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Special Content Areas
Q: I'd like to create a special content area (for a small interest piece or ad) as part my cover page, but I don't want it to show up as one of the main or feature articles. How do I do this?
A: If you want to create an area for advertisements and other small articles of interest, but you don’t want them to show up in the Table of Contents or in the area where you have your main articles or feature stories, you can create a special content area. By following the steps below, you will be able to place this piece wherever you want within the newsletter, yet it will remain separate and independent from the main section of your newsletter.
1. Create a topic.
- On the Main Menu page of your account, click the "Topics" button and you’ll be taken to the page where you can set up categories, sections, or in this case, a special content area.
- Select the button “Add New.” Give your topic a name that implies where you want the content to live in the layout, such as "Left Column.” This will help you keep track of where you want to place each special content area. After creating a name, click on “Create.”
- You are now on the “Topics” page. Click on the Topic you just created and when you are taken to the “Topic Section Name” section, click on the “Hide topic from Topic List…” radio button option. This will suppress this topic from showing up in your topic list and your Table of Contents.
2. Set up the layout.
- Now it’s time to insert your new topic in your layout. Back on the Main Menu, click the red "Layout" button. This will bring you to the editing interface for the layout template for the Cover Page.
- On this page, click the "Add" button in the area where you would like to insert the new specialized content. This will bring up a list of new layout elements to select from.
- Select "Multiple Article.” You will come to the "Element Properties" where you can set up the rules of display for your new layout element. Configure the article as you would any other article, changing display attributes, background colors, and text styles to your liking.
- Next, go down to the "Order and Filter" area on the lower left of the “Element Properties” page. (Note: this option is not available in “Single Article” elements, which is why you must do this through the “Multiple Article” element.) Change the setting labeled “Show only items positioned/rated above" to a value of 20 and the setting “Limit to this Topic" to the option for the new Topic you just created (“Left Column”) and Save.
3. Set up content.
- At this point, the basic setup is complete. The only thing that remains is to create the content that you want to appear in the new layout area. Click on “Articles” on the Main Menu page, hit the “Add New” button and the “Continue” button under “Contribute Your Own” which will bring you to the “New Article” page. Next to the date right at the top of this page is the option "Topic Section." Change this to the topic you created in the first step (“Left Column”). This will place this new article right where you wanted it – in the left column of your newsletter or wherever you added it in the “Set up the layout” step above.
- The last thing to do is under "Article Position." Use the "Determine Position Later" setting (or a number between 21 and 49 if you have a number input showing). This keeps the article from showing up in other regions of the layout.
- Complete the adding of the content for your new content area (such as uploading your ad) and Save.
For more questions on this topic, email us at support@imninc.com.
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