Sunday, January 2, 2011

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

I shamelessly stole this photo from Bec's blog, Bec's Cross Stitch Creations, to introduce you to a new-to-me blogger! Everybody knows the Muffin Man but Bec is still kinda new around here. I met Bec when her photo appeared in my followers gadget. Of course, seeing someone new I had to go investigate. She had a lovely blog and even a couple of followers but no one had left any comments! How very sad. I went to fix that right quick! I clicked her comment link and tried to comment but nothing. No worky at all. A common Blogger bug and easily fixable...if you can contact the owner! Thankfully, Bec had an email available for me to use. I told her of the problem and how to fix it and fired that off. A few minutes later I got a reply saying she fixed it and a nice post appeared later, thanking me publicly. I've since enjoyed getting to know this sweet girl who stitches amazingly huge pictures and she's even started designing! The silly cow picture I stole is actually a freebie she has shared! Go meet her!

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Now this story does have another motive as well...
more Blog Stuff You Should Do:
#1 add an email to your blog! Now, some of you are really nervous about doing that, I know. You are thinking, " What if I get weirdos contacting me? I don't want everyone to see my email address!" Which brings me to a warning: add an email address but don't use the address you use to sign in to your blogger account! Keep that one a secret, please. Create an email account just for use on your blog and one you won't mind "throwing away" if you do indeed get weirdos emailing you. There are many free email hosts out there ~ find one and use it! Don't want to have to check yet another account every day? Don't bother, just check it whenever you update your blog or go check on your blog. Trust me, this is a good thing! If Bec hadn't had her email visible she would still be wondering why nobody liked her!
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How do you add an email? at the top of your dashboard (or your design page) there is a link that's called "My Account" click that...find "Blogger Settings" click that word "Settings" and scroll to the Identity section, there you will find a place to add an email. You will see that it says "Changing this does not change the e-mail address you use to sign-in." Now scroll back up and check the "Show my email address" box. Save your settings and you should be all set!
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And yet one more tip!
#2 Change your comment form to the pop out type!
Why? There are several reasons! It does fix the bug that prevents people from commenting such as in Bec's case. Plus, it's much easier for people to leave a comment on your blog. You like comments, right? I know I do! I like leaving comments too, and I leave a lot of them! You want to streamline the process as much as possible so people can leave their comment quickly with as little fuss as possible. There are lots of blogs I visit that require several clicks to leave a comment and the entire freakin' blog page has to load every time! If it's too much hassle people are more apt to go on to read the next blog instead of waiting for your blog page to load over and over.
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Another benefit to the pop-out form is people don't leave your main page. So they might read yet another post and comment on that one as well.
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It's easy to change your comment form: Settings ~ Comments ~ Comment form placement ~ and choose "pop-up window" ~ save.
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I hope no one is offended by my amateur Blogger tips. I'm not trying to be a know-it-all! My only desire is to be helpful!
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Thank you for visiting my blog today!
xox

59 comments:

  1. Nice tips. I'd like to add - check your links - not all the time, for example, I just did now since its a new year and found a broken link that I fixed. Obviously some people have way more links than others, so do what ou can :o)

    P.S. I changed my comment preference to pop out ... didn't even know it wasn't set to that already.

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  2. Going to go check out my settings and see if I can speed things along! Thanks for the tips!

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  3. Thanks for the tips, it is always helpfull to read something new, i know that i'm thankfull for all the advice other bloggers are sharing,it makes live so much easier if you don't have to find everything out yourself.

    Hugs Yvon.

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  4. Changed my comment settings, thanks, i am rubbish at pc stuff, i need all the help i can get LOL

    Happy New Year!

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  5. You posted the words right out of my brain!!! I hope all of your followers read this post and use your tips. Thanks!

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  6. Thanks for the fantastic tips! Best wishes to you for 2011.

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  7. I agree 100%. Also love to visit your blog and enjoy all the freebies as well. Hop on over to mine sometime.
    patti :)

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  8. Thanks for the tips, Daff! You always look out for your sisters....we love ya :)
    Headed over to "meet" Bec, as any friend of yours is a friend of mine!
    XOXO
    Ma

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  9. Thank you for sharing the tips to improve our "blogging experience." I love learning new things, so keep 'em coming, my friend. (Thinking about your emailed tips also.)

    Have a wonderful New Year!

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  10. Thank you for sharing your tips. I've already done a couple of them. Going to look at Bec's blog as well.

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  11. Thank you so much for the tips!!! i changes my comments in pop-up.. didn;t I could do that... On some blogs it's below the post but on other it's a pop-up and I so love the pop-up... Really thank you so much.. All tips are always welcome

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  12. Personally I'm very grateful for your tips and consider you to be a font of all knowledge, hence when you got a grovelling message off me yesterday asking for advice!

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  13. Thanks so much for all the tips. My blog is new and I am still trying to figure things out and you answered a few questions that I had.

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  14. Thanks for the tips, and the cow is adorable!

    I just wanted to comment and say that I'm in the Totally Useless SAL, but I won't be able to post a picture until at the very earliest January 15th (I know I know I'm awful!!!) because my jar is back in my dorm room in Arkansas (while I sit here on break in Illinois) and I don't get back in there until then! Sorry!

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  15. The tips are wonderful. I am pretty new to blogging and I still have a lot to learn. TYSM and how can anyone be offened.

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  16. Thx for new blogger link, my email setting is all good and already changed my comments to popout, check-check-check! Thx for pointing the way, you're way too good to us:)

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  17. Thanks Sharon! I used your advise and changed some settings in my blog ;-)) I'll visit Bec's blog too :-))
    Happy New Year!!!

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  18. Thanks for the tip Sharon! I've tweaked mine :) Thanks also for the link to Bec's blog - very cool :)

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  19. I'm another who appreciates the simple tips - have changed my blog comment to popup too!
    Happy New Year!

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  20. That cow is too cute! I'm off to visit Bec's blog now...oh, look, she has a dog. Bonus points for her!

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  21. The tips are great.....
    and the cow is great too....
    Hugz

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  22. Thanks for the tips. I just changed to the pop-out window for comments. Cool! I didn't know how to do that until you wrote about it.

    :-) DK

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  23. I just changed back to pop-up after reading this. I had a different setting for a while to see if I liked it. But you make good points. Thanks much!

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  24. I definitely prefer the pop up window when I visit Blogger blogs! I don't think we have that option with wordpress though.

    I just visited Bec's blog and became a follower. I like her Mootilda!

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  25. Thanks , for the tips , found your blog through Bronnys bits

    Fran

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  26. Great tips! I'm not technically savvy and everything thing I learn is a challenge. Posts like this *really* help.

    Off to check if I have pop up or not!

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  27. Done and done! Thanks for the tips.

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  28. Hi,
    Thank you for the tips and Happy New years 2011!!!

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  29. Hey thanks SO MUCH for directing me to the new blog. I will check it out right away! Thanks also for the blogging info. I need to look in to that "pop-out" thingy you're talking about.

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  30. The cow is so cute!

    Those are the best tips around Daffy.
    It's too bad that Blogger doesn't just tell everyone those things from the start.

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  31. Daffycat, you're a star :-) Well done on posting the blogger tips. I actually like your idea of creating a separate email account for the blog... think I'll do that. Have also changed my comments to a pop-up window.

    Will now go and visit Bec's blog

    Cheers

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  32. Thanks for the tips Sharon!!
    I went and changed the comment settings on my blog. I already had a contact email :)
    I am still trying to figure out how to use this blasted thing LOL

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  33. Good tips for bloggers!

    Happy New year!

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  34. Thanks for the tips Sharon! Actually Meadows08 blogger directed me to your tips and I have implemented them to my blog so that it is easier for others to comment and for me to reply to the comments.

    Happy New year!!

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  35. Oh my gosh! woke up this morning to a thousand (slight exaggeration!) email notifications on my mobile phone. I didn't know what the hell was going on.
    I come home from holidays to find 24 new followers and a post plugging my blog! I was speechless!
    Thankyou so much Sharon.
    I am very, very grateful :)

    xo

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  36. Thanks for the tips! I changed my comments to pop-out also!

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  37. Excellent tips! I'm sure they'll be very helpful to those getting started. Now I'm off to check out Bec's blog!

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  38. Thanks for the tip Sharon, I've changed my comments to pop up.

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  39. Today trying it on my on blog... thank you so much... I like it like this much better

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  40. Thanks for the blogging tips... I'll have to make some modifications to mine. Have fun and Happy New Year!

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  41. Mmm.... love the cow!!! Thanks for the linkie, Sharon. Great pointer on the pop-up Comment Box. :D

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  42. Thanks for the blogger tips....much more would be appreciated! :)

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  43. Sharon just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know I nominated you for a blogger award. If you would like to accept stop over at my spot and pick it up.

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  44. Hi daffycat, I am a new follower to your blog after finding you on Bec's blog as I am a follower of her. :-) How funny! Love your blog, especially the cat at the top with the thread wrapped around him.

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  45. Thank you for the tips, Sharon. It was a timely reminder to brush up on things now I'm back in the neighbourhood!

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  46. I have an award for you, pop along to my blog and collect it, I do enjoy reading your blog, thanks

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  47. lots of good advice! Love the cow too!

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  48. Thanks again for the great post! I've recommended it to a few new bloggers out there, one of which has used some of your tips!

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  49. Thanks for the great advice, Daff! Any thoughts on how to increase traffic in general?
    I have just started a blog and I can't even find it by using Google search. The only way it shows up is as a link on my friend's bog.... Any tips?

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  50. Ohhhh...thanks for the new link :o) That was so sweet of you Sharon but then again, that's who you are!

    Great advice! I love the pop-out comment box :o)

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  51. I've been blogging for a while but I always need tips. Just recently someone told me what happens when you hit that big "B" in the upper left corner. Magical.

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  52. Okay, I changed my Comment Form to the pop-up style. But I don't need anymore e-mail. I preview all the comments so that is good enough for me.

    Thanks for the tips.

    CJ

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  53. Thanks for the tips, I changed my comment-settings to pop-up (I think, lol).

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  54. Reading your post kind of late. I had the popout kind of comments but for some reason no one could post! Maybe I will try again. I do like that kind better.

    A belated congrats to your daughter! I hope that in less than 1 year I will have bragging rights since my son is due to graduate...fingers crossed.

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  55. OK Sharon, since you seem to know the ins & outs of Blogger can you answer me this? I can NEVER reach anyone via the email link on their blog or their profile page. What's up with that? TIA for your advice & help.

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  56. Thanks for the blogging tips! I'm kinda new to blogging and can use all the help I can get.

    Happy Stitching!

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  57. I clicked on your kitty for a pattern and as well got free advice on how to improve my blog, thanks. My blog is really a travel (and garden) dairy, but sometines family like to leave a comment. Now it will be easier.
    Next question: Is it difficult to put in the link to free patterns? I would like to give away my one and only design.
    I love your blog.

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