Everything Typepad

5 Ways To Clean Up Your Blog

The spring cleaning season is here. You may be focused on cleaning your home or personal goals, but don't forget to give your blog some attention. It may be overwhelming to think about cleaning up your blog. Never fear! We have a great checklist to get you started!

New Theme

Can your blog be read on a phone? If you're not sure, take a moment to check. We can wait... 

Was it hard to view your text? If you find it hard, your readers will too. We recommend you update your theme to one of our responsive options. You can select one of our customizable Design Lab themes or our new Featured Cards theme. Our Design Lab themes, the Design Lab builder, and Featured Cards are all great options.

Our Design Lab themes allow you to customize your blog by choosing your own colors, fonts, and more for each section. Below we have some themes for you to choose. Find one that fits your style, then customize it to make it your own. 

Design Lab Themes

Scroll through all our Design Lab Themes! 

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We have recently added Featured Cards to our themes. This theme is mobile friendly and has a very modern look. Your blog posts will show as a Magazine-inspired layout. 

Quick tip: Create a test blog to select and customize your new theme. Once it's perfect, you can apply it to your original blog.

Check Your Links

When was the last time you clicked through your blog? Are all your links still going to relevant information? Take the time and click on all the links of your blog and make sure they are going to their intended destination. Here is a list of places to check: 

1. Navigation Bar
2. Social Media icons or links
3. Any links on your sidebar
4. Links in footer

Keep a list of what needs to be changed. The first place to start updating links is on your Design tab. Under Content, you will see all of the modules that you can edit. Click on the pencil to update the module with new links. If your link is in a Typelist, click on My Library then Typelist. 

If you recently mapped your domain, make sure to take a moment and check all to make sure they are using your new domain. 

Does Your Custom Domain Work Without WWW 

More and more people are dropping the www when they type your domain into an address bar. You want to make sure if a reader doesn't use www, it will still forward to your blog. To check if your forward works, we recommend you use a browser that you don't normally use or use a different computer. Type in your domain without the www and click enter. 

Does your blog show up? If it does, great! Your forward is working great and no need for further steps. 

If the blog doesn't show up, you will need to check your registrar settings and forward the non-www version of your domain to the www version. 

Banners And Logos

When was the last time you looked at your logo or banner? Does it need to be updated or do you need a new one? Now is a great time to review your logo and banner and make sure it fits your blogs' brand.

If you want to design a new one, we recommend checking out Canva or PicMonkey. Both are paid services, but they offer free trials for you to utilize. You can see examples to help inspire you. Customize the templates provided or make your own. 

When looking for images to use in your logo or banner, you do not want to grab any old image off of Google. You want to use an image that is free for you to use. There are many free image sites out there that offer Creative Common License images for you to use on your blog. You can search by keywords and use the one that works best for you. Some that Typepad uses are Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay. There are many more royalty-free and free stock images sites available. Take a look and see what you can find. 

If designs are not your thing, you can hire someone to create a logo for you. Typepad's design team can create a custom banner for your blog. We can take an existing logo or design you have and update it. Outside of Typepad, two of the most popular are Upwork and Fiverr. Many design professionals are on these sites and can work with you to create a banner for your blog or a new logo to help stand out. They make it easy to find someone, collaborate with them, then pay them for their services. 

Update Your About Page

Your readers are curious about the person behind the blog. Your focus may have changed since starting your blog. Update your About page to include any new information to share with your readers who you are and what the blog is about.

Some information to consider for your About Page: 

1. Contact info. How can people contact you about your blog?
2. Include links to all your social media sites. The Other Accounts feature will allow you to link to social media sites on your blog and your About Me page. 
3. What is the blog about? Create a short summary of what readers can learn from your blog.
4. How/why did you get started blogging? Are you an expert in the field or do you want to share your experiences? Are there others helping you with the blog? Who are they?
5. Are there any important milestones or interesting facts about your blog? Was it featured in any well known publications?

Meta Keywords And Description

Your meta keywords and meta description are used by search engines to classify and describe your blog content. As you start blogging your message can evolve. Make sure the content you're blogging about is represented in the meta data. 

The meta keywords help search engines know what your blog is about. You want to add keywords and phrases that describe what information is found in your blog. You want to use long-tail phrases as that is what people tend to use to search. 

For example: What to cook vegan for dinner, How to cook vegan meals, How to find vegan restaurants,  Find vegan recipes, Vegan, Cooking, Vegan Food, Cook Vegan

The meta description is what shows under the search engine results. It is a brief description of  your blog. The primary goal of your meta description is to showcase the value of your blog and to encourage searchers to click. It can be any length, but Google tends to truncate after 160 characters. It should be written in your blogging tone and voice. Include your meta keywords in a natural conversational way. 

If you are thinking to yourself "when will I have time to do all this?" We are here to help! Our Design Team offers a Tune-Up service to review your blog, identify areas that could use improvement, and then make all the changes for you. 

After you have cleaned your blog, post a link in the comments. We would love to see your new and improved blog! 

Typepad Interviews TaxProf Blog

With tax season just around the corner we thought it would be great to interview one of our prolific tax bloggers Paul L. Caron, Professor of Law and Dean at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.  TaxProf Blog is a very popular tax blog, Dean Caron uses his years of knowledge of taxes to give insight into the latest news. He took a few moments to share with us (and our readers) his blogs and his thoughts about Typepad. 

Can you tell us about yourself and your blog? Is it just you writing your blog or do you have a team that helps? 

I am a former law school tax professor and am now a law school dean. I started TaxProf Blog on April 15 (appropriately for a tax blog), 2004. I do the blog myself, with several law professors contributing items every week.

Why did you start your blog? Can you tell us the back story to TaxProf? 

It was the outgrowth of an email listserv I created for over 300 tax law professors on April 15, 1995. The listserv and blog have helped create a vibrant community of tax professors who share information and ideas about teaching and research.

Scheduling your post is a great way to stay ahead of posting. Learn how to do it here.

What is your process for writing a blog post?

I do most of my posts over the weekend and schedule them for publication during the week, so blogging does not interfere with my job as dean.

How do you find fresh topics to write about?

About 1/3 of the content comes over the transom from folks; the other 2/3 comes from various feeds with tax and legal education information.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to your blog?

My wife was on a bus going to work and a guy overheard her talking with a friend about my blog. He introduced himself and said he worked for the IRS and follows my blog.

What is your favorite feature in Typepad?

The stability of the platform.

What other programs/software do you use to help with your blog?

RSS feeds from various sources.

What is the most important thing you have learned from blogging?

That it is not for everyone. I formed a network of over 50 blogs in other areas of law, but most of them have not taken off because the editors were not as committed to their blogs as I am to mine.

You have a few minutes, what is your go to tip about blogging?

Post, post, and post some more. A daily diet of posts help builds a following.

What blogs do you follow?

All of the leading tax and legal education blogs.

What is one goal for your blog in the next 6 months?

Continue to expand its reach (traffic).

Who or what inspires you to keep blogging? 

I feel I am making a real contribution to tax law and legal education.

With more people starting a blog, what is one piece of tax or legal advice would you give bloggers? 

Pay your taxes!

Thank you Dean Caron for taking the time to speak with us about your blog. We hope this interview will help with your goal. 

You can follow TaxProf Blog many different ways. To view new posts in your Typepad account, you can follow TaxProf Blog Typepad profile. New posts will show on your Typepad Dashboard under Recent Activity. You can also follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin. If you like updates to show in your inbox, you can click on the Subscribe button on the top right of the page. 

 

Purchase your domain and save big!

Now that you have started your blogging journey, it's time to talk about purchasing a custom domain. When you first start your account, your blog will have a Typepad domain (example.typepad.com). This may not be memorable for your readers. Typepad makes it easy for you to purchase a custom domain and apply it to your blog. Once applied to the blog readers will be able to see your blog at the new domain.

We want to offer an amazing discount on popular, top-level domains. For the month of February you'll pay what we pay for all .com, .net, and .org domains! You can enjoy this discount when purchasing a new domain or renewing a current domain.

Top-Level Domains

.com
$11.99 now $8.89

.net
$12.71 now $12.01

.org
$12.71 now $10.99

To purchase a domain, click on the Account tab, then Domain Mapping. Type in your domain then select .com, .net, or .org from the drop-down. Click on Check Availability. You can purchase the domain if it's available. If not, try another version of the domain name.

Once the domain is purchased, you will need to apply it to the blog you want.

Already purchased your domain? Renew your domain and get this great deal. You can renew for up to 9 years to get the most out of this discount.

This pricing is only available until Saturday, February, 29th, 2020.

New Year, New Blog Design!

Make your blog stand out in the crowd with our

Design Services!

The new year calls for a new look. Our experienced design team is ready to give your blog the new look it needs for the new decade. Learn more about our services below and the limited time discounts.

Does your blog need some TLC? Our blog makeover will give it a fresh look, so you can attract more readers and connect with more like minded people.

Originally $349 Now $279

 

This is perfect for new bloggers! We do all the heavy lifting. All you have to focus on is creating great content.

Originally $349 Now $279

 

Have a unique idea for your blog design? Let us try to bring it to life. We will customize one of our designs and work hard to get it as close to your idea as possible.

Originally $200 an hour Now $150 an hour

 

All discounts are good until Friday, January 31st, 2020. Not valid with any other design offer.

 

Cyber Monday Deals. Everyone Saves Money!

While you're shopping for great deals and discounts for friends and family, don't forget to save some money for yourself.

 

We are sharing discount codes for you to use with your account and to share with anyone who wants to start a new Typepad account.  Everyone can save money with Typepad.

Monthly and Yearly Discount

Save 25% when you prepay for one year!
Use discount code CYBERPADYEAR19 and receive 25% off when you pay for one year. Valid until Sunday, Dec 8th, 2019.

Save 50% for 3 months when you pay monthly!
Use discount code CYBERPADMONTH19 and receive 50% off your next 3 months. Valid until Sunday, Dec 8th, 2019.

*Discount cannot be used with any other discounts. Only available for Plus, Unlimited, or Premium Plans.

How to apply your discount code

From your dashboard, click on the Account tab, then go to Billing Info. Click on Update Payment Method and put in your discount code. Scroll down and save changes. This will apply the discount to your next yearly or monthly bill.

Don't see the box to enter your discount code? Let us know! Create a Help Ticket (Help > New Ticket or email [email protected]) and let us know what discount to add.

Discount for new Typepad bloggers

Are you on the fence about starting a blog? Let's sweeten the deal. You can use the following discount code while creating your new account. Current Typepad bloggers can also share this discount code with their readers. 

• 30 day extended trial
• 3 months free
• No credit card needed until the trial period is over
• Valid until Dec 31st 2019

Discount Code:
31F95F0A

How to create a Typepad account

Creating a new Typepad account is easy. Go to our Pricing Page and select the plan that works best for you.  Fill in your Personal Information and add the discount/promo code above. Now you can start blogging with Typepad. 

2019: An Early Guide To The Shopping Holidays

The holidays are coming. While you are getting your home ready for friends and family, think about your plans for your blog. You can give your blog a new look for the holidays and start planning your holiday promotions. Being prepared will make the holidays go by smoother. 

Dates

The main shopping holidays to start planning for: 

Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov 28th
Black Friday, Nov 29th
Small Business Saturday, Nov 30th
Cyber Monday, Dec 2nd
Giving Tuesday, Dec 3rd
Hanukkah Begins Dec 22th
Hanukkah Ends Dec 30th
Christmas Eve, Dec 24th
Christmas Day, Dec 25th
Kwanzaa Begins Dec 26th
Kwanzaa Ends Jan 1st
New Year's Day, Jan 1st

These are the main holidays that US customers expect to find promotions for. Use that to your advantage. These holidays encourage people to purchase gifts for their loved ones. 

You should have a plan for an overall promotion and each shopping holiday should have its own version of the promotion. If you are blogging for business, we recommend you take the time to think out a Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday strategy. These are the main shopping days readers plan for. Letting readers know you will be providing deals during these holidays will help them plan their shopping strategy.

Organizations to help you prepare

This is a one stop post to help you get started on your strategy. We did the research for you and prepared a list of places to start. Their websites are full of information that can help guide your holiday strategy. 

Small Business Saturday	Giving Tuesday
How to participate in Small Business Saturday Create Material for your Small Business Saturday Promotions	Giving Tuesday Blog Giving Tuesday's Tool Kit
Typepad	Constant Contact
Call To Action Button Pre-Schedule Posts	Constant Contacts Holiday Blog Constant Contact Holiday Help

Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to get found through social media. We have gathered a list of all the hashtags we could find for each of the shopping holidays and put them in an easy to read infographic for you to use! Use them along with your branded hashtags to help  promote your blog and deals. 

You will feel relieved after all the planning is done and you can sit back and relax during this holiday season. What promotion strategies have worked for you in the past? What has not worked? What is your go to source to help get ideas for the coming shopping holidays? Share with your fellow Typepad Bloggers in the comments below! 

Typepad Loves Authors!

Did you know that Typepad is home for many writers and authors? If you have written a book, your blog is a great way to promote it! Today we want to share with you how a few Typepad bloggers promote their books on their blog. 

Create A Typelist

Church of the Churchless created a Books Typelist to list their books in their sidebar with a small thumbnail image.

A Typelist can be created by going to Library > Typelist > Add a Typelist, and select "Books" for the type of Typelist you want to create. After you give your list a name, click the "create a Typelist" button.  There are two options to add your book to the list - enter the URL of it's listing from another website like Amazon, or you can manually enter the book title or link.  The "Notes" field is optional but Weaverly takes advantage of this option by adding a brief description of their books.

You can add your new Typelist to your blog sidebar by going to Design > Content > Categories > Your Typelists. Under "Modules", select your new Typelist and add it to your sidebar.

Navigation Bar

Abscondo has a link to their eBook in their Navigation Bar as well as larger images uploaded in their sidebar.  To add a direct link in your Navigation Bar, go to Design > Content > Navigation Bar - click the pencil icon to edit this module. In the pop-up window, insert your book link.  

Sidebar Image

Leigh Kramer also uses Sidebar Images to promote her book. Linking to a larger image in your sidebar is a great way to catch your readers attention.  Upload an image in your sidebar by selecting the "Add a sidebar image" module at Design > Content.  There is an option in the settings to add a link to your image.

Create A Page

If you want to share more information about your book(s), creating a Page is a great tool to add additional images and links for your book.  Go to Posts > Pages > New Page.  A page is not the same as a blog post as it is not date driven.  Its link can be used as a stand alone page you can link to in your Navigation Bar and sidebar.  

Jessica McCann created a separate page to add an embedded Amazon store. Meanwhile, Zoe Fishman uses a separate page to share reviews written about their books.

Have you written a book and talk about it on your blog? Let us know by sharing your link in the comments! 

Fall Design Service Sale

 

Have you taken a look at your blog lately? Does it need updating, but you're not sure how to get started? Or don't have the time? Typepad is here to help! For the month of September we are offering some amazing deals for our design services. Typepad Design Services include Tune-Up service, Custom Design service, and Banner Creation service for an additional fee. We will work with you to create an amazing blog design that is everything you could wish for.

 

When we receive a request to update a blog design, we always recommend the Design Lab theme to get started and build your design around this theme. The Design Lab themes are mobile friendly and responsive. We create a test blog in your account so we can tweak your new design and make it just right.

 

We are excited to offer you this special Fall Sale on our Tune Up, Custom Design Services and Banner Creation! This sale is good until Sept 30th, 2019.  After our free consultation, we will charge the credit card or PayPal account on file.

Tune Up Service

• Blog Evaluation and Custom Report
• Implementation of Changes
• Wrap Up

 

Originally $349

Now $279

Read about our Tune Up Service

 

Follow the link and complete the form on the right. Add the secret code: 25TuneUp after your last name so our designer knows to give you the discount.

 

Here are some examples of blogs that went through our Tune Up service:

 

 

Custom Design

• Free quote before you start
• Design Creation
• Banner Design
• Design Implementation

Originally $200 an hour

Now $150 an hour

Read more about our Custom Design Service

 

Follow the link and complete the form on the right. Add the secret code: 25Custom in the Custom Design Request box so our designer knows to give you a discount.

 

Here are some examples of blogs that went through our Custom Design service:

 

Banner Creation

Your blog's logo and banner is one of the first things readers see when they come to your blog. Let us help make it stand out. We can create professional blog banners using your logo or other design within reason. 

 

Originally $300

Now: $150

Extra: If you purchase a discounted Tune Up or Custom Design service, we will drop the Banner Creation service to $75. 

 

If you only want the Banner Creation service, create a ticket in your account asking for the discounted service and someone from our design team will work with you. If you want to include it with the Tune Up or Custom Design just let our designer know during the free consultation. 

 

When was the last time you updated your blog design? Are you using a Responsive theme for your blog? Now is the time to update your blog and save some money! Reach out to us today. 

6 Tips For Creating The Best Domain

After creating your blog, you will start thinking about where your readers are going to find you, that is your domain. Make a domain that is memorable for your readers. While we make it easy to purchase your domain, it may not be easy to think of a unique domain for your blog. We are here to help!  Here are 6 tips to help you create the best domain for your blog. 

1) Represents your blog
Your domain should tell your readers what you are blogging about. It is like the title of an amazing book. Readers should get a sense of the story or journey you are going to take them on. 

2) Make it easy to spell
Only Mary Poppins and Google knows how to spell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Use common spellings of words in your domain. Don't be tempted to use unique or complicated words to help your blog stand out. Your readers may not remember the special spelling and get frustrated when trying to find your blog. If you really want a unique name, check out the Pro Tip in #3.  

3) Select the correct top level domain
Top level domain is what comes after the dot (.com, .org, etc.). Most readers will automatically use the .com when typing in your address. If you can get the .com version of your domain you should. You can also look into other top level domains to help your domain stand out. For example, if you're blogging about beer you can purchase a .beer domain.

Pro Tip: You can have more than one domain point to your blog. If you purchase a fun top level domain, like .beer, you can also purchase .com and have it forward to your blog. The same is true for different domains. If you have a name that may be spelled wrong, you can register the wrong spelling and forward it to your blog.

4) Avoid a long string of words
You want to make sure it is clear what your blog is about. Keep your domain short and  memorable. Don’t add too many words or it may be awkward to say out loud or too long to type. Think of an overview of what you are blogging about.

Example: You are blogging about how cute your toddler is. Would you want your domain to be TheToddlerYearsofBrianMcGruffin.com or ParentingMoments.com

The second one is more memorable and can be used throughout your child’s life. They will only be a toddler for a few years.

5) Say your domain out loud
While it may look great on paper, keep in mind you may have to tell people your domain in person. You want to make sure it sounds good out loud. Does it roll off the tongue? Make sure the words are easy to pronounce and are understandable to all.

Pro Tip: Use your thesaurus! If your domain sounds awkward and you need to think of a new word, the thesaurus is here to help.  You can find new words with similar meanings to make your domain stand out. 

6) What about social media?
Once you find the perfect domain your job is not done yet. You need to go to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and make sure to start an account with that domain name. Even if you don’t plan on using those platforms you want to register them so they are under your control.

What other tips would you add to our list? Share in the comments your secrets to the perfect domain. 

 

Family Discount: Purchase a Domain Today!

You have a unique brand, make sure your domain represents that. Purchase your domain from Typepad and save today!

Typepad bloggers are one big family, and we love to give our family discounts. For the month of August you'll pay what we pay for all .com, .net, and .org top level domains! You can enjoy this discount with a new domain or when renewing a current domain. 

.com

$11.99 now $8.89

.net

$12.71 now $12.01

.org

$12.71 now $10.99

To purchase a domain, click on the Account tab, then Domain Mapping. Type in your domain then select .com, .net, or .org from the drop-down. Click on Check Availability. If the domain is available you can purchase it. If not, try another version of the domain name. 

Once the domain is purchased, you will need to apply it to the blog you want. 

Don't worry, if you already purchased a domain, you can still get this great deal. You can renew your domain at these prices as well. Renew for up to 9 years to get the most out of this discount. 

This pricing is only available until Saturday, August 31st, 2019.