Module 3 | Introduction to Ghost

Session 1

30-45 minutes

Theme

Understanding the characteristics of a good website

Methodology

• Ask everyone to think of their favourite websites and two things they like most about the website. Use sticky notes and cards for this activity.
• Ask each team to present a list of three top characteristics they have collated from their team members. Each team can present a card with the top three characteristics on sticky notes. 
• As the team lead presents each characteristic, move them under headers like Content, Design, Responsiveness, etc. placed on the table. Facilitators can also add their choices.
• This will eventually visually represent that most of the characteristics falls under Content, and then, Design.
• Use this example to help the cohort understand why thinking through of content is so important for a website.

Learning outcomes

• Understanding the various attributes that make for a good website
• Understanding the importance of content planning for websites

Session 2

2 hours

Theme

Introduction to Ghost

Methodology

Ghost sessions

• Ghost Introduction 

• Creating an Account and Setting up Ghost

• Dashboard Overview of Ghost

• Creating a Blog Post & pages

• Advance: Post Settings vs. Page Settings

• Saving and Publishing Posts  & pages

• Customizing the Theme

• Adding Team Members

• Managing SEO
  

Session  1. Ghost Introduction

Overview of Ghost- Briefly introduce Ghost as a platform for creating websites, blogs, and newsletters, especially designed for storytelling. Explain that no coding knowledge is required.

Facilitator Note- Show participants some examples how aikyam Fellows and The Ignite Foundation use Ghost for storytelling.

• • aikyam fellows

  • The ignite foundation
    

Materials Needed- Projector/Screen, Laptop

Outcome- Participants will understand the purpose of Ghost and feel ready to explore ghost.

Session  2. Creating an Account and Setting up Ghost

Sign up for Ghost- Guide participants through creating a Ghost account and setting up their site.

Facilitator Instructions:

• Ask participants to open their web browser and navigate to the Ghost instance shared with them (provided by Aikyam before the session).
• Instruct them to click “Get Started” and guide them to sign up using their email and set up their site.
  
  

Materials Needed- Participants’ devices, shared Ghost instance URLs

Outcome: Participants will have their own Ghost account and access to the dashboard.

Session 3. Dashboard Overview of Ghost

Show the Dashboard- Help participants get comfortable using the Ghost dashboard by explaining the main sections.

Facilitator Instructions- Share your screen to show the Ghost dashboard and explain each section:

• • Posts: Where they can create, edit, and manage blog posts.

  • Pages: For static pages like "About" or "Contact."

  • Tags: Organise posts with tags to help with categorization.

Outcome-  Participants will understand how to use the Ghost dashboard, including the purpose of Posts, Pages, and Tags.

Session 4. Creating a Blog Post & Pages

Creating a Post- Teach participants how to create and format a post using Ghost. Show examples of posts to highlight the elements they will use.

Explain the Activity:
Let participants know they will practice creating a post by adding a title, uploading an image, writing content, and using extra elements like buttons and callout boxes.

Facilitator Instructions:

• Add a Title to their post.

• Upload an Image: Click the image icon to upload a featured image.

• Start Writing Content: Encourage them to explore the editor.

• Use the “+” Button for Additional Elements.

• Direct participants to the Posts section in the left menu.

• Guide them to:

Show the Available Features:

• Buttons: Demonstrate how to add a button for linking to other pages or sites.

• Callout Boxes: Explain how callout boxes can highlight key information.

• Images: Show how to add images within the post.

• Markdown: Briefly explain Markdown for text formatting.

• HTML: Show how to switch to HTML mode for custom code.

• Divider: Show how to add a divider.

• Gallery: Explain how to add an image gallery.

• Product Card: Show how to add a product card (if relevant).

Facilitator Note-
Use this Style Guide example to show participants how to make their posts look better. Go over basic elements like headings, lists, quotes, and images to help them organise and style their post.

Activity: Participants Create Their Own Blog Post-
TASK- Ask participants to create a blog post on a topic of their choice and use at least 5 of the features shown.

Outcome- Participants will create a formatted blog post with a title, content, featured image, and additional elements, gaining confidence in using Ghost’s editor.

Creating a Page:
- Explain the  difference between posts and pages. Learn how to create a new page.

Example -Show this example to participants to get the idea how to create a web page.

• https://aikyamfellows.org/about/

• https://impact.theigniteindia.com/about/

• https://ninetydegrees.in/get-involved/

Facilitator Instruction: Guide participants through creating a blank page

• Go to Pages from the left menu.

• Click on New Page.

• Add a Title to the page.

• Start Writing Content: Encourage them to explore the editor.
• Use the “+” Button for Additional Elements.
• Use Ghost Elements for formatting.

Activity: Participants Create Page (40 min)
Task - Ask participants to choose any one of the given examples and create that web page.(only for practice)

• https://aikyamfellows.org/about/

• https://impact.theigniteindia.com/about/

• https://ninetydegrees.in/get-involved/

• https://saans.aikyamhq.com/about/
  

Outcome - Participants will gain the skills to create, format, and publish web pages using Ghost. They will be able to add different elements like images, buttons, and headings to make their pages look good.

Session 5. Explaining Post Settings vs. Page Settings
-Guide them through how they can access this page settings and post setting.

Step by step-
Click on the setting icon in top right. Please explain the example provided below

• Page URL

• Publish date

• Tags

• Page access

• Excerpt

• Authors

• Template

Key Differences:

• Posts use tags and excerpts to organise content pages do not.

• Pages can have different templates and visibility options, suitable for static content.

• Posts are usually shared more frequently on social media, so extra settings like excerpts and tags are useful.
  
  

Session 6. Saving and Publishing Posts & Pages

Saving and Publishing:
- Guide participants through saving and publishing their posts or pages.

Facilitator Instructions:
- Show how to save posts as drafts, schedule for later, or publish immediately.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Saving and Publishing

• • Saving as Draft

  • Publishing Immediately

  • Scheduling for Later

  • Publish Only (Without Email)

  • Publish and Email (Notify Subscribers)

  • Email Only (Without Publishing)
    

Outcome: Participants will be able to save drafts, schedule, and publish posts or pages confidently.

Session  7.  Advance setting for site & Editing the Theme

Editing theme:
- Introduce participants to basic theme customization options.

Facilitator Instructions- Teach participants how to change site settings and customise the theme.

Steps:
General Site Settings (15 minutes)

• Show participants how to set the Site Title and Site Description (what the site is about).
• Explain how to add a Logo and link Social Media accounts.
• Teach how to change the Language and Timezone.
• Show how to set up Membership settings if the site has members.
  
  

Activity:
-Ask participants to update their site settings (title, description, logo) and try changing the theme.

Outcome-  Participants will know how to navigate theme settings to make basic customizations.

Session 8. Adding Team Members

Invite Team Members-
Explain how to add other users to their Ghost site for collaboration.

• Show participants the Settings > Team section, where they can invite team members by entering their email addresses.
  

Facilitator Instructions-
Explain the four roles in Ghost and what permissions each role has:

• Administrator: Full access to the site, including settings, team management, and content. Can invite, manage, and remove users.

• Editor: Can manage, edit, and publish all content but cannot access site settings or team management.

• Author: Can create and publish their own posts but cannot edit or publish posts by other users.

• Contributor: Can write and submit posts for review but cannot publish; posts need approval from an Editor or Administrator

Outcome- Participants will be able to add team members, assign roles, and understand the permissions each role has for collaboration.

Session  9. Managing SEO

SEO Basics- Introduce participants to basic SEO settings for their posts and pages

Facilitator Instructions:

• Show how to add meta descriptions, tags, and other SEO-related settings within the post editor and also in site settings.

Outcome- Participants will understand basic SEO settings in Ghost to improve visibility.

Learning outcomes