Congratulations on being accepted into the CelebMix team – we’re glad to have you here. This guide will help you come to terms with the way we write and edit content on CelebMix, and the chances are that you’ll need to come back to it more than once when you write your posts. Please add this page to your favorites, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with an Editor if you need help.
Using the WordPress Admin
Log into CelebMix at CelebMix.com/wp-admin. We use WordPress, so if you’re familiar with this tool, you’ll be able to find your way around quite quickly. Your username and password will be in your welcome email, and once you’re logged in, you shouldn’t have to do so again.
It is your responsibility to keep your password secure and up-to-date. If you forget your password, it can be easily reset by going to CelebMix.com/wp-admin and clicking on the Reset button.
Once you’re logged in for the first time, make your way to the ‘Your Profile’ section and add the following information. This will be displayed in your biography and at the bottom of new posts.
- Your first and last name
- Social media handles you want to be publicly displayed
- A short biography – an introduction to who you are and what you do
Your profile picture can be changed by going to Gravatar.com and signing up for an account with the same email address that you used to sign up to CelebMix with.
Accounts without a username, biography and avatar may be removed. Give your profile some love and personality – it’s what people will look at when they read your articles!
Writing your story
You can write a new post by clicking on the +New icon at the top of the dashboard, and selecting Post. Then, add a title and begin writing your post.
Don’t forget to write in full sentences in short paragraphs. Here are some more tips…
- Don’t add images to the body of your text unless necessary
- Think about adding multimedia content to your post like YouTube videos, Twitter embeds, GIFs and so on – the more fun and interactive your content is, the more people will share it
- Add a call to action at the bottom of your post – something like ‘What are your thoughts? Let us know on Twitter using @CelebMix.’
Completing the SEO
Before you finish your content, you need to make sure your post is SEO-friendly. To do so, scroll down to ‘Yoast SEO’. Pick the main keyword that this post/page is about. If you wrote an article about Rihanna, your keyword is Rihanna. The keyword can be two words, i.e. Lady Gaga, One Direction, but don’t add big phrases.
Meta Description: The meta description is often shown as the black text under the title in a search result. Add a description of your post (i.e. ‘Rihanna has dropped her brand new album ANTI.’). This description MUST include your focus keyword.
Your focus keyword must also appear in your article, the article title, the page URL, the content and the meta description.
Once your SEO counter says good and appears green, you’re done!
Before you submit your story
When you think you’ve mastered your post, be sure to add a category (find it in the sidebar). You can only add ONE CATEGORY PER POST, so choose the most relevant one.
You’ll also need to add some tags (find the tag section in the sidebar). Tags are keywords that relate to your post. The more tags, the better.
Next, you’ll need to add a featured image. Find a good quality image from Google or elsewhere, and upload it by clicking ‘Add featured image’ and dragging it into the uploader.
Make sure your featured image is a press shot or comes from a reliable source. Most professional sources allow for images to be reused for information purposes. Do NOT use copyrighted imagery.
Submitting content
When you’re ready, you can submit your post for review by clicking the big blue button to the right of your new blog post. Then, an editor will check everything over and make sure it’s ready. Once we feel that your content is up to a high standard, you’ll be upgraded to a CelebMix Star and won’t have to wait for admin approval.
Hierarchy of CelebMix
- CelebMix Writer: Where you start when you join CelebMix. You’re free to write content as often as you like, but everything must be approved by an Editor before it’s published.
- CelebMix Star: You’re now free to publish content whenever you like, without waiting for an admin to approve the content for you.
- CelebMix Editor: Our dedicated editor team will review content before it’s published, liase with PRs and celebrities, and maintain the general running and order of CelebMix.
What else should you know?
There’s lots more we could tell you, like how to create a quiz or how to upload a video to our YouTube channel. Please speak to an editor if you have any questions about writing for us or want clarification on something we’ve said. We’ll continuously update this guide to ensure it’s accurate and up to date, so check back often to see the latest changes.