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Posts from September 2012

Your Own Grab A Button Module

One way to grow your blog's audience is share links on other sites which cover similar topics. But why share a simple link when you can have an eye catching logo linked to your site! On your blog, you can add the code to grab a button or badge for your blog and make it easy for other sites to link back to you.

Check out the Grab A Button module in the right column on Yesterday On Tuesday and the page on The Janelle Wind Collection to get an idea of how you can display your own button.

There is a bit of code involved in setting up the grab a button module, but don't fret. We're going to walk you through the steps to create your own module!

Step 1: Upload Your Image

The image you want to share should be uploaded to your Typepad account to ensure the button will always be available.

  • Go to Library > File Manager.
  • Click Browse or Choose File and locate the image on your computer.
  • Click Upload.
  • The list of files in the File Manager will refresh with the recently uploaded image added. Right-click on the image filename and copy the image URL.

The image URL will be in the format similar to:

http://example.typepad.com/button.jpg

Step 2: Configure the code for the grab a button module.

Now, we need to set up the HTML code to be added to your blog's sidebar. The basic form for the code you want to use is:

<img src="Insert Image URL Here" title="Insert Blog Title Here" />

<textarea rows="9" cols="20">
<a href="Insert Blog URL Here"><img src="Insert Image URL Here" title="Insert Blog Title Here" /></a>
</textarea>

In the sections highlighted in red, we need to plug in the values relevant to your blog:

  • Insert Image URL Here: The image URL copied after you uploaded the image to the File Manager will replace the Insert Image URL Here text. Note there are two places where the image URL should be entered.
  • Insert Blog URL Here: The blog URL is the URL you want the image to link. In the case of the grab a button module, you'll want to use your blog's address. i.e. http://example.typepad.com/blog/
  • Insert Blog Title Here: Replace Insert Blog Title Here with the name of your blog. The name of your site will appear when you hover over the badge. Note there are two places where the blog title should be entered.

Step 3: Add code to blog's sidebar.

For most designs, you can use the Embed Your Own HTML module to add the badge to your blog's sidebar.

  • At Design > Content, select the Embed Your Own HTML module.
  • Click Add This Module.
  • Enter the code for the grab a button module in the pop-up box.
  • Click OK.
  • Rearrange the module in the blog's sidebar.
  • Click Save Changes.

If you are using an Advanced Template design for your blog, you can add the code directly to your template where you want the grab a button badge to appear. For mixed media layouts, you can use a Notes Typelist.

Share the link to your site with the grab a button module added in the comments!


Featured Blog: 365 Days of Lip Service

NAME: Lisa Pavelka
BLOG: 365 Days of Lip Service
TYPEPAD MEMBER SINCE: 2008
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: 365 Days of Lip Service is not your typical art blog. Artist Lisa Pavelka features new, mixed media artwork on a very tiny canvas: Carmex Lip Balm jars. With a new work featured each day, she has created over 200 daily pieces this year and is still going strong, attracting attention from folks like Bloomberg Business News and various book publishers. Every day brings a new theme and materials including polymer clay, resin, Swarovski crystal and more, presented with an insight into how each piece is made (some are even kinetic, with moving parts!). The project was created to inspire the inner artist in everyone, and it shows. Creative people around the world are now tackling their own Lip Service projects.

365_days_of_lip_service

FOLLOW: Typepad | Twitter