How to Create a Post for Diocese

How to Create a Post for Diocese

You can now create diocesan posts in Catholic Social Media to share content with your parishes and schools. These posts are optimized for parish use and can be scheduled, tagged, and distributed to the right audiences.

Starting a New Post

• Go to either the Planner or the Calendar view.
• Click Create Post (both buttons function the same way).
• A blank post editor will open.

Choosing Post Type and Platforms

• At the top, choose the post type:
  • Default is a regular feed post.
  • You can also select a Facebook or Instagram Story.
• Use the platform toggles for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to tell the system which platforms you’re optimizing for.
  • By default, all three are selected.
  • The system will validate image size, video specs, and caption length against those platforms.
  • If your caption is over 280 characters, toggle Twitter off so it is not checked against Twitter’s limits.

Adding Media and Writing the Caption

• Drag and drop or click to upload an image, video, graphic, reel, or multi-image post.
• Use existing diocesan content (such as magazine or newspaper images) by uploading the image and pulling a few lines from the article into the caption.
• In the caption field, you can:
  • Add links (which will properly hyperlink).
  • Use hashtags.
  • Mention pages with @username.

Using Personalization Parameters

• Insert personalization parameters to help parishes localize the content automatically.
• Examples include:
  • Organization informal name
  • Website URL
  • Weekday Mass times
• These parameters are filled in by parishes during onboarding and will auto-populate when they schedule the post.
• Use them whenever possible to save parishes time and increase engagement.

Adding an Editor’s Note

• Use the Editor’s Note field for internal guidance to parish staff.
• This note does not publish with the post.
• Examples:
  • Extra context about the story or campaign.
  • A hyperlink to background materials or related Resources.
  • Instructions like “Read the full article before posting.”

Scheduling for Parishes

• Choose how you want the post to appear in the Planner for parishes:
  • On a day (most common):
    • Select a recommended date and time.
    • Recommended approach is to work about two weeks ahead so parishes have time to schedule.
  • For a week / for a month:
    • Provide a start and end date.
    • The post appears in the Monthly section with no specific recommended day.
  • For a season:
    • Set a longer start/end date so the post is available in the Seasonal section.
  • Forever:
    • Makes the content evergreen until you delete it.
    • Parishes can always adjust the final date and time when they schedule the post.

Tagging and Distribution Groups

• Add content tags to help you filter and report on posts later, especially in Analytics.
• Apply as many tags as needed to reflect campaigns, topics, or initiatives.
• Use distribution groups (such as deaneries or custom groups) if you want to send the post to specific parishes.
  • If no distribution group is selected, publishing will send the post to all connected parishes by default.

Publishing and Managing the Post

• When you’re finished, choose Save as Draft or Publish.
• After publishing:
  • You’ll see the post in your Planner for the selected time period.
  • The post will also appear on the appropriate date in your Calendar.
• You can return later to edit the post if needed.

Best Practices

• Work at least two weeks ahead so parishes have time to plan.
• Use personalization parameters frequently to make posts feel local for each parish.
• Schedule most content on a day to give clear guidance while still allowing flexibility.
• Use tags consistently to make diocesan reporting and Analytics easier.
• Include helpful Editor’s Notes when additional context or links will benefit parish staff.