Everything Typepad

Thank You, Miz Claire

The toughest part of working in a small and close knit team is the day you have to wish a friend and colleague, best of luck in their new adventures. As many of you know, Claire has been the voice and evangelist for Everything TypePad and the TypePad Team these last few months. She stepped into some tough to fill shoes but managed to go above and beyond in her role as a community manager. Not that we had any doubt that she would be excellent at doing just about anything. Claire was one of the key people in building and sustaining the growth of TypePad Business Class these last few years. Even with the additional responsibility of community management, she was still the go-to-person for many of our business class bloggers.

The TypePad Team wants to give a big shout out to Claire and thank her for all that she's done here at Six Apart. It's a good thing she's not going far otherwise we'd have some serious crying to do after this post.

With LOVE and SUPER HERO hugs  -- The TypePad Team

We like it! Adding Facebook Like to Your Posts

We had a ton of great feedback around the Facebook Like button for your blog's sidebar on the Everything TypePad blog post and in tickets. Thank you to everyone who contributed. One of the things we heard loud and clear from many, including David Hooper of Music Marketing and Miguel of Cote Boulevard, was that you wanted to add the "Like" button to each post rather than the full blog. So here it is!

From today you can add Facebook Like at the post level!

How to add Facebook Like to your posts

• Design > Content > Post footer module.
• Hit the Post footer drop down and select Facebook Like

But how is this different from the Blog level "Like"?

Well...they function in different ways but are best used in conjunction.

"Like" on the Blog: great to keep a visitor engaged and encourage repeat visits.

If a Facebook user hits the Blog level "Like" in the side bar they are essentially subscribing to your blog via Facebook and will receive updates in their Facebook Newsfeed. Every time you update your blog everyone who has "Liked" it will get an update. This reminds them to come back and check out your next post. You can read more about it here

"Like" on the Post: great to attract new visitors to your blog and build awareness.

If a Facebook user hits the "Like" button at the end of a post, they highlight your post to their Facebook friends with an update to their own Facebook profile and a link back to your post. Any one who's friends with that person will see that update in their own Newsfeeds.

Best news of all: Facebook Like increases traffic to your blog

It's official. TypePad has seen a huge rise in traffic from Facebook since we released this feature just a few weeks ago. So if you are looking to grow your number of visitors this is a simple way to do it. While you need a Facebook account to add the "Like" button to your sidebar, you don't even need your own Facebook account to add the post level Like.

Free TypePad Micro users will see Facebook Like on the blog and the post level automatically. TypePad Pro users will have to add it on the post level or the blog level Advanced template users can add the code - here's the detail.

Keep the feedback coming! We like it :)

The New Rules of Marketing and PR

(Don't miss the giveaway at the bottom of this post!)

Marketing, advertising, PR have all been irreversibly impacted by the rise of user generated content, social media, social networks and blogs. Chances are, as a TypePad blogger, you are already well aware of this. Chances are that you're already making the most of this shift in communications - in fact you're probably leading the way among your friends.

You are probably explaining to your friends the opportunity blogs offer to engage with people you never would have otherwise around your topic of interest. You might be explaining how, by linking your blog to social networks like Twitter and Facebook, you can increase the amount of traffic to your blog. You have told them how building relationships with your blog visitors makes your blog more engaging and encourages them not only to come back but tell their friends too.

Most companies have been pretty slow to catch on to the phenomenon of online citizen media and networked transfer of information between peers. Slowly but surely some companies are learning how to become part of the conversations that are happening everyday around the web. The biggest challenge for major corporations is to do something genuinely interesting that's worth talking about!

Take the recent example of John Deere. John Deere are huge traditional advertisers who recently managed to capture the imaginations of their fan base with a radical overhaul of the 4020 model. They Commissioned Chip Foose, the stars of TV show Overhaulin', to remodel and customize the John Deere classic. By revealing the human side of John Deere and the passion of the people who work there and combining that with a more widely appealing concept  they were able to drum up interest in their brand among new customer groups. They got everyone talking. That's worth a 10,000 newspaper or banner ads with a straight sell message.

This fine example and many others, with excellent analysis can be found on Web Ink Now,  the TypePad blog of David Merrman Scott.

Few people are able to synthesize the cacophony of social media babble into something resembling a harmonious set of rules or practices for businesses. But David has managed it. His best selling book, the New Rules of Marketing and PR, published by Wiley, is now in its second edition and is the must-have guide for any marketer or small business owner. It's also available in 24 different languages. David's stories offer clear and concise do's and don'ts on marketing to the social web and has been an invaluable resource to the TypePad Team. So next time you are helping a friend navigate the social media waters you'll find David's book is an excellent aid

I discussed the book with David recently and jumped at the chance of some FREE SIGNED COPIES TO GIVE AWAY! So if you would like a copy of this book share your most creative marketing initiative, the one that really got people talking - and the results - in the comments below. Even better you can blog about it and drop a link in the comments.

TypePad Affiliates: How to Add Custom Links to Your Blog

Host a TypePad affiliate link on your site, and earn up to $30 per new blogger you send to TypePad!  If you are not sure how to post an affiliate link (or any other link) to your blog, here are some pointers.

How to Get  a Commission Junction Link 

1. Log into your Commission Junction publisher account. If you do not have an account, you can sign up here.
2. Pick the specific text link or banner you would like to host on your blog.
3. Click “get html” listed to the far right of the link information.
4. Copy all of the HTML coding for the link.

How to Post a Link in TypePad

1. Log into TypePad and access the blog you would like to update (must be a paid blog, the free microblog does not allow this customization).
2. There are a few ways to add a TypePad affiliate link to your blog:

Option 1 

Go to Design > Customize current design > Custom Sidebar (not available on all themes)

You can paste the code into this box and it will update to the side of your blog. 

Option 2

Go to Design > Content > (top) Categories – Widgets > Modules – Embed your own HTML > Details – Embed  your own HTML – Add this module

You can paste the code into this box and it will update to the side of your blog. You can position the module where you want it by dragging and dropping it. Don't forget to Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

  
 

HTML Tips

You can add some html customization as well by including the html tags:

1. <b>link html</b> Bold your text link
2. <i>link html</i> Italic your text link
3. <center>link html</center> Center your text link or banner
4. <br> Break your line

What are other HTML tips you love? Share your ideas in the comments section.

 

Hey TypePad New Yorkers -- You Busy Later?

We've started up a brand new TypePad NYC Meetup group, and we're kicking things off with a get-together on Thursday, May 27th here in our Six Apart office!  

Click here to check out
The TypePad NYC Meetup Group!

Our first meetup will primarily focus on you, the TypePad blogger.  We'll be answering questions, providing demos of the latest and greatest TypePad goodies, and attempting to connect userpics to faces IRL (that's In Real Life...what a concept!).  The next gathering will be more developer-focused, where we'll provide more information about the TypePad Platform API's and client-libraries.  We're open for ideas for future meetups, though; feel free to join the group or chime in with your suggestions here in the comments.

We'll see you in the big apple!

Ads that Drive Conversation: TypePad Conversations

Today we are pleased to announce TypePad Conversations, a new product that inspires meaningful and authentic conversations across the social web.

Collaborating with influential bloggers, we craft provocative questions that appear on selected sites and in the Quick Compose box on the TypePad Dashboard.

You can log in to TypePad and check out the "Q" Conversations tab to see today's question. If you are inspired to answer the question on your blog you can do so, or you can take part in the conversations happening on participating sites like Betty Confidential, Jessica Gottlieb and Geekweek or at conversations.typepad.com, where we aggregate all of the questions and answers.

From time to time TypePad Conversations will be sponsored by selected brands, and we are pleased to have Sprint be our first sponsor.

If you have a question please let us know! You can read more about how this works on the Six Apart blog.

From blog to book: The Cheap Diva shares her wisdom on moving to print

Writing a book and being published is an aspiration for many bloggers on TypePad. One blogger, Stephanie Ann of the cheapdiva.typepad.com recently realized that ambition and was kind enough to share a few moments with us answering some of our questions about her book and explaining how her blog has played a pivotal role in making the move into print.

You’ve just launched your new book – tell us a little bit about it

My book, The Cheap Diva's Guide to Frugal and Fabulous Living:  How to Shop Smart, Look Your Best, Decorate with Style, and Have Fun for Less Money! is all about living better by spending smarter.  It's full of fresh ideas on everything from shopping strategies that really pay off, how to look great on any budget, cheap and easy ways to enhance home decor, and simple ways to have more fun with friends and family without spending a fortune.

Who do you think will find this book helpful?

Women looking for easy strategies that enhance their lifestyle and make the most of their time and money will enjoy my book.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my style inspiration from lifestyle magazines, fashionable movies, window shopping, looking at the way real people dress and decorate their homes and by looking at different objects and imagining the possibilities of how they could be rearranged or used in new ways.

How has the blog helped with the book writing process?

Like many bloggers, there are various things outside my blog competing for my time and attention.  Writing a blog helped me stay focused and consistently create new content for the book.  Because my book covers various topics, having a blog with separate categories for fashion, beauty, home decor, entertaining and money savvy ideas allowed me to keep everything easily organized while creating content for different chapters.  By the time  I was ready to put the book together, I had plenty of content for each lifestyle section.

Would you say a blog is a good way to promote your book?

A blog is an excellent way to promote the book for several reasons.  Having a blog allows you to build an audience interested in that subject before the book ever comes out.  If your book is available at online bookstores, it sometimes takes a while for search engines to recognize the fact that the book is available at those bookstores.  By having a blog you can create awareness for the book and provide a link to online booksellers as soon as it comes out.
 

What other tools are you using to get the word out there?

I am giving away books in contests hosted by outside resources, such as an online newsletter that targets my audience, I have created articles that link to my blog and have a direct link to wherever the book is sold for various web sites.  I also do some offline marketing such as leaving stacks of bookmarks in coffee shops (with the owner's permission of course).
 

What is your number # top tip for looking fabulous on a shoestring?

Always be open to the possibilities.  For example, it's easy to create new looks by layering.  A basic black  dress layered over a long sleeve T-shirt and tights takes on a casual vibe, while the same black dress with an elegant jacket layered over it takes on a more elegant look.  It's also possible to look fabulous with fewer beauty products by using one product in different ways, such as using a subtle shade of lipstick as a blush as well as a lipstick.
 

What advice do you have for others thinking about going down the book path?

I suggest doing a lot of research, such as reading writersweekly.com and the latest Self Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter before publishing anything.  Develop a well rounded marketing strategy before the book comes out that includes both online strategies and offline strategies.  For example, promoting live book signings through local news media is a great way to gain exposure

Stephanie Ann has offered to answer any questions you might have about publishing in the comments. So take it away!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Tomorrow is the infamous holiday of Cinco de Mayo. (Today being the less infamous, but almost as fun "May the Fourth" Star Wars day). The strangest things about this wonderful holiday is that seemingly very few people who celebrate it actually know what they are celebrating, other than the inspired combination of tequila and tacos.

Put this theory to the test. When you spy margarita sipping revelers ask them what they are celebrating and please post the answers below for us all to enjoy. Better still post your own versions below right now (ignoring the fact that I have linked to the actual origins above)

Well, origins aside, our bloggers are also gearing up for festivities and there are tons of great ideas. If you are planning a dinner you might like to consider Jerry's chipotle roast chicken tacos or Jamie of all trade's fabulous looking margaritas. Yum! And if you are  looking for inspiration of the decorative sort we love social couture's party ideas.

But if Yoda and "The Wars" are more your thing - that's OK too - but make sure you check out the edible star wars photo contest going on over at Between the Pages.

Long may the festivities continue!

Adding the Facebook Like Button

Facebook Like connects your blog to millions of people on Facebook

The Facebook Like button enables your blog readers to opt in to receive your blog updates in their Facebook News Feed. And it's now available for all TypePad blogs.

Connecting your blog to the ever growing Facebook universe ensures your most avid readers are reminded to come back to your blog as soon as there is fresh content.  And that means more visitors! Horray! 

Plus your readers can help you publicize your blog. When they hit the "Like" button their Facebook friends get to learn about your blog, so now they have a chance to let their friends know that they LIKE your site.

Our friends at Facebook know how keen the TypePad Team are on building community and helping our bloggers build their audience so they invited us (Six Apart) to be an official launch partner. Pretty cool.

So what's next?

1) First things first. You have to add it. Super simple. Just go to Settings and Sharing and follow the prompts. Don't forget if you're a Pro user you can move the module around the design of your blog to place it wherever your heart desires. In Design > Content.

2) If you already have a Fan Page on Facebook you might like to ask your Facebook fans to also "Like" your blog. (These lists of fans don't sync up right now.)

3) You might also think about explaining the new Like button to your blog readers and inviting them to "Like" it so they can follow you on Facebook.

That's it! Let us know how it goes

We made a list of these and other great questions, answers, and ideas from our beta users. Read on to find out more.

The arrival of the Facebook Like button has some pretty exciting consequences for brand marketers and media businesses. You can read more about that on the Six Apart blog.