Getting started

ALDC member to blogger in six easy steps

Basic tips and customisation

Adding your own photos to your blog posts

Customizing your MyCouncillor blog

Changing your website theme and appearance

Adding photos from the Internet, and from your Flickr or Picasa account

Editing the imprint on your MyCouncillor site

Advanced topics

Get more information about your visitors with StatCounter

Changing your website address

Understanding User Access Levels

Note to contributors

This post is set up as a contents page for the MyCouncillor How-to section.  When you create a new how-to post, please not only add a link on this post, but change the publication date on this post so it still appears at the top of the page.

Last edited by Anders Hanson, 9th March 2010.

All MyCouncillor sites include a default imprint that ensures your website is legal and there is no reason for you to edit this if you do not wish.  The imprint automatically takes your name and address from your contact details on the website. 

However, although this imprint can be used all year round without any legal problems, it is better during election time to amend this imprint to include the name and address of your election agent.  If your MyCouncillor site is shared between a few councillors and/or candidates then this is also recommended that you customise your imprint to make sure it makes sense.

How to edit your imprint

In the admin area of your MyCouncillor site click on the "Manage" tab and then on "Imprint".  You should then tick the box that says "Show custom imprint" and then edit the words in the box below.  You should only edit the first paragraph rather than the rest of the text as the name of the host and the designer won't change.  You can find out more about the correct words to use for an imprint here.

When you have edited your text, click on Save.  When you next check your website you should see that the imprint has changed.  To return to the default imprint at anytime you can go back to the Imprint tab and untick the box that says "Show custom imprint" and click on "Save".

When you compose a post in your MyCouncillor blog, clicking on the image button allows you to put in a URL link to a photo that's somewhere else on the Internet.

That's fine if you've got your photos on an online service like flickr or picasa, or if you're linking to a picture you've found (e.g. through Google Images).  If you want to add a photo that's on your own computer, it's less good.

MyCouncillor offers a way to add photos from your hard drive but it doesn't work in quite the way a lot of people expect it to.  You add a photo to an online album, maintained by MyCouncillor, and then add it into your blog post, as a full image, a thumbnail (linking to the full picture) or a text link.

1. Resizing your photo

The size of your photo is important, and if you've taken it with a modern digital camera, it's probably too big.  Any graphics package can be used to resize an image, or you could use a website like this one.

Where you want the full photo to appear in your blog post, it should be no wider than 550 pixels.  Where you want a thumbnail to link to the full photo, it should be no wider than 800 pixels.

2. Write a new blog post

Log onto your MyCouncillor site write a new blog post as normal.


3. Move down to Upload File

Immediately below the area where you write your blog posts is a section of the page allowing you to upload images to your MyCouncillor album.  You're going to upload one picture and insert it directly into your blog post.

4. Select the file you want on your blog post

The dialog box will look different depending on your operating system, but you get the general idea.  Select a file to upload it.

5. Give it a title

Add a title to identify your picture.  Optionally, you can add a description too.

6. Insert the picture into your blog post

Select how you want the picture to appear on your blog: a thumbnail (small version), the full photo or just the title.  Then select whether you want it to link to a full version.  If it's a thumbnail, you'll normally want to link to the file.

Click on "Send to editor" and the picture, thumbnail or title appear in your blog post.

7. Edit the placement in the blog post

Once the photo's placed in your blog, you can change where it appears.  In the screenshot, I've clicked on the thumbnail to select it (notice the small squares around the edge) and clicked on the right-align button to move it across.

Last edited by Iain Roberts, 30th November 2009.

So you've followed our guide and made it from ALDC member to blogger in six easy steps.  But now you want more.  You want to customize your blog, making it more useful for your readers and more effective as a campaigning tool.

Let's look at some of the ways you can make your blog your own.

On this example, you can change the overall look of the blog (the colour scheme and layout), the strapline at the top, and your personal details on the right.  You can also add a photo (Cllr Grice is uncommonly handsome and, with his customary modesty, has declined to post a photo so as not to make his colleagues look bad in comparison).

Further down the page, you can add a graph (what Lib Dem publication would be complete without one) and some useful links for your readers.

1. Choose your theme

Log on to administer your site, click on Presentation and Themes, then simply click on the theme you want.  It changes right away, so why not try a few and see which you like the most.

2. Set your strap line

When you applied for your MyCouncillor blog you specified a strapline, but you can change it any time.  Click on Manage, then ALDC and click where it says to enter a new one - easy!

3. Change your personal details and add a photo

Still on the Manage ALDC page, scroll a little further down.  You can edit your name, address, email and phone number.

Below that, you can upload a photo.  Be careful though - it's fairly small (think passport photo) and really should be as close as you can get to 200 pixels high by 140 pixels wide before you upload it.  If you're not sure how to do this, try a website like this to help.

4. Get yourself a graph

What would a Lib Dem blog be without a graph?  Click on Manage and Graph to create yours.  Put in the text, the number of votes and pick the colours - your blog will figure out the graph for you.

5. Add some links

Helping people find other sources of information is a useful way to make your blog more useful to your readers. One way is to have a set of permanent links down the side, perhaps linking to your colleagues and to other useful services and sources of information.

Go to Useful Links, then Add Link.  For each link, fill in a name and address.  The name should be nice and short.  The description is optional.  On the right (not visible on the screenshot above) there's a category list.  If you want to group links together in different categories, add them here.

Go to Manage Useful Links to edit or delete links that you've added.

6. Onwards and upwards

There's plenty more ways to customize your blog.  Explore the options, see what other people have done and, if in doubt, ask.

Last updated by Iain Roberts on 24th November 2009.

1. Apply for a site

You're already an ALDC member and you'd like a MyCouncillor blog.  The first step is to fill in the application form by clicking here.  Don't worry about the information you give being set in stone.  You can change almost everything later - with the exception of your council area and ward.

2. Receive your email

Within seconds of you submitting the form, the ALDC team springs into action.  After making the tea, your blog is set up and an email sent giving you all the information you need to get blogging.  The most important pieces of information are:

• your site address e.g. www.lennygrice.mycouncillor.org.uk
• your username e.g. lennygrice
• your password

3. Visit your site

Click on the link in the email to visit your site (or paste the web address into your browser). At the bottom right corner of your new blog is a link "Site Admin".  Click on it.

4. Log onto the administration panel

Put in your username and password to log into the administration panel.  You should be taken to the Dashboard.

5. Start blogging

Don't worry about customising your blog right now - lots of time for that later.  Get blogging!  Tell people about something your doing, some interesting local news or perhaps a national Lib Dem story,

6. Tell people about it

Blogging's much more fun if lots of people come and read your wise words, so tell people. Advertise your blog in emails, Focus leaflets, business cards and more.

Remember: you can get to your blog using several different addresses right from the start, including

• yourname.mycouncillor.org.uk
  
• yourname.4mp.org.uk
  
• yourname.focusteam.org.uk
  

Last updated by Iain Roberts, 17th November 2009.