blogging 102

A month ago, I wrote a post " blogging 101 ." Well I'm back again with a few more tips that I've learned along the way!

back up your template:

The HTML version and any other widgets you have in your layout area and CSS coding.   I forget a lot, but plan on doing this any time I make a major change.  I usually just save them as template and the date.  I don't replace either, I just save another copy.  How to find your HTML template?

blogger.com > click your blog title (sundays with sophie) > template > edit html > click into the box > control + A at the same time > control + C at the same time > paste into a word document > save with the date of when you saved it.  If you have any extra CSS coding, you'll have to go to back to the original template > customize > advanced > add css

If you have a mac, use command.

backing up your blog:

blogger.com > click your blog title (sundays with sophie) > settings > other > export blog.

This will back up ALL of your content.  Very important if, please lord, Google decides to delete your blog.  I don't think it will keep any comments, but at least the core of your blog is there.

proofread your posts:

I am so, so, so, so guilty of publishing a post and realizing I've made errors after people have already been commenting on it.  Now I'm more of the person who writes in a certain style, lots of lowercase on items that should be capitalized (I know my grammar teacher is just rolling in her grave) but I prefer them lowercased.  But I've noticed misspellings or just awkward word sentences.  See just did it there!

have links inside your post open to a new tab:

make sure that button is clicked.  It means every time someone clicks a link on your page, it'll open in a new tab, very helpful for when you're linking back to an old post (you want them to finish the original post first).

Katie at Better Off Benedict showed a code you can use to have everything on your page open to a new window. I didn't like this, because everything started to open in new links and I wanted certain items to open in new links.

go through old posts:

It's always good to do some spring cleaning.  I actually spent a good portion last weekend reading through some of my old posts.  Any post you're on the fence about, make it to a draft and see if you can re-work the post to what you really want to say.  I found several that just didn't match with what I wanted the blog to be about or match my feelings.

link back to old posts:

Speaking of old posts....the ones you love?  Make sure you link back frequently to them or find something of interest in an old post that you want to drum up interest in again.  Sometimes I find old posts that I love, but cannot find a way to bring them back in, so I create a post just to link back up to them.  I did that already :)

have a search bar:

This is so helpful for if you can't exactly remember a label you've put on a post or for just reviewing purposes, linking back purposes or whatever you need it for.  It also is great for your readers who can't remember exactly the title of a post you've written.

pick days to post, comment:

I struggle with keeping up with other bloggers posts and my posts/ commenting and replying.  Usually I write about 3 times a week, sometimes 4, sometimes just 2.  Depends on the week.  I generally write a good chunk of my posts on the weekends to be posted throughout the week and edit them the night before.  I comment almost every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday on new blogs that I find, on my regular blogs that I read and the ones that I link up to.  I try to reply to any comments the same day I receive them, but it's not always a guarantee.

write your posts in blogger/wordpress, not a word document

I use a certain font and color, and found then when I composed in Word, it would look funny when it came onto my site.  If you really prefer to compose in Word, make sure you paste the work when you're in the HTML version first.  I used to do this, but found just using blogger was easier.

check to see that all of your widgets are working correctly

Everyone once in a while (whenever I can remember), I go through and make sure any widget I've placed on the side or through out my blog are still working.  If they don't, I check to see what the problem is, sometimes a delete and reinstall works.

review your blog website for speed and just if the links are working

Depending on what I have on my blog, it can take some time to load, which means my photos are too large.  I try to have it load quickly, because I hate when a blog takes forever to load.

As for my links, my blog didn't always used to be sundays with sophie so there are broken links throughout my blog, a good chunk have been fixed, but there are several that are still broken.  As I go through my old posts I'm slowly fixing the links.

watermark your images

If you have pictures of children, or even yourself, watermark your images.  Sometimes people can take your photos, even the ones of you, and pretend to be you.

see something you like? don't be afraid to ask

Just the other day I saw Candace's awesome "newer, older, home" buttons and loved them.  She told me that they came with her template, so  I ended up creating my own and installing them using word, paint, photobucket and this tutorial .