A guide to writing blog posts for Futures
If you’ve pitched your idea for a blog post to the editorial team and you’re ready to write, the next step is to add your content to WordPress. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create new posts, add text and images, choose different headings and embed links.
Still getting started? Get past your writer’s block with our post Blog like a boss: top tips & things to avoid.
Getting access
The first step is to log in with your UTS ID and password. On the LX homepage, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Log in to Futures, then enter your details. Once you have logged in, scroll to the bottom of the page again and click on Add New Post.
Using the WordPress editor
In the centre of the screen, you can see the WordPress editor. This is where you add your content, such as text or multimedia. Here are a few things you can do in the editor to build your post:
1. In the ‘Add Title’ block, give your post a title.
2. Start adding your body text in the block below, or click on the + sign on the left side of the block to see your options to add other types of content.
3. Add links to your post by highlighting text and clicking on the link icon, then pasting your chosen link in the text box. You can also use the shortcut Command + K (on Mac) or Ctrl + K (on PC) to view the text box.
4. Check your word count and other information by clicking the content structure icon on the top left hand side of the page.
Using headings
Headings help to organise your content, breaking up long paragraphs and making it easier for your reader to understand. Type in some text, then click on the ¶ sign to select the Heading option. Choose the heading size that you prefer.
Adding images
Your post will need a feature image, which appears across the top of the post page and on the front page of the blog. Look to the column on the right hand side of the page and clicked on Featured image. You can now upload your own image.
Tip: Feature images are displayed in landscape orientation, meaning they should be a wide rectangle that stretches across the page horizontally. Please also note the recommended size.
Feature images are also partially obscured by the post title, so keep this in mind when selecting your feature image to ensure that all of the elements that you wish to be visible will not be covered by the title. For reference, take a look at previous posts to see how feature images are displayed.
For help finding images, here’s our list of free image websites.
Submitting your post
While you are writing your post, you can check how it will look at any time by clicking the Preview button. This is useful to see how the finished product will look before submitting the post to be published.
Once you are satisfied with your post, it’s time to submit to the editorial team for review. Click the Submit button on the top right hand side of the screen, and email our editor Chris at Christopher.Girdler@uts.edu.au to let us know that your post is ready to go.
Our editorial process involves a thorough review and editing by one or more members of the editorial team. Our team will edit your post for clarity, spelling, grammar and formatting and then check in with you before publishing so that you can approve any changes. Our editing process is a collaborative one – we work with you to make sure your post is at its best before it goes public.