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Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram can be used directly from contentbird. Social media posts can be planned, created and automatically published in contentbird.
1. Integrations
In order to be able to use the functionality, the respective network must be linked at project level, this is described in the following articles:
2. Create content types
Another requirement for use is the creation of one or more content types for the respective social media network. This happens under:
Management > System > Types
The relevant network must be selected under "Social network", as is the case here with Facebook. Then all type properties that are not related to social media disappear from the form. (e.g. main editor type, WDFIDF, etc.).
3. Creation of a social media post
New content is created via the "green" plus sign in the page navigation, the type selection opens:
The channel filter can be used to quickly display those content types that belong to the network in question:
In the following step, the mask for content creation appears as usual and the social media post can be started in the content editor:
( 1 ) Selection of the social media profile on which the post should be published
( 2 ) Input field for the text
( 3 ) Media insertion
( 4 ) Inserting a link
( 5 ) Preview (appearance of the post in contentbird)
( 6 ) Save
( 7 ) Release Schedule
( 8 ) Immediate release (within next 15 minutes)
Other text input functions:
3.1 Emoji
The usual emojis ( 1 ) are available on all networks.
3.2 Mentioning / Tagging Other Users
Other users can be mentioned with "@" on the following networks ( 2 ), this is possible on all networks except Instagram.
3.3 Media
( 1 ) Upload a file (e.g. image) from your own computer.
( 2 ) Opens the contentbird Asset Management to accept media files located there.
( 3 ) Use of the Canva graphics platform to create infographics and the like. The graphic designed there is adopted and published in the social media post. This requires a Canva account, which is available free of charge in the basic version.
3.3.1 Image editing
Images used can be edited before publication:
Templates can be used that have already been adapted to the conditions of the relevant network:
3.4 Links
External pages can be linked on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. In the case of Facebook and LINKEDIN, a preview is generated in contentbird - and when it is published in the social media network. Please enter the URL to which you want to link under ( 1 ). For Twitter, please simply enter the URL in the text field, further information is available here.
The "UTM Tracking" ( 2 ) option can also be activated on Facebook and LinkedIn. In this way, the origins of the visitors to the linked pages can be analyzed later:
4. Save and schedule publication
If no binding publication has been planned yet, the post can only be saved as a draft:
This is made clear by the addition "Drafted":
By clicking on the "Plan" button, the publication is planned with binding effect. The mask for entering the release date and time opens:
A binding plan is then visible in the content as follows:
ATTENTION: This is the actual date the post will go live! The planned publication date in the overview of the content ticket is updated accordingly, any previously entered date is overwritten:
A post can still be edited until publication; under "Save" the option "Save planned post" is offered:
ATTENTION: If, on the other hand, the "Save as draft" option is selected at this stage, the binding planned publication will be revoked! This is the only way to cancel a binding publication.
The "Publish Now" option triggers the publication within the next 15 minutes. The corresponding cron job runs every 15 minutes on the hour: If, for example, you click at 10:04, the publication will take place at 10:15.
5. Calendar
At this point it should be emphasized again that the date entered manually in the content ticket under "Planned publication" does not trigger a publication! This only takes place if "Plan" or "Publish now" has been selected in the editor.
A post can thus be planned in the calendar without it being automatically published. The difference between a provisionally planned ( 1 ) and a binding publication is clarified in the calendar by the additional time ( 2 ):
In this way, a publication can be provisionally planned in the calendar before the creation of the social media post is complete.
Preliminary and binding publications can be moved in the calendar using drag & drop.
Both can also be removed from the planning by clicking on the x:
In both cases, the planning must be carried out again, which means that a binding publication becomes a draft again!