Many of you are updating your websites hosted on the ourlocality platform.
This is great, for never before have we needed timely and accurate information.
But, some updates won’t reach the parts they need to reach, so here’s some tips on making sure your post hits the spot (and which apply whatever the weather).
- For important relatively static information, create pages, and link them prominently in your menus and write an article to say you have put new info online.
- If the static pages are changing regularly, give a clear indication of when you last updated the info
e.g. Last Updated: 1 April 1983. - Avoid using an earlier article or post to make a major announcement or to make a significant change to important info.
- Better to write a new article, as it will have today’s date stamp and get syndicated properly, and will show readers that you are still there … keeping things up to date.
- Link articles/posts to the static informational pages. Link your pages and articles in your newsletter (most peeps hate long and complicated newsletters) and on social media.
- Articles get listed in chronological order, on your front page or on your news page, you don’t have to delete old ones as they should just sink and fall out of view.
- To highlight an older article, that is always relevant, feature it by making it sticky – tick the attribute in the publication settings.
- If you have a static front page, consider switching your front page to the news page.
- If you articles are really long consider whether you should create a page instead, or use a read more link inside your post. The latter will make you news feed look manageable, not a never ending scroll.
- Finally, grab attention with a great featured image and don’t forget a tantalising headline.
If you need assistance with tuning your ourlocality site to maximise impact, ping us an email here: ourlocality@sustainingdunbar.org
