How To Start A Blog - part 3

Hopefully by now you have created your blog and are ready to spice it up a little. Here are some ways you can do just that:

If you are in Blogger then this is how you add fun stuff to your blog:
  1. Sign in to Blogger.
  2. Click on the "Dashboard" link - your dashboard is where you go to see all of the blogs you have created.
  3. Select the blog you want to add something to.
  4. You will see toward the left side of the screen 3 tabs - posting, settings, and layout.
  5. Click on the Layout tab.
  6. Now you will see a diagram of the way your blog is laid out.
  7. Select "Add Gadget."
  8. Now you will see a list of items you can add to your blog. If you want to add something just click the plus sign and follow the instructions. If something is already on your blog it will read "Already added."
  9. You will notice there are categories of gadgets and a search box. You can use this to find more specific things you are looking for.
The HTML gadget is a great feature. It allows you to add things from other websites, such as music, visitor counters, and some backgrounds.

To add music - you can go to sites like www.playlist.com or www.lastfm.com and search for music. When you find a song you like you can save it onto your play list. To put it on your blog you will need to look for a link that may have the code words EMBED, POST TO BLOG, SHARE, etc. Click on that and follow the instructions. The site will generate a code for your to copy and past into a HTML gadget box from the Layout screen of your blog.

To add a counter - there are several sites out there that offer free counters if you are interested in seeing how many people visit your blog on any given day, week or month. Statcounter is a very user friendly option.

If you have any other questions regarding blogging contact April E. at patrick.april (at) hotmail (dot) com. If she doesn't know the answer then she can try to point you in the right direction for help.

Happy blogging! Remember to email your blog address to cefcmops (at) gmail (dot) com to get your blog added to our MOPS Bloggers list!

No comments: