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Creating a Rich Post or WeChat Article

Rich posts and WeChat articles are multimedia messages with headers, text, images, and other content in a single vertical posting. Rich posts and WeChat articles are similar in terms of content, structure, and appearance. The main difference is how they are delivered to your audience.

Content Creation

Rich posts and WeChat articles are created with the same tools (e.g. drag and drop components). In both cases, the creation process involves two steps:

  • Step 1: create a file on the Edit Post Content page.
  • Step 2: create (or edit) content with components in the WeChat editor workspace.

This article shows you how to create a file (Step 1). Creating or editing content (Step 2) involves 4 different tools. See:

Delivery

Rich posts are delivered to new followers through WeChat's auto response menu. They are placed inside a main menu tab or submenu items. When a follower selects a menu item with a rich post, they receive a notification. The article displays within the official account chatbox. 

To learn more about sending rich posts and WeChat articles, see:

Previewing articles 

Creating a post or article can sometimes be a labour-intensive effort. For that reason, you want to make sure the layout looks good and the content is accurate before publishing it live to followers. That's why we created a simple Preview tool. You can preview a post or article on mobile devices before publishing. You can also use this tool to share draft content with other people for feedback and approval.

For more information, see:

 

 

1  Opening the Edit Post content page

The first step is to create a file on the Edit Post Content page. There are two ways to open the Edit Post Content page.

Option 1

This is a direct path to the Edit Post Content page after logging on to your Sinorbis account. Go to PUBLISH > WeChat Content > Create. The WeChat Content page displays.

 

Click Create Post and select Rich Post.

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A popup displays. Enter a unique name. This is the file name of your rich post or WeChat article. Click Save. The Edit Content page displays. Hover the mouse pointer on the grey box. A menu displays. Click Edit. The Edit Post Content page displays.

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Option 2

This option takes you to the Edit Post Content page from the WeChat Menu area. Go to PUBLISH > WeChat Settings > Menu.

  1. Hover the mouse pointer on a main menu tab (with no submenu items) or a submenu item. The toolbar displays.
  2. Click the Edit button. The Edit Menu Item panel displays.
  3. Click Message and then click Rich Post. 
  4. To open a post you saved in your Assets folder, click Select. The Edit Post Content page displays.

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2  Entering file information

Before creating a rich post or WeChat article, you need to enter file information. This information helps your audience understand the purpose of the content and then decide whether to read it or not.

Post Title

This data field should already be filled in. It's the same title you entered in the prompt box.

Post Cover

You cannot publish a rich post or WeChat article without a post cover. An eye-catching image on the cover attracts attention and helps increase open rates. There are two ways to place an image in the Post Cover image box: upload or drag.

Uploading

To upload a post cover image:

  1. Click the Upload Image button. 
  2. Select an image from your computer. For best results, select a small image with a 9:5 aspect ratio.
  3. Upload the image.
  4. After placing a picture in the image box, use the slider to adjust the position and size of the image.
  5. Check the Always Show Cover Image in Post Box.
  6. Click Done.

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Dragging an image

Instead of using the Upload tool, you can drag a picture:

  1. Locate a picture on your computer.
  2. Drag it to the image box.

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  • Post Summary - Write a teaser that tells readers about the rich post or WeChat article content.
  • Post Author - Include the name of the person who created the post.
  • Post Body - Click the Edit Post Content button to open the workspace. This is where you add and edit content.
  • Post Link - Insert a link to give followers more information. You can, for example, add a link to the full WeChat article or a website. 

3  Opening WeChat editor workspace

You create and edit rich posts or WeChat articles in the WeChat editor workspace. This is where you find the drag-and-drop components and other content creation tools.

  1. To open the WeChat Editor, scroll down to the bottom of the Edit Post Content page.
  2. Click Edit Post Content. A WeChat Editor box displays and shows three choices.
  3. Select one option and then follow the prompts. The WeChat Editor opens in the workspace.

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Blank Template

Select this option if you want to create a rich post or WeChat article from a blank page.

If you build from a blank page, we suggest including a few basic design features so that your post looks polished and conforms to generally accepted standards.

  1. Include a title at the top of the post.
  2. Place an image under the title. The picture should attract the reader's interest.
  3. Insert a text component with a summary of the post.
  4. On the rest of the page, include a mix of text, subheadings, dividers, images, video content, product information, customer testimonials, and other content.
  5. Finish with a WeChat QR code and logo.

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Use Template

Select this option if you want to use a template. There are a number of pre-designed options in the Templates Gallery. The components on each template can be modified to match your brand requirements. Or, select a template that you created and saved for later use in the My Templates folder.

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4  Finishing the post or article 

After you have finished creating a post or article in the WeChat editor workspace, scroll up to the top of the screen and then click the Done button.

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The workspace closes and the Edit Post Content page displays. Click Save at the top of the Edit Post Content page. The Edit Content page displays.

At this stage, you have three options presented at the top of the Edit Content page:

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  1. Click Preview to see how your post or article displays in a mock smartphone.
  2. Upload to WeChat and follow best practices for previewing and sharing.
  3. Send the post or article to your followers.

Before publishing a rich post or article, we recommend following best practices for previewing and sharing.

For more information see:

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