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'''Posts'''
[[Blog_Writing_for_College_Students|Home]]


Posts are considered the main content of a blog. [http://en.support.wordpress.com/posts Posts] are marked by date showing the most recent post at the top of your main blog page. By putting posts in reverse chronological order it will help readers find the most current information on your blog. The date of your post is also found in the URL for that post. Posts can be found in the RSS feed, widgets, archives, recent posts and categories. In the reading settings you can control how many posts you would like to display on your home page. Your posts will always be linked to the date in which you published it, unlike pages which are not displayed with a date, category, or tag.
[[Image:Categories-Tags.jpg|thumb|right| The difference between categories and tags.]]


A blog is organized and structured using categories<ref>Tom Ewer</ref> and tags<ref>How to Use Tags</ref>. Readers searching for information written on a broad topic will benefit from categories. Those readers looking for a more specific topic will find tags to be more useful because they narrow down the information to a particular topic. Categories and tags will help readers navigate a blog's content easily to find the information they are looking for.


== Stay True to the Focus ==
== Categories ==


Every blog needs to establish a focus. The more focused it is, the more unique it will be. As Carroll says, "The best bloggers focus on specific interests-the narrower the topic, the better-leveraging their own experience and experience in the area." As you construct your posts keep in mind the over all focus of your blog so that you can categorize your posts to stay within the theme of your blog. Stay true to the focus of your blog in your posts.
[http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/09/09/categories-versus-tags-whats-the-difference-and-which-one/ Categories] give readers a broad overview of what kind of content a blog holds so that they can decide if the blog holds the right information for them. When choosing a category for a post, bloggers need to consider the readers that will visit their blog and what needs they might have. Bloggers must find the balance of being specific with a category so that the kind of information it holds is clear without being too broad. Readers must be able to look at categories within a blog and know right away if they are in the right place. One thing bloggers must be cautious about when choosing a category is that they have more than one post that can fit under that category. Displaying a single post within a category will give the readers the impression that the blogger does not know a lot about that subject. On the other hand, a blogger doesn't want to make a category so strong and filled with too much information that it will need it's own blog site.


== Tags ==


== Constructing a New Post ==
Tags are similar to [http://weblogs.about.com/od/partsofablog/qt/CategoriesOvrvw.htm/ "keywords"] and help readers find a specific topic within a category. Tags help readers identify specific information within a particular post. Posts can have many tags which allow them to be categorized with other posts to make it easier for readers to navigate a blog. A tag name must be specific. For example, if a blog post is about "How to make home made pizza," you would put it under a "cooking" category but one of the tags would be "pizza." Readers can find the tag links under each post. By clicking on the tag links, readers will be taken to an archive where every post related to that tag can be found.


'''How to Add a new Post'''
== Descriptive Categories ==


After signing in to WordPress, go to your [http://en.support.wordpress.com/dashboard Dashboard]. Once you are on your Dashboard you will see tabs on the left side of the screen, go to the Posts tab which will open up other options, click on Add New. This will open up the editing screen where you can chose the title of your post, write the content of the post and add links or photos to your post.


'''Modules'''
Categories should [http://wiredimpact.com/blog/making-blog-categories-more-useful/ describe] to readers what content they hold without a huge explanation. With each category bloggers create, they must keep in mind the overall [[Narrowcasting|focus]] of their blog and what their readers are looking for. By choosing the right category, you can make it obvious to readers what kind of posts your blog holds. Bloggers have the difficult task of finding the happy medium between a category being too broad or too specific in their description. If the category is too specific it leaves the reader with less choices. However, if it is too broad it will make it difficult for a reader to find what they are looking for and they will move on. When bloggers are brainstorming about how to describe their categories they should keep in mind how it will appear in a search engine. A blog's categories and tags will help readers find the blog they are looking for when using search engines.
 
The [http://en.support.wordpress.com/modules/ modules] you will use most when constructing a post are the Title module, Editor module and the Publish module. Once you chose a title for your post and enter it in the Title module it will automatically create a URL for that post. In the Editor module you will type in the content of your post. You can edit the content similar to how you edit text in Microsoft Word. The icons found at the top of the Editor module can all be displayed by clicking the kitchen sink icon. These icons will help you format the post. The chain link and unlink symbol will help you create a hyperlink, or unlink a hyperlink.The Publish module is where you will save your draft and publish it when you are ready. It is also where you can later edit and update that post.
 
'''Add Media'''
 
The [http://en.support.wordpress.com/add-media/ Add Media] button right above the Editor module is where you can upload photos or files to place in your post. Once a photo appears in your post you can click on it and in the top right corner of the photo a delete option or an edit option will be displayed. The edit option will allow you to format how or where the photo appears in your text. Once you have your post formatted the way you want it you are ready to move on to the Publish module.
 
 
== Publishing a Post ==
 
'''Publish'''
 
The Publishing module is where you will save your draft, preview your post, and [http://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/new-post-screen/#publish Publish] it when you are ready. When you are finished constructing your post and saving your draft you will click the Publish button located in the bottom right corner of your Publish module.  
 
'''Edit a Published Post'''
 
You can always go back and [http://en.support.wordpress.com/editors/ edit] that post later by clicking the edit link at the bottom of the post on your homepage, or by clicking on the Post tab in your dashboard then clicking on All Posts. This will bring you to the screen where all of your published posts are displayed. You can click on the edit link next to the post you wish to edit. Once you click on the edit button it will bring you back to the edit screen for that post which will now say Edit post at the top instead of Add New. You will edit the post the same way you constructed your post. When you are finished making changes you will click on the Update button which is located in the bottom right corner where the Publish button use to be in your Publish module.


==Notes==
<references/>


== References ==
== References ==


1. "Support: writing & editing-Posts." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013
#[http://weblogs.about.com/od/partsofablog/qt/CategoriesOvrvw.htm/ An Overview of Blog categories] About.com Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
 
#Carroll, Brian. (2010). Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
2. "Support: Dashboard." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013
#[http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/09/09/categories-versus-tags-whats-the-difference-and-which-one/ Categories versus Tags] Lorelle On WordPress Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
 
# Ewer, Tom.[https://managewp.com/wordpress-categories-tags-seo The Right Way to Use Categories and Tags in WordPress to Boost SEO]. ''Manage WP''. 12 September 2012. Web. 9 April 2013
3. "Support: Modules." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013
#[http://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/using_tags How to Use Tags]. ''Tumblr''. Web.9 April 2013
 
#[http://frontlinecopy.com/2013/02/how-to-use-categories-tags-keywords-in-your-green-business-blog/ How to use categories, tags & keywords in your green business blog] Frontlinecopy.com Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
4. "Support: Add media." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013
#[http://wiredimpact.com/blog/making-blog-categories-more-useful/ Making Blog Categories More Useful] Wired Impact Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
 
5. "Support: Publish." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013


6. "Support: Editors." WordPress Web. 3 April, 2013
==See Also==
*[[Themes|Themes]]
*[[Headers and Sub-headers|Headers and Sub-headers]]
*[[Lists|Lists]]
*[[Links|Links]]


7. Carroll, Brian. (2010). Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 29 Oct 2012.
[[Category:New Media]]

Latest revision as of 09:04, 3 May 2013

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The difference between categories and tags.

A blog is organized and structured using categories[1] and tags[2]. Readers searching for information written on a broad topic will benefit from categories. Those readers looking for a more specific topic will find tags to be more useful because they narrow down the information to a particular topic. Categories and tags will help readers navigate a blog's content easily to find the information they are looking for.

Categories

Categories give readers a broad overview of what kind of content a blog holds so that they can decide if the blog holds the right information for them. When choosing a category for a post, bloggers need to consider the readers that will visit their blog and what needs they might have. Bloggers must find the balance of being specific with a category so that the kind of information it holds is clear without being too broad. Readers must be able to look at categories within a blog and know right away if they are in the right place. One thing bloggers must be cautious about when choosing a category is that they have more than one post that can fit under that category. Displaying a single post within a category will give the readers the impression that the blogger does not know a lot about that subject. On the other hand, a blogger doesn't want to make a category so strong and filled with too much information that it will need it's own blog site.

Tags

Tags are similar to "keywords" and help readers find a specific topic within a category. Tags help readers identify specific information within a particular post. Posts can have many tags which allow them to be categorized with other posts to make it easier for readers to navigate a blog. A tag name must be specific. For example, if a blog post is about "How to make home made pizza," you would put it under a "cooking" category but one of the tags would be "pizza." Readers can find the tag links under each post. By clicking on the tag links, readers will be taken to an archive where every post related to that tag can be found.

Descriptive Categories

Categories should describe to readers what content they hold without a huge explanation. With each category bloggers create, they must keep in mind the overall focus of their blog and what their readers are looking for. By choosing the right category, you can make it obvious to readers what kind of posts your blog holds. Bloggers have the difficult task of finding the happy medium between a category being too broad or too specific in their description. If the category is too specific it leaves the reader with less choices. However, if it is too broad it will make it difficult for a reader to find what they are looking for and they will move on. When bloggers are brainstorming about how to describe their categories they should keep in mind how it will appear in a search engine. A blog's categories and tags will help readers find the blog they are looking for when using search engines.

Notes

  1. ↑ Tom Ewer
  2. ↑ How to Use Tags

References

  1. An Overview of Blog categories About.com Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  2. Carroll, Brian. (2010). Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  3. Categories versus Tags Lorelle On WordPress Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. Ewer, Tom.The Right Way to Use Categories and Tags in WordPress to Boost SEO. Manage WP. 12 September 2012. Web. 9 April 2013
  5. How to Use Tags. Tumblr. Web.9 April 2013
  6. How to use categories, tags & keywords in your green business blog Frontlinecopy.com Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  7. Making Blog Categories More Useful Wired Impact Web. Retrieved 9 April 2013.

See Also

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