How to Create a Blog Post in WordPress:

A Stigan Media Client Guide

Congratulations on your new website! Keeping your site updated with fresh content is one of the best ways to improve your SEO, engage your customers, and establish authority in your industry.

At Stigan Media, we often configure our clients' sites with the Classic Editor. This interface resembles familiar word processing software (like Microsoft Word), making it easy to focus on writing without worrying about complex layout blocks.

Follow this step-by-step guide to publishing your first post.

1. Login and Navigate to Posts

First, log in to your WordPress Dashboard (usually at yourdomain.com/wp-admin).

Look at the left-hand menu sidebar.
Hover over Posts.
Click Add New.

2. Enter Your Title and Content

You will see a screen with a large title bar at the top and a main content box below it.

Title: Enter your headline where it says "Enter title here." Try to keep this catchy but descriptive.
The Content Box: This is where you write your article. You can type directly into this box or copy and paste text from a document.

Important Note: Ensure the tab at the top-right of the content box is set to Visual. If you accidentally click "Text," you will see raw code. Always stay in "Visual" mode for standard writing.

3. Formatting Your Text (The Toolbar)

Just above the writing area, you will see a row of icons.

Basic Tools: Use B (Bold), I (Italic), and the list icons (bullet points) just like you would in an email or document.
Headings: To organize your post, don't just bold your subtitles. Instead, click the dropdown menu (it usually says "Paragraph" by default) and select Heading 2 or Heading 3. This helps Google understand the structure of your content.

Pro Tip: Don't see the Heading dropdown or text color options? Click the Toolbar Toggle icon (it looks like a keyboard or a row of dots) to reveal the second row of editing tools.

4. Adding Images

To make your post visually appealing, you’ll want to add photos.

Place your cursor in the text where you want the image to appear.
Click the Add Media button located above the toolbar.
Upload Files: Drag and drop your image file here, or select it from the Media Library tab if you’ve uploaded it previously.
Alignment settings: On the bottom right of the pop-up window, look for "Display Settings."
- Select Align Left or Align Right if you want text to wrap around the image.
- Select Center if you want the image to stand alone on its own line.
Click the blue Insert into post button.

5. Post Settings (The Right Sidebar)

Before you publish, you need to categorize your post so users can find it. Look at the column on the right side of the screen.

Categories: Check the box for the category that best fits your post (e.g., "News," "Tips," "Projects"). If you don't select one, WordPress defaults to "Uncategorized," which looks unprofessional.
Tags: Enter specific keywords relevant to the article (e.g., "summer sale," "new product") and click Add.
Featured Image: This is crucial! Locate the Featured Image box at the bottom right. Click "Set featured image" and select a photo.
- Note: This image represents the post on your homepage, blog feed, and social media links.

6. Publish or Schedule

You are almost done! Scroll up to the Publish box at the top right.

Preview: Click the Preview button. This opens a new tab showing you exactly what the post will look like to the public. If something looks off, go back to the editor tab to fix it.
Publish Immediately: If you are happy with the post, click the blue Publish button.
Schedule for Later: Want the post to go live next Tuesday?
- Click the Edit link next to "Publish immediately."
- Select the date and time you want.
- Click OK, and the blue button will change to Schedule.

Stigan Media Pro Tips for Better Blogging

To get the most out of your new website, keep these best practices in mind:

Optimize Your Images: Large images slow down your website. Before uploading, try to resize your photos so they are under 200KB.
Use Headings for SEO: Google loves structure. Use Heading 2 for main sections and Heading 3 for subsections. This helps search engines understand what your content is about.
Internal Linking: If you mention a service you offer in the blog post, highlight that text and click the "Link" icon (looks like a chain) to link it to your Service page. This keeps visitors on your site longer.

Quick Reference Checklist

For the experienced user.

Log In: Go to yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
New Post: Navigate to Posts > Add New in the left sidebar.
Title: Enter a headline.
Editor Tab: Ensure the "Visual" tab is selected (top right of the text box).
Formatting: Use the Toolbar Toggle (kitchen sink icon) to reveal Headings (H2, H3).
Images: Click Add Media to insert photos. Check alignment (Left/Right/Center) before inserting.
Category: Select one relevant category in the right sidebar.
Featured Image: Crucial Step. Set the Featured Image in the bottom right box (this appears on your homepage/social media).
Preview: Click Preview to check for errors.
Go Live: Click Publish (or edit the date to Schedule).