Track Blog Toolbar Code
Entry posted by bonesiii
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Today the Bones Blog brings you a quick blogging tip; some simple code to put near the top of your blog sidebars that can help you "hook" readers better.
Why Should I Care?
Well, if you don't have a blog, you might not, but if you're a blogger on BZP, you definately should care.
Every blog should have tracking options in a sidebar content block. If I've just entered a blog I've never read before, and I like it, I should be able to click a button that lets me keep track of the blog in the future. Having your blog tracked is a big goal for bloggers. If a reader just reads your blog once, and even comments, that is no guarantee they are following your blog regularly. But a reader who has tracked your blog is probably going to keep coming back, keep reading, keep commenting.
When I find a good blog that doesn't have any tracking option easily available, it annoys me and makes me less likely to want to come back. I'd have to go through extra steps to track it, and I'm a busy guy. I don't always have time for extra steps.
So here's some simple code for bloggers to use or modify as needed, that lets you provide this service to your readers.
There IS a standard content block you can use that has these options, but this code lets you put it in a more convenient place.Fave/Bookmark =/= Track
NOTE: "Tracking" a blog is not the same as "Bookmarking"/"Favoriting".
Fave -- Called "Bookmark" in the standard block. This is the best way; it pins your blog at the top of the blog list as viewed by the reader that faved you. It's also done by clicking the little heart symbol next to a blog's name in the Community Blog List. Make this easily visble; it's the biggy.
(I'm calling it "Fave" to distinguish between browser bookmarking, which this is not.)
Track -- This lets the reader get email updates when you post a new entry. It doesn't pin the blog.
There's also RSS (Really Simple Syndication) which I still don't fully understand.
But it's probably wise to include it for those who do know how it works (I challenge the notion that it's somehow "really simple" lol).Know The Code
This code includes the "Archive" link too, which displays a list of links to all your blog entries for the reader.
[url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&req=addfavblog&blogid=#___"][b]Fave This Blog[/b][/url] | [url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=___&req=dotrackblog"]Track[/url] | [url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=___&req=syndicate"]RSS[/url] | [url="http://www.bzpower.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=___&req=showarchive"]Archive[/url]
IMPORTANT: Replace the "___" with the ID number of your blog.
Example:
Fave This Blog | Track | RSS | Archive
If you want, you could make them image buttons too instead of text links. I'm not gonna for the Bones Blog cuz I have plenty of pics already.
In Other News:
- I am done with college! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
- We got a new cat, since a family we know can't have him anymore, named Buddy. He's still adjusting, and our other cat, Hunter (female, despite the name), hisses at him most times when she sees him, unfortunately. But he's the sweetest cat ever, so no problem with him. Dog Ezni has mostly been okay with the cat; she's already been tamed by Queen Hunter, heh.
- Virus or something, not sure if related to the issues BZP apparently had, is messing up IE for me almost totally. Only Google and a handful of other sites load. Thankfully the download site for Firefox worked and I'm running that temporarily and trying to get the problem fixed. Shouldn't interfere with my online time as long as Firefox works. Please note: I hate Firefox anyways.
- First on my to-do list is to get to the suggestions/errors posted for the BRC.
- Second is to choose winners for the Peeve Contest and get drawing them. I'll probably alternate between this and #1 over the next week.
- Third is the physics official topic. No, I haven't forgotten, Adventurer.
- In reference news: the newbie RKs are settling in with some assignments, and we have plans for a couple more reference topics for the Bionicle Reference Center.
- Blog news: I removed some cluttery sidebars, might remove some more, not sure, and I'd like to draw your collective attention to the new and improved "Skeletal Industries Teleportal", the second content block, which lists the most important entries.
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