WordPress
These video tutorials are available from within a website’s WordPress dashboard. At the bottom of the left sidebar is a link to “Video Tutorials” that will allow you to watch video tutorials within WordPress. The WordPress 101 section has 31 videos providing a good basis for how to work within WordPress. Some of the other video tutorials, though, may not be relevant to your site if those features or plugins are not installed.
LinkedIn Learning
Texas A&M employees can access numerous WordPress training courses on LinkedIn Learning, including WordPress 5.5 Essential Training, a 2-hour course that covers some of the basic skills for creating and managing content in WordPress.
Previous Master Gardener WordPress Training Recordings
A series of WordPress trainings for Texas Master Gardener volunteers were recorded in 2019 and are available on the Texas Master Gardener website.
Google Analytics and AgriLife Website Traffic
Regularly reviewing and monitoring the web traffic to your individual program pages in just one way of the many ways you can optimize our outreach efforts. Our data analysts have created an Extension Google Dashboard that allows you to view and better understand your audience’s web behavior. A valid .tamu.edu or gmail address is all you need get viewing access.
Want to know how Google’s sunsetting of Universal Analytics (UA) will affect your data collection efforts or how to access the new Google Analytics 4 data? Check out this Tech Tuesday presentation!
Request access to the Extension Google Dashboard
AgriLife Extension Summer Social Hour (3-part series)
July 13, 2022 | Taming the Wild West of Extension Social
- Social Media 101 – A look at platform options & audiences
- Starting new accounts and resurrecting old accounts
- Branding, profiles, cover photos, about pages + Q&A
Session 1 Takeaways:
- Our recommended platforms are: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- Identify your goals (and see how they overlap with the State’s channel goals).
- Branding profile templates can be found on our Marketing Templates page.
- Account naming conventions:
- ABC County – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- ABC County 4-H – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
July 20, 2022 | Building Community around Content
- Facebook Pages vs Facebook Groups? Which is best for you?
- Urban & Rural challenges – not one size fits all solution
- Effective content strategies for county agents & specialists + Q&A
Session 2 Takeaways
- Different recommendations for different kinds of audiences
- Facebook Pages are for everyone, Facebook Groups allow for enhanced community building.
- Facebook Groups are recommended for:
- Rural 4-H Clubs
- Urban 4-H Project
- Volunteer Groups (Master Naturalist and Master Gardener Chapters)
- Facebook Pages + Groups are recommended for:
- Urban audiences (Ex. Harris County Page + ANR Group)
- AgriLife Today content is there for you to share.
- If it’s good enough for Texas Monthly, Houston Chronicle and Drover’s… it’s good enough for your newsletters and social media content!
July 27, 2022 | Growing your Audience
- Hashtag strategy & In-platform tools
- Engagement strategies & content planning
- Insights, Metrics and Optimization for max impact! + Q&A
Session 3 Takeaways
- High quality images, LiveWhale Events, FB Live Events, AgriLife Today articles.
- Recurring content works! (Think #SuperStarSaturday, Crop & Weather Report).
- Use the in-platform planning tools (used to be a paid feature but now it is free – use it!).
- Engage with your audience (use the automation tool to auto-respond until you get a human to answer questions).
- Don’t forget ADA accessibility standards (link to TAMUS IT Accessibility tools).
- Don’t respond or delete negative comments as per Texas A&M University Social Media policy. Ignore the haters!
- Don’t expect overnight viral popularity. Social media needs to be fed consistently for steady growth.
Documents, Images and Video
The following are several important considerations when selecting and adding documents, images, and video to a website:
Licensing – All images used on Texas A&M AgriLife websites must be owned by Texas A&M AgriLife or licensed for free commercial use. If a copyrighted image is used or an image is not attributed correctly, Texas A&M AgriLife is liable for copyright infringement. You can access and select from hundreds of Texas A&M AgriLife’s professional, high-quality images through the AgriLife Photoshelter.
File Sizes – Image and document files should be optimized for the web to enhance site loading speeds and image clarity. File sizes should be no more than 1 MB, and image files should be appropriately sized and cropped for their intended size and location on a webpage.
Accessibility – All images, documents and videos posted on a website are expected to meet federal and state required accessibility guidelines as outlined on Texas A&M’s IT Accessibility website. Images and files saved as images are to have alt text, and videos are expected to have captions. The Texas A&M AgriLife Digital Education accessibility guide provides practical guidance for ensuring digital resources are accessible.
Branding All logos and color palettes should follow Texas A&M AgriLife’s brand guide.
Other Related Trainings
Texas A&M IT offers both a Web Accessibility Essentials and a Web Accessibility Advanced course that you can register for through TrainTraq.