Your First Project

Welcome to BetterPost! This guide will walk you through creating and setting up your first project, including how to import settings from your existing publication or website.

What is a Project?

A project in BetterPost is a container that organizes all your content monitoring and creation activities around a specific topic, publication, or purpose. Each project has:

• Content Sources - Where you monitor content from (RSS feeds, social media, blogs)
• Content Criteria - AI-powered rules that determine what content is relevant
• Distribution Channels - Where you share curated content (email newsletters, social media)
• Project Settings - Audience, tone, and branding for consistent messaging

Creating Your First Project

When you first sign up for BetterPost, a default project is automatically created for you. You can customize this project or create additional ones as needed.

Project Navigation

Once you have a project, you'll see four main sections in your navigation:

1. Setup - Configure project settings and criteria
2. Sources - Add and manage content sources
3. Stories - Review and manage discovered content
4. Channels - Set up content distribution

Quick Setup with Import

The fastest way to configure your project is to import settings from your existing publication or a similar site. This uses AI to analyze the content and automatically configure your project.

How to Import Project Settings

1. Navigate to your project setup page (the Setup tab)
2. Click "Import from URL..." in the top-right corner
3. Enter a URL - This can be:
   • Your publication's homepage
   • An example article that represents your style
   • A competitor or similar publication you want to emulate
4. Click "Import Settings" - BetterPost will analyze the content

What Gets Imported

When you import from a URL, BetterPost analyzes the content and automatically sets:

• Project Name - Based on the site's title or publication name
• Default Audience - Who the content is written for (e.g., "developers", "small business owners")
• Default Tone - The writing style (e.g., "professional", "casual", "technical")
• Content Criteria - AI-generated rules for what content is relevant

⚠️ Important: Importing will overwrite your current project settings. Make sure you're okay with this before proceeding.

Manual Project Configuration

If you prefer to set up your project manually, or want to fine-tune after importing:

1. Project Name

Give your project a descriptive name that reflects its purpose:

• "Tech Newsletter"
• "Marketing Blog Content"
• "Industry Research Digest"

2. Default Audience

Describe who your content is for. This helps the AI understand what content will be relevant:

• "Software developers and engineers"
• "Marketing professionals at B2B companies"
• "Small business owners in retail"

3. Default Tone

Define the writing style and voice for your content:

• "Professional and informative"
• "Casual and friendly"
• "Technical and detailed"
• "Conversational with humor"

4. Content Criteria

Define what makes content relevant to your project. Enter one concept per line:

web development frameworks
JavaScript tutorials
software engineering best practices
developer productivity tips

The AI uses these criteria to automatically score and filter content from your sources. For detailed configuration options, see Configuring Projects.

Project Examples

Here are some example project configurations to inspire your setup:

Tech Newsletter Project

• Audience: "Software developers and engineering managers"
• Tone: "Professional but accessible, focusing on practical insights"
• Criteria: "Include: new frameworks, development tools, best practices, performance tips. Exclude: basic tutorials, opinion pieces without substance"

Marketing Blog Project

• Audience: "Digital marketing professionals at SaaS companies"
• Tone: "Data-driven and actionable, with concrete examples"
• Criteria: "Include: growth hacking tactics, conversion optimization, marketing automation, case studies. Exclude: general business advice, non-digital marketing topics"

Industry Research Project

• Audience: "Healthcare executives and policy makers"
• Tone: "Authoritative and research-backed, formal tone"
• Criteria: "Include: healthcare policy changes, medical research, industry regulations, market analysis. Exclude: patient advice, general health tips"

Next Steps

Once your project is configured:

1. Add Content Sources - Start monitoring RSS feeds, social media, and websites
2. Set Up Channels - Configure where and how to distribute curated content
3. Generate Content - Use AI to curate and create content from your sources
4. Monitor and Refine - Regularly review performance and adjust settings

Best Practices

Start Simple

Begin with a clear, focused project scope. You can always expand later.

Use Specific Criteria

The more specific your content criteria, the better the AI can filter relevant content.

Import for Inspiration

Even if you don't use the imported settings exactly, they can provide a good starting point.

Iterate and Improve

Monitor your content for a few days, then refine your criteria based on what you're seeing.

Test Different Sources

Start with a few high-quality sources, then gradually add more as you understand what works.

Troubleshooting

Import Not Working

• Make sure the URL is accessible and loads properly
• Try a different page from the same site
• Some sites block automated access - try the manual setup instead

Content Not Relevant

• Review and refine your content criteria
• Check if your sources are actually publishing the type of content you want
• Consider adjusting your audience and tone settings

Too Much/Too Little Content

• Adjust your content criteria to be more or less restrictive
• Review your source selection - quality over quantity
• Consider changing fetch frequencies for different sources

Getting Help

Need more detailed information? Check out these guides:

• Configuring Projects - Complete project configuration reference
• Adding Sources - How to add and manage content sources
• Setting Up Channels - Distribution channel setup and management
• Content Generator - Using AI to curate and create content