box will pop up asking you to confirm deletion. Click OK.
Note: If you delete a category that contains posts, the posts will be moved to Uncategorized. You can move these posts to other categories.
How do I write a post?
Please Note: The instructions below list the minimum amount of data needed to create a new blog post. Your post entries may require additional steps based on plugins or settings you have enabled.
1. Click the Posts tab, then click Add New.
2. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Title: Enter a title for the post.
- Content: The post's content is written in the large box. Use the buttons at the top of the editor to add effects like bold or italic text.
- Excerpt: Enter a brief sentence summarizing the post's content.
- Discussion: If Allow Comments is checked, your blog readers will be able to write comments on the article. You must approve the comments before they go live (see the Comments section of this tutorial for more information). Uncheck Allow Comments if you want to turn comments off for the post.
Allow trackbacks and pingbacks on this page keeps track of links to your post on other sites. We recommend leaving this checked. - Post Author: The username you used at login will appear as the author of the post. You can change the author using this drop-down.
- Post Tags: Enter phrases, separated by commas, that describe the content of the post.
- Categories: Check the boxes of the categories you want the post to appear in.
3. Click the Preview button in the upper right corner of the page to review your post. Edit as needed.
4. Click the Publish button to make the post live.
Editing and Deleting Posts
1. Click the Posts tab. A list of existing posts will appear.
2. To Edit a post, click the post's title under Post. Edit any information you wish and click Update to save.
3. To Delete a category, mouse over the post title. A Trash link will appear. Click the Trash link to delete the post.
How do I add images to my post?
To upload an image on your computer:
1. Create a new post or open an existing post for editing.
2. At the top of the Content box there are several icons next to Add Media. Click the Add an Image icon (it looks like a photo). An image addition box will pop up.
3. Click the Select Files button. An upload box will pop up. Locate the file and click on it. Click Open to close the box. The file will upload to the image addition box.
4. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Title, Alternate Text and Caption: Enter a brief phrase describing the photo.
- Description: Enter detailed information about the photo.
- Alignment: Select how you want the image to be positioned in your post.
- Size: Select the size of the image you wish to use in the post. Your image will be resized to several different heights and widths. The option with the appropriate dimension (Thumbnail, Medium, etc.) will vary based on the size of your original image.
5. Click Insert into Post to finish adding the image. You will now see the image in the Content box.
6. To change the image properties after it has been added to the post, click on the image in the Content box. Edit and Delete icons will appear. Click Edit; a box will pop up. Change the photos details or alignment and click Update to close the box. Clicking Delete will remove the photo from the post.
7. Publish the post.
How do I add a PDF to my post?
1. Create a new post or open an existing post for editing.
2. At the top of the Content box there are several icons next to Add Media. Click the Add Media icon (it looks like a starburst). A box will pop up.
3. Click the Select Files button. An upload box will pop up. Locate the PDF file and click on it. Click Open to close the box. The PDF file will upload to the box.
4. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Title: Enter a title for the PDF.
- Caption: Enter a brief phrase describing the PDF's content.
- Description: Enter detailed information describing the PDF's content.
- Size: Select the size of the image you wish to use in the post. Your image will be resized to several different heights and widths. The option with the appropriate dimension (Thumbnail, Medium, etc.) will vary based on the size of your original image.
5. Click Insert into Post to finish adding the PDF. The Title you entered for the PDF will appear as a link in the Content box.
How do I add links to my post?
1. In the post content box, type the text will be the clickable link (i.e. www.theBubbler.com or Visit theBubbler.com!).
2. Highlight the text with your mouse
3. Click the Link icon (it looks like a link in a chain). A box will pop up.
4. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Link URL: Enter the full URL of the link, including http:// (i.e. http://www.thebubbler.com)
- Target: Open link in the same window will close your blog and open the link in the same browser window. Open link in a new window will keep your blog open while opening the link in a new window.
- Title: Add some brief text that describes the site you are linking to.
- Class: Class options can be applied to change the look of the link. This field is optional.
5. Click Insert to close the box. The link will now appear as underlined text in the post content box (i.e. www.theBubbler.com).
To unlink text, highlight it and click the Unlink icon (it looks like a broken link in a chain). The link will be removed.
Can I save drafts of posts to be published later?
Saving Drafts
The Save Draft feature allows you to save a blog post without making it live. You can return later to finish the post and make it live.
1. Click the Posts tab, then click Add New.
2. Enter post content.
3. Click Save Draft under the Publish section.
4. To continue work on the post, click the Posts tab, then click Edit below the post title.
5. Add to the post and click Publish to make the post live, or Save Draft to store your work in progress.
Changing Post Dates
When you publish a post, the post will go live with the date and time you published it. You can change the post's date.
If a date in the future is entered, the post will go live on that day and time. Future dating allows you to enter several posts at once and schedule when they should appear on your blog.
If a date in the past is entered, the post will appear in your blog's archived entries for the month and year entered. Backdating is useful if you have not entered posts for an extended period of time; you can "fill in" missing months of content by backdating the posts.
To change a post's date:
1. Click Edit next to the Publish immediately link.
2. Entry boxes for date and time will appear. Change as needed.
3. Click Publish.
Note: Posts dated to appear in the future or past must be Published to go live. If you have only used Save Draft, the post will not appear on your blog. Date changes can also be applied to pages.
How is a page different from a post?
Posts are used to relay up-to-the-minute news, like press releases or event announcements. Pages are most often used for "static" information that does not change often, like About Us pages. An entire website can be built and maintained using Pages!
How do I create a page?
Creating a page is very similar to creating a post.
1. Click the Pages tab, then click Add New.
2. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Title: Enter a title for the page.
- Content: The page's content is written in the large box. Use the buttons at the top of the editor to add effects like bold or italic text.
- Discussion: If Allow Comments is checked, your blog readers will be able to write comments on the page. You must approve the comments before they go live (see the Comments section of this tutorial for more information). Uncheck Allow Comments if you want to turn comments off for the page.
Allow trackbacks and pingbacks on this page keeps track of links to your page on other sites. We recommend leaving this checked.
The following fields under Attributes must also be filled in:
- Parent: If you would like to nest this page under another, select an existing page from the drop-down menu. Leaving the menu on Main Page will make the page a top-level page.
- Template: Your blog's theme may feature several templates or layouts. This field will usually be left as Default Template.
- Order: Enter a number to indicate where the page should show in the blog's hierarchy of pages. We recommend ordering in increments of 10 or 20 to leave space for future additions. In the sample shown, the page is given an order of 40. This will place it between About Us (ordered as 20) and Contact Us (ordered as 60).
3. Click the Preview button in the upper right corner of the page to review your page. Edit as needed.
4. Click the Publish button to make the page live.
Images, PDFs and links are added to pages using the same steps used to add them to posts.
Editing and Deleting Pages
1. Click the Pages tab. A list of existing pages will appear.
2. To Edit a page, click the page's title under Title. Edit any information you wish and click Update to save.
3. To Delete a page, mouse over the page title. A Trash link will appear. Click the Trash link to delete the page.
What are comments?
If you have the comments feature enabled on your blog, your blog readers will be able to post responses to your posts or pages. If commenting is turned on, a form will appear with posts or pages that the reader can fill out. Comments has many different settings that allow you to screen responses and select the ones that will appear on your blog.
How do I set up my comments preferences?
Comment preferences are managed under the Settings tab. Click Discussion under the Settings tab to manage comment preferences.
Disable Comments
To disable comments on your blog, make sure the Allow people to post comments on new articles box (marked with the * in the diagram to the right) is not checked.
Enable Comments
To enable comments on your blog, make sure the Allow people to post comments on new articles box (marked with the * in the diagram to the right) is checked.
If comments are enabled we recommend enabling the following settings:
Under Other comment settings
- Comment author must fill out name and e-mail: Check this box to require a name and email address from the comment poster. Some comment posters may use fake emails, but this feature is useful if you want to communicate with legitimate comment posters.
Under E-mail me whenever
- Anyone posts a comment: If this box is checked, you will receive an email whenever a comment is posted.
- A comment is held for moderation: Check this box to receive an email whenever comments are waiting for approval in your blog's administration area.
Under Before a comment appears
- An administrator must always approve the comment: Checking this box will allow you to proof all comments before making them live on the blog.
How do I moderate comments?
1. Click the Comments tab. A list of approved and new comments will appear. New comments have a yellow background.
2. Mouse over the comment you wish to moderate. A list of links will appear below it.
3. Click the link of the action you need to do:
- Approve: Approves the comment and makes it live in your blog
- Reply: Replying will make the comment live and allow you to post a response to it
- Quick Edit: Opens the comment in editing mode so you can change the text
- Edit: Opens the comment in editing mode; also lets you approve or reject the comment
- Spam: Marks the comment as spam; does not post it to the blog
- Trash: Sends the comment to a trash folder; does not post it to the blog
What is a blogroll?
A blogroll is a list of links that appear on the sidebar of your blog. These links can go to your website, online resources, distributors, clients or any website your visitors may find useful. You can organize your links with categories.
How do I create blogroll categories?
1. Click the Links tab, then click Link Categories.
2. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Link Category name: Enter a brief title for the link
- Description: Enter the full URL of the link, including http:// (i.e. http://www.thebubbler.com)
3. Click Add Category to save.
How do I add links to my blogroll?
1. Click the Links tab, then click Add New.
2. Fill in the fields as shown:
- Name: Enter a title for the link
- Web Address: Enter the full URL of the link, including http:// (i.e. http://www.thebubbler.com)
- Description: Enter a sentence that describes the website you are linking to. Blog visitors will see the description when they mouse over the link.
- Categories: Check the boxes of the categories this link applies to.
- Target: Select _blank to open the link in a new browser window.
3. Click Add Link to save.
You can add links to your blogroll and make them private. Private links will only appear on your blog when you are logged in; your blog readers will not see them. You can make a link private by checking the Keep this link private box before saving the link.
Additional Resources
- codex.WordPress.org - A comprehensive tutorial on all blog features
- corporateblogging.info/basics/corporatebloggingprimer.pdf - The Beginner's Guide to Corporate Blogging
- WebLoggers.ORG - An online community for new and experienced bloggers
