Site Blog

Blog

The Blog is a great way to market to your customers, leads and anyone who should already know about you. Keep up a regular post schedule, and you can build yourself a loyal and engaged audience.

Setting up the blog

1. Select the Content from your Simplero Dashboard

2. In the Sites tab, locate and select the site you want to set up a blog

3. Select the Blog tab

4. Click on Settings icon in the top right-hand corner

5. Check the box to Enable the blog on my site and click the Save changes button:
   
   
   
   

This opens up the next section, which allows you to control the availability of commenting on your blog. 

Allow/Prohibit Commenting on Your Blog

1. Select Content from your Simplero Dashboard.

2. Choose Sites from the dropdown menu and select the Site.

3. Select the Blog tab.

4. Select the Settings icon in the top right-hand corner:
   
   
   

5. In the Comments on blog posts area, select an option on how you want to allow comments:
   
   

Allow Non-Simplero user comments or Login-less comments

Is your Site open to the public and you want people to be able to comment on your blog posts without being a Simplero user? It’s easy to set-up:

1. Select Content from your Simplero Dashboard.

2. Choose Sites from the dropdown menu.

3. Select the Configure tab.

4. In the Community Features area, toggle ON the option that reads Allow comments without login under Comment security:
   
   
   
   NOTE! This option will only appear if your Site is open to the public (via the Site URL section on the Configure page):
   
   
   

5. Click the blue Save changes button

Adding a Blog post

1. Select the Content from your Simplero Dashboard

2. In the Sites tab, locate and select the site where you want to add a post

3. Select the Blog tab

4. Click the + Add a blog post button:
   
   
   

5. Complete all the fields: Title, URL, Poster, Categories, Featured Media, Body...
   
   
   

6. In the Publish status section, select the publish/schedule option and choose how you want to allow comments on this blog post in particular:
   
   

   • Draft - if you want to place it on hold for publishing at a later date

   • Published - immediately post

   • Schedule - post it at a specific date

7. Press Create blog post.

Alternate

If you choose to write all your posts in advance and leave them in the Draft publish status you can publish them from the Blog list page by clicking the EYE icon in the far right side of the blog name, next to the trashcan icon:

Adding a Blog Category

1. Select the Content from your Simplero Dashboard

2. In the Sites tab, locate and select the site with the blog

3. Select the Blog tab

4. Select the Settings icon

5. Click the + Add a category button on the right sidebar:
   
   
   

6. Enter the name of your category in the pop-up screen and click the OK button:
   
   

Adding a Blog Poster

The person you wish to add as a blog poster must be a member of your Site. Assuming that is the case...

1. Select the Content from your Simplero Dashboard

2. In the Sites tab, locate and select the site where you want to add a blog poster

3. Select the Members tab

4. Locate and click on the member's name to view the member's profile and enable them to post to your blog

5. Click the red Make staff member button located on the right side of the member's profile:
   
   
   

6. This Staff member can now edit and delete posts and comments, as well as post on blogs.

Managing Comments

The Comments page allows you to quickly view any comments left on your blog posts (and forum posts!) from your public site:

In the list, you can see:

1. Commenter - Who posted the comment.

2. Comment - About the comment (hyperlink to take you directly to the blog/comment where it’s viewable on the public site).

3. On - Links the blog post they commented on.

4. Replies - If anyone has replied back to this comment.

5. Reactions - If anyone has reacted to this comment.

6. Status - Whether the comment has been approved or rejected.

7. Attachments Count paper clip icon - The number of attachments added to this comment.

8. "Thumbs up/Thumps down/Send Message/Trashcan icons" - Used to reject or approve comments, reject comments with a message included, or delete altogether.

9. Created - When the comment was made.

10. Updated - The date the comment was last updated.

11. Updated - The amount of time since the comment was last updated.

12. If a comment is a Spam or you want to delete it for another reason simply select the trashcan icon to the right of the comment

Customise Your Blog Templates

1. Navigate to the Blog tab on your site, then click on the three dots in the top right-hand corner

2. There, you’ll see two options to edit:

   • Blog index page content - Customise the content for the main Blog page that displays all of your recent blog posts.

   • Blog post template - Customise the template for individual blog posts.
     
     

Migrating your Website over from Wordpress or another Platform?

Check out our Migrating course with instructions on how to bring over your blog.