Posts

What is a Post?

A post is a news item or announcement that appears on a Connect page under the News tab. Each Connect page — for a local (the individual unit within your organization, such as a lodge, chapter, or local committee), district, region, or group (the parent organization that oversees all locals) — has its own News tab. A post can include photos, and you can let members reply with comments. When you publish a post, Connect can email it to members and show it in the home feed of members who follow the page.

Getting Started

You add, edit, and delete posts from a Connect page's News tab.

1. Sign in to Connect.
2. Open the Connect page for your local or group. You can reach it from My Local Memberships or My Groups on your home page.
3. Click the News tab.

To add, edit, or delete posts, you need webmaster access for that page — permission to manage its Connect content. With that access, an Add a Post option and editing tools appear. Without it, ask your group's administrator to grant it.

Creating a Post

1. On the News page, click the plus icon next to Create a Post.
2. In the Subject box, type a short headline. This is required.
3. Click in the large text box and type your message. Use the toolbar above the box for bold text, lists, links, and other formatting. The message is required.
4. To include pictures, click Upload Photos and choose one or more image files from your computer. A thumbnail appears for each one.
5. Next to Visibility, choose who can see the post. The exact wording shows your organization's and your local's names.

1. Next to Notify, choose whether to send an email when the post publishes:
2. No One — no email is sent.
3. My Group Members — everyone on the page who has an email address on file.
4. Subscribers — one mailing list you choose in the Subscription box that appears.
5. Check Comments Enabled if you want members to be able to reply. Leave it unchecked for announcement-only posts.
6. Click Save. The button reads Processing... for a moment, then the finished post opens and a message confirms "New post added successfully."

Editing a Post

1. On the News page, click the post's subject, or click Read More, to open it.
2. Click the pencil icon near the top of the post.
3. Change any part of the post — subject, message, photos, visibility, notify setting, or comments.
4. To remove a photo, click the X on its thumbnail.
5. Click Save. The post reopens and a message confirms "Post updated successfully."

Editing a post never sends another email, even if you change the Notify setting. If members need an email, create a new post instead.

Deleting a Post

1. Open the post as described above.
2. Click the red trash icon near the top of the post.
3. When the box asks "Are you sure you want to delete this?", click OK.
4. Connect returns you to the News page and confirms "Post deleted successfully."

Deleting a post is permanent, and it also removes every comment and photo on that post. There is no undo. To bring a post back, you have to create it again.

Tips

• The News page lists posts from about the last six months. Older posts still exist but drop off this list.
• The Notify email reaches only members who have an email address on file and have not turned off email for that page.

Troubleshooting

Q: I don't see the plus icon or an Add a Post option. A: You need webmaster access for that Connect page. Ask your group's administrator to grant it.

Q: I clicked Save but the post would not save. A: The Subject box and the message box both need text. If you set Notify to Subscribers, you also have to choose a list in the Subscription box.

Q: A member says they never got an email about a new post. A: They receive it only if Notify was set to My Group Members (or Subscribers and they are on that list), they have an email address on file, and they have not turned off email for the page. Editing the post later does not send another email.

Related Guides

• How to Add Photos to a Post
• Comments
• Your Connect Home Feed
• How to View a Connect Group

Glossary

Connect page — The page on Connect for a local, district, region, or group, with tabs for News, calendar, photos, files, and officers.

Group — The parent organization that oversees all locals, districts, and regions. Examples include a state or national body, a professional association, or a political party.

Local — An individual unit within your organization where members hold their membership. Depending on your organization, this might be a lodge, chapter, local committee, or similar body.

Member — A person who holds membership in your group.

Webmaster — A member with permission to manage a Connect page's content, including its posts, pages, and officer information.