Creating a Following with HTML

Spice Up Your Blog with a Dash of Code

From time to time, I get the urge to do something new with my blog. The same thing manifests itself at home with an irresistable desire to rearrange the furniture. Fortunately for the blog (unlike moving furniture), the only heavy lifting involved is learning something new.

Now you code masters are probably laughing your closing tags off at me but I, unlike Al Yankovic, am fluent in neither Klingon nor JavaScript. However, I have picked up a few bits and pieces of HTML which you might find useful too.

How’d I Get Those Follow Buttons at the Top of the Page?

Some time ago, a friend asked me how I put my follow buttons at the top of the blog.

Come to think of it…I’m not sure if I actually sent the directions or totally forgot…sorry Selena! *hangs head in shame*

If you want to add follow buttons to your blog, you can drop them into image widgets and stack them in the sidebar and some WordPress themes have built-in follow buttons at the top of the blog. Of course, if you have a self-hosted site, you can install a social media plugin.

But, with a little code know-how and a lot of copy/paste, you can line up your follow buttons in neat row all by yourself.

Note: instructions for uploading images and using widgets are specific to WordPress. Other blogging platforms may function differently.

You can view the video version of these instructions here.

First, you need to do is find and download the follow buttons that fit your blog and turn them into hyperlinks to your social media sites. I found mine on Webtreats. They have tons of free buttons and icons. This is especially great if you want all your follow buttons to have the same style. Alternatively, you can download the free buttons provided by your social media sites.

Then, you need to upload the images to your Media Library and grab the image URL.

Don’t worry too much about image size as you can resize in the code. You can also edit the image to size (in Paint or some such…can you tell I’m a PC user?) before loading it to Media Library, edit and save the image in an online editor such as Pixlr or edit the image within your Library. If you opt to edit the image in your Media Library, just make sure you grab the updated image URL.

Note: If you edit the image in Paint, the transparent background will be lost. If your blog background is white, this isn’t a big deal but, if you have a dark background, you might want to work in Pixlr.

Next, you want to fire up an online HTML editor. You could use a Word (Open Office, etc) document to work with your code but I like the online editor because you can see each of your changes as it will look on your blog. I like the Real-Time HTML Editor.

One thing to note about the Real-Time editor is that it seems to work great in Chrome but not Firefox (for me anyway). If you try it in your browser and it doesn’t do anything, try Chrome.

You can use the following code to make any one of your follow buttons into a link to your social media.

<a href=”SOCIAL MEDIA LINK HERE” target=”_blank”><img src=”IMAGE URL HERE” width=”38″ height=”38″ border=”0″ />

The SOCIAL MEDIA LINK is the URL for your profile page. If you’re not sure how to grab it, go to your profile page on your social media site and copy the address from the address bar. Facebook is usually http://facebook.com/YourName, Twitter is http://twitter.com/YourID, etc.

The IMAGE URL comes from your Media Library.

You can change the size of the image by changing the number associated with “width” and “height.” You’ll want to keep proportions in mind when you’re working with icons that aren’t square. My Webtreat icons are all square transparent images with the social media symbol in the middle.

You can place several of these codes side by side (one after the other with no spaces) to create a follow button line up.

Here’s how it looks on the “front side” with Facebook, Twitter and StumbleUpon buttons:

Drop the completed code into a Text Widget on your Widgets Dashboard and you’ve got the makings of an epic following.

In the not too distant future, I’m planning to make the follow buttons light up or change on mouseover. When I do, I’ll be sure to share the secret with you.

What do you think? Is this something useful and fun for your blog? Any code wizards out there have suggestions?

Where Can You Find the Best of the Blogosphere?

Image by Shena Pamela on Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

It’s February. Time for hearts, flowers, chocolate and a ginormous bloggy love-fest.

So, in the time-honored tradition of pimp-and-promote, it’s time to share your very favorite blog posts. What are the best blog posts you’ve seen (new or old)? Share someone else’s and share one of yours.

Note: ginormous bloggy love-fests may be illegal in some states…always follow the law…and always use virus-protection software.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Doing the Write Thing for a Good Cause

Fundraising Anthology for a Fellow Writer

Recently, we talked about how much goodness we can do for one another when the chips are down. When something as big as Hurricane Sandy strikes and people respond with generosity and kindness, the whole world hears about it.

But when a storm strikes in the life of just one person or family and others pour out their love, we don’t always get to hear about unless it’s someone close to us. Or unless you factor in the power of social media.

There are some out there who still think social media a glorified version of the bathroom wall in high school. In some cases, it probably is. Yet social media can be so much more. It’s a way for us to encourage and inspire each other, even if we’ve never seen one another face to face and, often, even if we’ve never communicated before.

Social media is community.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about an anthology being put together as a fundraiser for a fellow writer, Karen DeLabar. I was deeply inspired by the way the community rallied and I’m so excited that we have the chance to help, especially those of us that are just learning about all of this.

Some of you may already know that Karen was struck with a brutal illness in the summer. She has been through so much and she has worked through it with courage and grace.

The anthology will help raised money to offset the medical expenses (which can be every bit as brutal as a serious illness). It is open to submissions until December 15, 2012. You can check out all the submission guidelines at the Orange Karen Tribute Anthology blog.

If you’ve got a story in you, inspired by the color orange, I hope you’ll submit it for the anthology. All genres are welcome.

Whether you submit a story (and whether it ends up in the anthology), I hope you’ll all buy a copy of the finished anthology and maybe a couple for your friends and family. I know I will.

Will you be joining in the anthology or have you already submitted a story? How has social media inspired or encouraged you?

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Group Hug – I by pushthisbutton, on Flickr CC BY 2.0
Image via karendelabar.com (fair use)

Possibly Probably Related articles

• Anthology Call for Submissions: Orange Karen: A Tribute to a Warrior (quillshiv.com)
• Social Media for Charity – A Way for Small Businesses to Give Back (amsterdamprinting.com)
• A Guide to Using Social Media Well in Government and Advocacy (techpresident.com)

Night of the Living ROW

Final ROW80 Check in for Round 2, 2012

Having reached the end of another ROW80, Mortimer decides to take a well-deserved nap.

We’ve reached the end of another round of ROW80. This round, I haven’t been as attentive as I would have liked. Of course, lots of life intervened. But all we can do is all we can do.

My plans for this round:

• Update ROW80 page, for last round and this one: I updated the page at the beginning of the round but it needs another update.
• Spend 15-30 minutes minimum 4 days a week on new novella. I’m working on expanding Postcards from Hell and its sequel, Ants in the Mailbox into a novella. My MIP is on hold for now: For the last month, I’ve tried to catch up with work projects and a big move. I put a hold on writing work until I get settled.

Giving Myself the Run aROWnd

ROW80 Check In 5/30/12

Must…hold…on!!!

My two-week check in has turned into a four-week check in. That seems to be the way everything is going these days. I’m struggling tremendously to keep up with anything. I’ve slipped with social media, blog posts (I’m getting them posted but not on time), comment replies, blog visits and writing.

I’m trying hard not to beat myself up over it because I know that doesn’t serve any purpose but I also know that something has to change. Clearly, my organization skills (which I’m not naturally endowed with anyway) need some serious upgrading. But I don’t know exactly where to start…yet.

Hi-ROW, Hi-ROW, It’s Off to Work We Go

ROW80 Check In 5/2/12

These last two weeks have been pretty decent. I felt a little lost when I didn’t check in last week but I think I’ll adjust to an every other week check in quickly. In fact, I think the longer-term planning will help me both relax and up my productivity.

Where I’ve been since last check-in:

• Update ROW80 page: Yep.
• Open Scrivener file for Postcards (working title) novella and layout storyboard: *ahem* Not yet. But I have written tons of notes and outline points longhand.

The ROWpocalypse is Nigh

ROW80 Check In 4/18/12

At long last, I’m jumping into ROW80 Round 2. I had planned to jump in at the start and have my ROW80 page all updated. Well…the best laid plans of mice and writers and all that.

Buuuut, none of that matters.

That’s the beauty of ROW80.

Tremble in fear, mighty ROW, for I have come to conquer thee.

Without further delay, here are my plans for this round:

• Update ROW80 page, for last round *blush* and this one.

• Spend 15-30 minutes minimum 4 days a week on new novella. I’m working on expanding Postcards from Hell and its sequel, Ants in the Mailbox into a novella. My MIP is on hold for now.
• Maintain blogging schedule. Try to have all posts schedule by the night before the posting day at the latest. All posts should go out by 4:30am CA time.
• Visit Twitter 1-2 times daily
• Visit Facebook at least 6 times/week
• Continue to take Sundays off with the family
• Read at least 2 fiction novels per month.
• Exercise 3 days per week.
• Reorganize Blog Menu in light of the changes to blogging schedule.
• Revamp post tags.

Where I’m headed this week:

• Update ROW80 page.
• Open Scrivener file for Postcards (working title) novella and layout storyboard.
• Keep up social media goals.
• Start Suzanne Collins’s Mockingjay.

This is gonna be a great round, fellow ROWers. Can you feel it?

Get out your digital pom-poms and rah-rah some more ROW folk here.

What’s on your list for this round of ROW80? If you’re not a ROWer yet, what goals will you be working on for the next month or two? How’s all the goal-getting going so far?

Image Attribution (In Order of Appearance):
Squint at thee by Tomi Tapio, on Flickr CC BY 2.0