Watermark 101: How to squeeze the most awesome out of Watermark Online

Welcome! We’re so please you have stopped by. The site offers numerous new tools and features, and to ensure our web visitors are getting the maximum experience from their time at watermarkonline.com, we have created a crash course in what’s new, what’s awesome, and how to use it.

Lesson #1: You, the Watermark User.

Your first step is to register. Either use the “Register” link at the very top of the page, or scroll down to the other link on the bottom right, below the login fields, where it says “New Member?”

Once you have received your confirmation email and used that to activate your account, you can comment on the stories, blog posts, video and photos appearing on Watermark Online.

You may also choose to subscribe to Watermark’s newsletter to receive announcements, breaking news and exclusive information about the Central Florida LGBT community and about Watermark. You can do so by plugging your email in were it says “eNewsletter” on the home page. If you are already logged in, all you have to do is click the “Sign Up” button!

Lesson #2: The “EVENTS” box appearing on the top right of the homepage.

This listing of three hot, upcoming events only scratches the surface of the feature. Clicking on “Check Out All Events” will take you to our full events calendar, where you will find any number of fun things to do. Use the tabs on the top right to view the calendar by week, month, or as an agenda list, whichever you prefer. You can also sort the events by area. Use the small triangle on the top right to uncheck “Orlando/Daytona” or “Tampa Bay/Sarasota,” to view the calendar by region.

Extra Credit: The “Share It With Us” link takes you to a form where you can post your own events to Watermark’s calendar, absolutely free!

Lesson #3: The “Headlines.” This large, top center box is where we place our featured stories. Click a headline on the right to bring up a story’s image, click that image to go through to the story.

Lesson #4: The Nightlife Guide. Right below the “Events” box, our LGBT Nightlife contains dozens of options, sorted by location.

Lesson #5: Blogs + Opinions. Here you’ll find links to the latest entries from Watermark’s four blogs.

• Spontaneous Consumption = our pop culture-obsessed blog.
• WaterLog = you’re reading it. This is where I post about the site, the community, media, politics… whatever is happening among LGBTs in Orlando and beyond.
• Beautiful Wickedness = John Sullivan’s celebrity blog.
• Dispatches from the Gayborhood = our “slice of life” writers.
• Overheard = Same feature as in the paper, but with online interaction, including a link to a form where you can submit what you have overheard.

Extra credit: Would you like to find all entries from just one of those blogs, without slogging through the others? Head to the top menu bar and hover your mouse over the “Blogs” option. All five options will appear, and you can select whichever one you want.

Lesson #6: Featured video. Self-explanatory, just a video we thought was cool or fun. A complete archive is available by hovering over “Blogs” and clicking on the “Featured Video” option of the dropdown menu.

Lesson #7: Shot on Site. Photo albums that usually stem from both local and faraway events, covering everything from birthday parties to concerts to Pride weekends. Drop us an email if you have some photos you’d like to share.

Lesson #8: News boxes on home page. First, the local stuff – Orlando and Sarasota/Tampa Bay. Those headers are actually tabs, select and click an area to see its stories. Same deal with State and Nation/World. Living and Arts + Culture are their own areas, no tabs.

Now, let’s move over to the right side of the home page.

Lesson #9: Grab A Copy. Plug in your zip code to see places near you where you’ll find the print edition of Watermark. For a complete list of distribution sites, hover over “How to Get Watermark” in the top menu bar and choose “Distribution Sites.”

Lesson #10: The “Resources” sections: Community Resources, Community Classifieds, and Purple Pages.

• Community Resources = A list of LGBT-friendly organizations and groups.
• Community Classifieds = Watermark’s classified ad section. Wanna place an ad? Hover over “Advertising” in the top menu bar, select “Place a Classified Ad,” then fill out the form. Someone will contact you shortly to confirm and collect payment.
• Purple Pages = Our list of LGBT-friendly local businesses. Premium ads are highlighted in purple with additional info, available to advertisers for a fee.

Extra credit: Community Resources, Community Classifieds, and Purple Pages can also be found by hovering over “Resources” on the top menu bar.

Lesson #11: Tags. A way to browse the site by topic, all users can “tag” stories by adding keywords next to the stories themselves. Click on any tag to see the stories affiliated with that keyword.

Lesson #12: The top menu bar, left side. This allows you to view stories by group. For example, if you hover over “News” then choose “State,” you are taken to a complete listing of all of Watermark’s Florida news stories, including the archives.

Extra credit: The “Viewpoints/Columns” option takes you to pieces regularly featured in Watermark’s print edition, such as the Editor’s Desk and The Truth.

Lesson #13: Subscribe, Advertise, Contact. All three of these options are located on the right side of the top menu bar. A Subscription Form is located under “How to Get Watermark.” The Advertising section contains information on print and online advertising spaces, rates, and how to get you business seen by thousands of LGBT consumers. The “Contact” section has information about the Watermark staff, and also a form that lets you send questions, comments and concerns to a staff inbox.

Review: We invite you to register, comment, poke around and have some fun. We are having a great time running this “virtual gayborhood” for you, and hope you will use it, enjoy it, and send your feedback.

Any questions? Please post them in a comment below. You don't even need to raise your hand!

Class dismissed.