How To: Add a Search Bar on Your Blogger Homepage...and Why You Should.

Search Bars! Search Boxes! What the heck are those and why on earth would I want one on my blog?! Aww friend, I am SO glad you asked! Let me tell you all about this fun lil thing.

Search Bars/Boxes- What are they?

Simply put, a search box/bar works the same as any other search engine would (Ahem...Google, anyone?) except it's on YOUR BLOG and searches through YOUR STUFF! Wheeeeeeeeee! We like that.

For any Blogger users out there, this is in the form of a "Gadget", and is something we can SIMPLY add to our blog to give it a bit more blinggy-bling. 

Why Should I Have One on My Blog?

Well, there's a couple of reasons! For one, functionality! This little Gadget-O-Love adds a lot of functionality to your blog. It enables readers to search through all of your hard work and find exactly what they are looking for.

Why is that important? Because if any readers out there are ANYTHING like me, they don't have a lot of time to scroll through each and every post you've ever written until they find what they're looking for. They'll most likely give up along the way and go somewhere else (GASP!) to get their info. We definitely don't want that.

So, by adding a Search Bar/Box you are saying to your devoted readers, "Hey, I get it...time is money. Why not type in exactly what you're looking for and be on your merry way?"

That's exactly what it does. It creates a little internal search engine within your blog! So now, anytime you've tagged a post (I hope you're making precise tags within each blog post you publish) those tags get stored in your search engine. So let's say Sally loves your blog, is trying to do something she knows she's seen posted before, but can't remember when. By having a Search Bar/Box all she needs to do is kind of know what it is she's looking for (maybe..."fun fonts for free"), type those words into your bar, and hit enter. Your internal search engine will now do the work for her! It will search through each and every post you've written, and then bring up a nice little tidy list of previous blog posts that has something to do with her key words!

So instead of 700 posts, she now only has to go through a couple. Usually the search engine is so smart and precise, that it narrows it down to only 3-4. Badda Bing, Badda Boom. 

In essence, a Search Bar/Box makes your blog work the way it should, as well as making it engaging and helpful. This keeps your readers coming back time and again.

So now, How Do I Add One to My Blogger Blog?

Easy Peasy! Just follow these steps and you'll be there in no time at all :)

1. First and foremost, make sure you are signed into your Blogger account. Once you are, you're going to go to your blog's homepage and click "Design"- which is up on the top right!

2. By clicking "Design" you are able to see your blog's inner core- where you can do any and all changes you might want to make. There are so many lovely things you can do in this place, so play around! 

For our purposes we will need to find "Layout" and click it.

3. Next, you'll see you're now able to see your blog's "skeleton" (in a sense). This is an outline of what you have on your blog, where everything you've added is placed, and an easy way to make any changes- like moving something around, deleting something, or adding on.

Find where you want to add your new Gadget (a Search Bar/Box is indeed a Gadget!)- this place doesn't have to be exact- but has to be around where you're thinking of having it go. I suggest having a search bar somewhere close to your main information on your home page (i.e.: profile pic, social media, etc). We can move the Search Bar around once it's installed.

Click "Add a Gadget".

4. Now we are seeing a list of all the different Gadgets available on Blogger! There's some neat ones there, so look around! You might find something you didn't even know you could do! As you can see, Blogger lets you know what's already been installed by simply saying "Already Added" on the right side of each Gadget.

Scroll down until you find, "Search Box" and click the little "+" on the right. This adds it to your blog!

5. Now we need to simply configure our Search Bar/Box. All this means is we're going to make it do exactly what we want it to do.

A. Here you can title whatever you want your bar to be. Keep in mind that this "name" will show up on your blog for all to see. You can also leave it blank should you choose.

B. Make sure this box is checked! This allows people to type in key words (i.e.: How To, Blog Design, Blog Help...) and your Search Bar will search ALL throughout your blog's posts for any post related to those words! Neat huh?

That being said, I personally want the Search Bar to ONLY search my blog, so I unchecked the following two boxes. I don't want people seeing results from anywhere else, other than my blog :)

C. Here is where you will see a nice little preview of what your Search Bar will look like :)

D. When you are satisfied, click "Save". This will apply those changes to your Search Bar/Box.

6. Now as you can see we're taken back to our blog's skeleton. And, as you can see in A. our Search Bar is automatically up at the very top of my Gadget list. I'm not happy with it being there, so to move the box around all I need to do is click and hold down on the box, and drag to where I want it (within that area). Usually just up and down. If you're wanting it somewhere completely different, you'll need to delete (by clicking "Edit"), delete the Gadget, and start over someplace else on your skeleton.

B. When you think you know where you want it, click "Preview" to be shown a mock-up of what your blog will look like once you hit "Save". Click out of that box and come back here to make changes. I usually have to "Preview" 3 or 4 times before I've got it right.

C. Again, once you're happy with your placement, click "Save Arrangement"!

7. Viola! When I go to my homepage, displayed in all it's glory is my new Search Bar/Box! It's easy to see (up towards the top) and is titled appropriately (so my readers know what it is).

8. Here's how it works! Let's say you want to find an old blog post, or your reader really needs to know how to do something: Just type in the key words into your Search Box and BOOM a beautiful list of ANY and ALL YOUR BLOG POSTS that include those words, shows up! 

Neat. Tidy. Easy. That's what we like!

Some Favorite Fonts: Part 1

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden I've become utterly obsessed with fonts and all things typography!

I notice gorgeous eye catching fonts everywhere! Magazines, books, posters, stores, packaging- it's kind of all I see! I've even, hehe, said aloud once or twice, "Hey, that's the __________ font!" Oh boy.

What?!?! Who have I become? My husband, that's who. He's obsessed with typography- actually requested (and received) a book for his birthday last year FULL of nothing but 60's and 70's popular fonts. I laughed at him then. Now...I merrily stick my foot in my mouth.

Either that, or I've become a genuine blogger. Yeah, I guess that's more fitting. Bloggers LOVE fonts! The more fonts one has, the merrier! What better way to vamp-up your cute blog post pictures than with some snazzy fonts! And I have a blog. So, according to grade school mathematics:

(Me + Love of Fonts) + Owning a Blog Myself = A Bonafide Blogger

Anyway, now if you're anything like me, you fiend for new fonts. You search the web and Pinterest for any font you can get your hands on. Even more, you giggle with delight at FREE new fonts. Squeal!

Well friend, you're in luck! Luck, I say! Here are some of my favorite fonts- fonts that you most likely have seen time and time again on my blog! Oh, and yeah- they are totally free for all your blog picture bedazzling fun!

Learning Curve // Sketch Block // Simply Glamorous // Sail // Wisdom Script // Matilde // Mailart Rubberstamp // Before the Rain // Marcelle

Blog Tips: Promote Your Posts

Writing a blog post usually doesn't take 10 minutes and then you're done, ready to publish. Typically you spend hours writing it up, finding or making graphics, uploading and positioning photos. Sometimes a post develops over a couple of days. So when you hit publish, you want to make sure that you're getting the most out of your blog post - the most out of all that work - by promoting it as much as you can. I'll show you a few ways to do that to gain maximum exposure. 

Tagging - You want to make sure that before you even publish your post that you have tagged it appropriately. Take key words from your post, title, and subject and use them as tags. One word tags are best, as they keep it general and not too specific. The more specific you get the harder it is for your post to come up later. Most blogging platforms let you search for blog posts related to specific tags, which opens your posts to the entire blogging community. Not just that, but tags allow your posts to get exposure in Google searches. The more popular your posts get, the higher up on the search list they become. This is the biggest and best way to promote your posts.

Google+ - The first thing you're going to want to do after you hit publish {if you have Blogger and it  prompts automatically} is to share it with your Google+ peeps. When I hit publish on any of the blogs I write, a little box will pop up with a comment form for me to write a brief description of my post and who I want to share it with on Google+. I just fill that out and hit share. The people in my circles will get a notification that I shared a post with them and they'll go and check it out. If you have Blogger and that little box doesn't automatically pop up, head on over to your posts section and underneath the post you just wrote click 'share' and that box will pop up. What's great about sharing on Google+ is that Blogger makes it very easy for you to spread your posts to the people in your circle. It's almost effortless because there is no copying and pasting links. If you don't have Blogger, but are on Google+, simply head on over to your Google+ profile and share the post on your 'wall'. Everyone in your circle will see your update and will check out your post. 

Twitter - Once you've shared on Google+, you're going to want to share with your Twitter friends too. The best way to do this is to head on over to your posts and underneath the one you just wrote click 'view' and a new tab will open with that post. Scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on the Twitter share button. It will automatically share your post title with the link without you having to copy and paste anything. We like effortless, don't we? If you don't have that option of sharing at the bottom of each post, simply log in to Twitter and paste the link URL and share. If your Tweets are automatically shared on your Facebook wall, then great! One less step for you to promote your post.

Facebook - You can share on either your personal Facebook wall to let all your friends know about this awesome recipe you just put together or if you have a Facebook page for your blog, share it there. Or you can share on both accounts. My posts are promoted on both my personal and my blogs' pages so that my posts get maximum exposure. Your friends might get a little tired of seeing it on your personal page, but hey; they're your friends! They should support you, right? 

Pinterest - If your posts consist of images and/or graphics at least half of the time, you should create a board for your blog on Pinterest. We have one for B.You {a group board} that we each pin to that gets a lot of exposure. What is great about Pinterest and promoting your posts on it is that your pinned image for your post can get seen by not just the people following you, but by the entire Pinterest public as well with two ways; repins and your descriptions. Lets say you write a blog post about a recipe for a crock pot apple pie {does this exist, cause if it does I am soooo making it!}. You write up the post and include a photo graphic to pin and pin it to your blog board. In the pins description you write 'B.You: Easy Crock Pot Apple Pie Recipe'. Someone hops on Pinterest and searches either 'easy crock pot recipes' or easy apple pie recipes'; your pin will come up. People will check it out, love it and repin it. The more repins it gets, the more popular it becomes and the more exposure it will get. And chances are that if someone has taken the step to visit your pin, they're going to check out the rest of your blog too. 

Instagram - So, remember that awesome post you wrote about an easy crock pot apple pie recipe? Take that photo graphic and share it on Instagram. Write a comment saying something like 'Shared this easy apple pie crockpot recipe today on the blog! Check it out! (Link in profile) #crockpotrecipe #applepierecipe #food #byou #foodblog #desserts'... you get the picture. Your friends are going to see it, they're going to want to check it out, maybe even share it and recommend it to their friends. And all those hashtags you used? People who don't follow you will find your photo, like it, then head on over to your blog post to check it out. I've gained a lot of followers and views on Chevron Stitches just by using hashtags in my photos. It's like 'tagging' on your blog posts, but for pictures. 

Digg, Delicious, and Reddit - These bookmarking sites are great to promote your posts on because like Google search, your posts becomes open to the public searching for related posts. Submit each post and you will start seeing your traffic pick up within just a few days. 

Contacts - Belong to a group on Facebook that is a community of bloggers and networkers? Share your post on the wall. Have a list of blog contacts? Send out an email with your latest blog post to them and ask them what they think. Add your latest blog post to the signature of your email. Are a part of a blogging community like the Better Blogger Network or Networked Blogs or Blog Catalog? Share your post with your friends or exchange links with other bloggers. 

Other Blogs - Maybe you have a chance to guest post on another blog; share a post from your blog on theirs linking back to your blog. Another way to promote with other blogs is by commenting on relevant blog posts linking back to your post. Remember to keep it genuine and authentic - that blogger isn't going to want to visit your blog if you sound fake. 

Other Websites - There are websites out there that will allow you to submit your blog for their visitors to see. Amazon, IFITT, Alltop, Syndic8, and Demand Studios are examples of websites that allow submissions of blogs and posts to be distributed and shared with other websites. Amazon will even pay you if someone reads what you have submitted through their Kindle Vendor section! I highly recommend visiting these sites and checking them out as a way to promote your posts. You could also search for 'syndicate websites for bloggers' and a whole list will come up with other websites to submit your blogs on. Remember to also visit those blog network sites to gain a following like the ones mentioned above in the contacts section as well as Bloglovin'!

It might seem like a lot and incredibly overwhelming, but you don't have to utilize every single option here. More than half of these options have scheduling posts, updates, etc available which will give you more time to brainstorm more posts! 

Check back soon as we will share with you how to schedule posts, updates and more or multiple social media websites! 

Blog Tips: Social Media

 So you have your blog up and running. Your followers are slowly trickling in, slower than you might like but they are there. I am sure you are wondering, "How do I get my blog out for all to see??!" Well this is where Social Media comes in. Don't be scared, social media will be come your partner in crime in this blogging world! It's time to embrace it and use it to your advantage. I like to think of social media as free advertisement in away, you just have to know how to use it to receive it's full benefits.

 I will share some tips and tricks for a few of the major social media outlets that are out there and how you can use them to gain more traffic to your lovely blog.

Facebook
 We all know about Facebook, unless you live under a rock of course. If you haven't already, you should get yourself a Facebook Fan Page. Yes, you now have FANS! Creating a page for your blog is a great way to help share with others your posts and direct traffic back to your blog. But it is also a way for you to stay connected with your readers, where you can ask questions, share fun things/ideas and such.

When you get to this create a page section, you want to use the Brand or Product section. You will then select Website in the drop down window and then type in your blog name in the allowed area, agree with the Facebook terms and TADA! You have a fan page. From there Facebook guides you through how to get it all set up: how to post, invite friends to be fans, update information, add a picture and cover photo, etc.

 I suggest that you keep the same design scheme you have on your blog over on you Facebook page.  If your blog and Facebook page look completely different, it might be confusing and your readers might not think they even go together, which might mean less followers. Use the same photo you have on your blog as your profile picture, if they see your photo they will automatically connect the 2. Also, try and have your blog header as your cover photo. You can easily do this through PicMonkey:

 You can arrange the photos to your liking, until you think it reflects the look on your blog. Then plug it in on your fan page. PicMonkey's FB Cover is perfect, because the size is perfect so your image wont look wonky or distorted once you have uploaded it.
 Now you can start sharing your page to share all your posts. Just copy and past the post's URL link into your status area. I like to give my new posts a brief description with something to draw the reader in to want to read more, but don't give to much away, that's what the entire blog post is for. Once you start gaining more fans, you can start interacting with them more. Stuck on what to write for a new blog post, ask them a question and get feedback, this is a great way to get your brain going.
 When you are logged into you fan page account (not your personal) go and like other blog's fan pages, and comment on their pages with your blog account. It's a great way for not only the other bloggers to see you have a page, but also for those bloggers fans to see it too. Which then will direct traffic to your Facebook page, which will eventually mean back to your blog. Win/Win situation!

Twitter
 Twitter is probably one of the best known social media tools used by bloggers. It's another great way to stay connected and follow all your favorite blogs. When starting up a Twitter account or if you already have one, you want your Twitter handle to go with your blog (just like your Facebook page). The nice thing about if you already have an account, you can easily change it to match your blogs name. If they already know your blog name, when they go to interact with you via Twitter they will automatically think to type in your blog name. So if it's different, they may have a hard time finding you or even just remembering what it is. For example: My blog name is Antlers & Roses so my Twitter handle is @antlersandroses.
 Like I mentioned above with keeping the same design going on your Facebook page, you're going to want to do the same on Twitter too. Since starting my Twitter account a few years back, they have made some great changes which allows you to design your profile page.

 I used my header as my background and the same photo that I have on my blog. You can then plug in your blog address to link it all back to your blog, home base!
 Now when sharing your posts, I have found that using Bitly to shorten my URL posts is the best method. Not only does it shorten your link and help you track clicks, but it leaves you more room to add more info with in that 140 character window. If you don't use Bitly, definitely check it out.
 Of course interaction with others on Twitter is always a must. I pop on through out the day to see what's new and reply back to those who have caught my attention. I have made new "friends" on Twitter by just browsing and checking out what's "happening" in the world of Twitter, which then led me to find their blogs and in turn them following mine.
 Another great thing on Twitter is you can do fun shout outs to either your followers or to those who have ad spaces on your blog (if you are doing them). Most of them that I have noticed tend to fall on a Friday, Follow Friday. Use the hash tag #FF and tag all of those wonderful blogs who you want to show some love too! Now of course you can do this any day of the week, not just Friday. We all love getting special shout outs when it's unexpected too.

Pinterest
 Pinterest, the best thing since sliced bread! Or as my Husband likes to call it, a ridiculous waste of time (he's obviously never used it before!) Pinterest is the best way to keep all those projects that are floating around the web organized and in one easy accessible spot. I am sure you have tons of boards for various things; DIY, Food, Fashion, Hair & Make Up, Organizing... The list can go on and on really. Now it's time to use Pinterest to your advantage!
 If you don't already have a special board for you blog alone, then you need to! I have mine named after my blog itself which keeps it pretty easy to find when pinning and those that are following that board know that that board contains posts directly from my blog. When ever you have a new post that you feel is "Pin Worthy" go ahead and pin it to your blog board! I usually title with with "New Post" and a brief description for it too. Now what I also do, that I have seen that some others don't agree with, is I post it to other boards it applies to. Say it's a DIY post then I will also pin it to my DIY board. If it contains some good information as well, I will also pin it to my Good To Know board as well. Some say that this is Pinterest spam, and that no one wants to see the same pin pinned 5 different times. But most of the time those that are following you, aren't following all your boards. Say you only pin that DIY project only onto your Blog board and there are say 20 people who only follow your DIY board and don't follow your Blog board, then you are missing out sharing this post with those 20 people. It's all a matter of opinion on how much to pin or not. Use your own judgement.

Instagram
 Instagram is probably one of my MOST favorite of all Social Media! I am constantly on there posting pictures of the kids, what's new, the typical outfit post, and of course information on new blog posts! Yes, use Instagram to share your blog posts! Now of course you're going to want to get your Instagram account to mesh with all of your other media outlets. Same picture, add your blog URL, you know the drill. I find it's best to post what best reflects your blog. So I blog about family, creative projects, fashion outfits, home life. So I try make sure my photos reflect that.
 Now like I mentioned, you can also share your blog post through your Intsagram photos. Most of the posts I share from my blog have pictures in them. So I get on my blog through Safari and save the picture I want to share. Then load it on to Instagram with a brief description and then let those know who are viewing the picture that I have a link to my blog in my profile.
Example:

Also, if you haven't started using Hash Tags yet, you need to start. Hash tags are key words used for searching specific things. As you can see I used the hash tags #blog #blogger #blogpost #blogging #antlersandroses When some one is searching these hash tags on Instagram (and/or Twitter) this photo will be in the list of results. Which then leads them to see that I have a link for them to check out (my blog). If your profile is private however, hash tags will not benefit you because your account is private and photos cannot be viewed by those who are searching.
 Sometimes you might write up a post that doesn't contain a photo. So how do you share that you have a new blog post?? Take a photo that you feel reflects that post. You can get really creative with it too, something that is eye catching always draws in those who want to find out more about the photo.

 I think I covered the basics to getting started with Social Media. There really is no right or wrong way to go about it. It's really about what works for you. Don't be scared to follow others and interact by commenting or "liking". It's all about getting your foot in the door to get you and your blog out there and noticed! And now that you have all your media accounts set up, you can create Media buttons for your blog that will direct  followers to which ever social media you are using. We can share all that in a different post!

If there was a topic that pertains to Social Media that wasn't talked about but you would like to know more or you just have questions you would like answered, feel free to leave a comment below!

Shop Basics: Tips On Using Your Blog to Advertise Your Shop

You have a shop and wonder if you should have a blog to share your work and creations? Yes!
Advertising is key to every business; if you don’t advertise how would anyone know who you are? Blogging is great for getting your name and product out there and a way to show people who you are behind the machine, glue gun, camera or jewelry pliers {in my case!} I am going to share with you some tips on how to utilize a blog as free (yes, free!) advertisement for your shop.

Here’s my Top 10:
1. Make sure your shop and blog have the same name. It’ll be easier for people to remember and find you.
2. Build a relationship; you need to interact with your readers. Don't be afraid to be yourself.
3. Find your Community and join Blog link ups. If you don’t know where to start remember Google and Pinterest are your friends. Find those creative link ups to gain more views by people with similar interests. {We will be sharing a list of blog hops and link ups next week, so look for those!}
4. Get a button for your blog or shop. You can make one on PicMonkey like Ashley showed you here. If you don’t have time to make one, you can find a Seller on Etsy to design one for you inexpensively. You’ll be able to use it to advertise on other blogs and readers can grab it off your blog and put it on theirs.
5. If you want to swap buttons with other bloggers make sure you do your research. Don’t agree just because they asked you. You want to make sure their blog reflects the same values as yours and shares a similar audience.
6. It does take Money to make Money. Find a blog you have the same views with and see if they have an option of advertising on their blog. I do recommend this, but don’t go out and buy ad space on every blog you come across. It’s not Monopoly; you need to make sure you’re not spending more than you’re making in the long run.
7. If you decide to offer advertising for other blogs don’t sell yourself short. A popular hosting website to use is Passionfruit Ads. It’s easy to put the plugin on your blog with your prices of ad space you offer next to it.
8. Periodically have giveaways. It doesn’t have to be an expensive item from your shop. This will drive traffic into your blog and shop. For my giveaways I use Rafflecopter it’s a great tool to use and free.
9. Be consistent, you get back what you put in to it.
10. Get Google analytics; it's a free tool that shows what search keywords they searched for to get to your blog, what website they entered your blog from, how long they were on your blog, and so much more. It will help you put together your posts more efficiently in that more posts will get more hits when you research the information that brought them to your blog in the first place. People on your blog=people in your shop=sales!

Do you have a shop you'd like to share? A blog as well? Let us know below so we can come check you out!