12.3 Content Creation: Posts, Comments, Media

This is the core interaction within your community – how you and your members share information, ask questions, and engage in discussions within the Channels.

Creating New Posts:

  1. Navigate to the relevant Channel within the group where your post topic belongs.
  2. Click the + Create Post button (or similar, often prominently displayed near the top of the channel feed).
  3. Add Title (Required): Enter a clear, concise, and informative title for your post. The title helps members quickly understand the topic.
  4. Compose Content: Use the main text area, which is typically a rich text editor, allowing you to:
    • Format text: Use Bold, Italic, create Bulleted or Numbered Lists, insert Hyperlinks, use different Heading levels for structure.
    • Upload Images: Click an image icon to upload directly or select from your Close Master Media Library. Multiple images might display as a gallery.
    • Upload Videos: Click a video icon to upload a video file directly (check size limits) or potentially embed videos from common platforms like YouTube or Vimeo using their share links.
    • Attach Files: Click an attachment icon (paperclip) to upload documents (PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets) relevant to your post.
    • Add GIFs: Use a GIF icon/button to search online libraries (like Giphy) and insert animated GIFs.
    • Mention Users (@Mentions): Type the @ symbol followed by a member's name (e.g., @Jane Agent). Select the correct user from the list that appears. This tags the user and typically sends them a notification that they were mentioned in the post. Crucial for directing questions or attention.
  5. Publish: Once your post is ready, click the Post button. (Note: Posts can also be scheduled in advance using the Social Planner - see 12.8).

Adding Comments and Replies:

  1. Find the Post: Scroll through the channel feed to the post you want to respond to.
  2. Type Your Comment: Use the comment box located directly below the post content. The comment editor usually supports the same rich content options as the main post editor (text formatting, images, videos, file attachments, GIFs, @mentions).
  3. Submit Comment: Click the Comment or Reply button. Your comment will appear below the post.
  4. Threaded Replies: You can often reply *specifically* to another person's comment, creating a threaded discussion, by clicking a "Reply" link underneath their comment.

Liking Posts and Comments:

  • Show appreciation or agreement by clicking the Like button (often a thumbs-up or heart icon) on posts or comments.
  • Likes are often used as the basis for the Gamification points system (See 12.6), encouraging valuable contributions.

Admin/Moderator Content Actions:

Users with Admin or Moderator roles have additional options for managing content within the group, accessible via the ... (three dots) menu on any post or comment:

  • Pin Post: Makes the selected post "stick" to the top of the current channel's feed (or the main Home feed if pinned from there). Use this for important announcements, rules, or frequently referenced information. Select Unpin Post to remove it from the top.
  • Lock Comments / Unlock Comments: Prevents (or re-enables) any further comments from being added to a specific post. Useful for closing discussion on resolved issues or controversial topics.
  • Edit: Allows the Admin/Moderator to modify the content of the selected post or comment (including posts/comments made by other members).
  • Delete: Permanently removes the selected post or comment from the group feed. Use judiciously.