Blogging Basics 101» Getting Started

Can I legally use company logos on my couponing blog?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:00:18 +0000

Copyright and trademark questions are some of the most interesting that I receive (and hardest to answer because there are so many nuances and I’m not lawyer). They are important questions, too, because bloggers, especially new ones, need to be aware that just because something is on the internet doesn’t mean it’s up for grabs and free to use. Today’s question about whether couponing blogs can legally use logos is a good one. I asked Rajean Blomquist to research and write the answer to this common conundrum. She spoke with industry expert Lucretia Pruitt, founder of Social Media Matters, to get to the bottom of the issue. Please welcome Rajean as this week’s guest blogger. ~ Melanie

The Question: Can I legally use company logos on my couponing blog?

Dear BB101, I started a couponing blog and I am unsure about the use of images. I don’t really understand what is legal and what isn’t (besides using my own photos). Since it’s a couponing blog I’ll be discussing many companies and products. Can I use their logos legally? It seems like all the couponing blogs do, but I am not sure they should be. What’s the answer?

The Answer: Yes, you can legally use company logos on your couponing blog.

This is such a great question! Coupon sites are making it easier for consumers to save money and try new products, mostly from the comfort of their homes before ever hitting the stores — or from the convenience of their smart phones while in the stores. How brilliant is that? The fact is, we live in a multibillion-dollar coupon industry. Consumers are spending billions while also saving a ton of money. Just last year, 3.3 billion coupons were redeemed according to Coupons.com.

When I started researching the answer to this question, it seemed appropriate to seek the knowledge of someone who counsels others about all things online, so I asked Lucretia Pruitt, Founder Social Media Matters, for her take on this blogger’s question. She explains the reader is really asking two questions: one is about photo copyright, and the other is about trademark use.

Photos and images on the Internet are subject to copyright laws in the US and other countries, making them somewhat different than logos, brand names, and catchphrases that are registered as trademarks.

According to Pruitt, there are three main types of photos/images you find on the Internet:

Copyrighted images have either all or some rights reserved. You must have the copyright holder’s permission to use these images.
Public domain images are those that no longer have copyright protection either because they aged out of it (max. 120 years) or for some other reason. Anyone can use these images.
Creative Commons (CC) licensed images are copyrighted pictures that the creator has marked using a specific Creative Commons license. The type of license determines how you can use the image. Pruitt boils it down even further explaining that the three elements of a CC license are:

attribution
whether or not you can make derivatives (i.e., change or modify the image), and
whether or not you can use the image for commercial use.

At a minimum, you have to attribute the creator (i.e., Photo by Bob Smith) and include a link. You’ll notice this article has an image at the top of the article. That image was found via the PhotoDropper plug-in for WordPress. That plug-in takes keywords you type in, then searches Flickr for Creative Commons images that match. You can then insert the image into your post and the plug-in creates an auto-attribute (you’ll see the one for the copyright image down at the bottom of this article — it looks like this: photo credit: gabrieldeurioste).

Pruitt notes, “If you are making money off of [your blog], you will also need to have the work approved for commercial use.” This is important to bloggers because a hobby blogger can use a Creative Commons image that has non-commercial conditions, but bloggers who make money from their blogs cannot.

Sites like Flickr.com and Google’s image search have options to search for Creative Commons licensed & public domain images. Just make sure that you go to the “advanced” search options.

Now back to logos and trademarks. Wikipedia gives a succinct definition of a trademark: “A trademark is typically a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image or a combination of these elements.” Any company (large or small) investing time and money into trademarking their logo will be protective of how their logos are used. As a blogger, when you’re writing about a brand, you will be using their name and other trademarks like their logo under the “Fair Use” doctrine.

Specifically, Pruitt says fair use of a logo or other trademark (not to be confused with copyright) may be asserted on two grounds:

You are using the mark to describe accurately an aspect of your own product, or
You are using the mark to identify the actual mark owner.

It’s the second one that really applies here. “If you are using say, the logo for ‘Campbell’s ® Chunky ™ Soup’ you’d probably be using it to refer to their actual soup. So what you are doing is covered under Fair Use of a Trademark,” according to Pruitt.

But you’ll note the phrase in quotations above has an ® and a ™ in it. Yes, those two words are trademarks of that company. So when you write about that brand, you should make sure to do it the way that it’s written above. If you’re not sure, it’s better to err on the side of caution and go check the brand’s website. That’s probably where you are getting the logo from in the first place, so it’s just a quick check to see how they refer to the product or brand name.

Trademark and logo use violations are unintentional in most cases. But you don’t want to invite legal action by blatant misuse of a logo or image. A majority of deal or coupon websites seek permission to use a company logo as part of the deal contract.

Any time you are not sure about using a company’s logo or image, ask or consider that perhaps you don’t really need the logo anyway. You can promote a discount or coupon offered by simply using the company name.

Disclaimer: Lucretia and I are not lawyers, but this is our understanding of how it all works. If you need specific legal advice, you should contact an attorney. Better to protect you now than defend you later — or all that money you save using coupons and taking advantage of daily deals could be spent on legal fees.

Thank you to Rajean Blomquist (@rajean) and Lucretia Pruitt (@lucretiapruitt) for researching the answer to this question and sharing their knowledge. — Melanie

photo credit: gabrieldeurioste

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Write Blog Posts that Get Noticed

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:30:08 +0000

Ask any blogger how to find blogging success and she’ll answer with write well. It’s cliche, but it’s true: content is king. Your blog design, brand, and attitude are all important, but the bottom line is this: any amount of success requires good content. And writing strong content is rarely a quick thing. It takes planning and effort. Here I give you six steps to help you write a better blog post.

Know your audience. Success in anything can be boiled down to knowing your audience. If you know your audience, you know what they are looking for and you can give it to them. If you’re writing tutorials, you’ll need to determine whether you’re writing for a beginner, intermediate, or expert. If you’re sharing funny stories, what seems to resonate with your audience? Look at your Google Analytics to see what posts see the most traffic (organic and search) and figure out what speaks to your audience on such a large scale. Not sure what your audience wants more of? Ask them.
Know your goal. What is your post trying to accomplish? Do you want to make your readers laugh? Show them how to do something? Encourage them to leave a comment? As you write your post, keep that goal in mind and consider how it fits with your audience.
Tell a story. Now that you have your goal in mind and you know what you want to write, make sure you do it in a way that is easy for your reader to follow. Have a beginning, middle, and end to your post. It’s so easy to start out writing on one topic, then move tangentially to a new topic. The result is that your post is confusing or, worse, doesn’t deliver on your goal (i.e., teaching, entertaining, challenging, etc.).
Respect the language. I’ve been called a grammar snob, and it’s true. I am. I also realize that not everyone has a knack for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. But that doesn’t mean they don’t matter. These constructs are what we use to navigate the written language. They are cues that tell your reader what your intention is. A mistake here or there can be overlooked, but consistently ignoring good grammar and punctuation may lead to fewer eyes on your page.
Use interesting, strong words. Or, as Rita Arens puts it, write with authority. Not only should you choose strong words, you should get rid of the dead words that add nothing to your story. Which brings us to . . .
Edit. Once you write your post, you’re not finished. Re-read your post, re-work your post, re-write your post as needed. NinaAmir suggests exercises for editing your own work like simply taking an existing piece of writing and trying to re-write it using half as many words. Like good writing, good editing takes practice.

Social Media Glossary

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:30:29 +0000

Social media is how we connect with each other — and with companies and brands — online. These days every marketing plan includes social media; to ignore it would be to ignore a significant portion of your audience. But what is social media? How do you use it? Where do you start? The first step is understanding the terms associated with social media. Here are some of the common terms of social media. This list is by no means exhaustive and I would love to have your suggestions or questions about these and other terms in the comments of this post.

Crowdsource: A combination of the words crowd and outsourcing. To ask a question via social media and collect answers from your various communities and users. Wikipedia explains crowdsourcing as “a distributed problem-solving and production model. Problems are broadcast to an unknown group of solvers in the form of an open call for solutions. Users—also known as the crowd—typically form into online communities, and the crowd submits solutions. The crowd also sorts through the solutions, finding the best ones. These best solutions are then owned by the entity that broadcast the problem in the first place…”

Facebook: One of the most popular social networking options, Facebook allows you to connect with current friends and those from your past. You can share links, photos, video, notes (similar to blog posts), and status updates. You can also make a fan page for your business so enthusiastic users can show their support for your product(s). Helpful articles:

Flickr: A popular web-based photo and video storage site owned by Yahoo!. You can tag your photos with keywords, join groups with similar interests and photos, and create slideshows from your own photo pool. Flickr offer features too numerous to list here. I suggest you take a tour of Flickr to see all of the features (and there are many!). Helpful article: Flickr Posts Photos to Your Blog

Friend: (verb) To add someone to your social network; “I friended Denise on Facebook because she shares useful information.”

Friend Request: A request from someone to connect via a social network. Some networks require you to accept a friend request (i.e., Facebook), others do not (i.e., Twitter).

Hyper-local: Also referred to as placeblogging. A blog or network about a specific community or location. Examples of hyper-local blogs:

Our PDX Network (Portland, OR)
Tasha Does Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
Placeblogger (helps you find blogs in your area)

LinkedIn: A professional social networking site that allows you to post your work experience and current projects. Helpful articles:

Social Bookmarking: A means of sharing interesting articles with others. Examples of social bookmarking sites include Kirtsy, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and Digg. Helpful articles:

Social Media: Any form of interactive media (e.g., blogs, Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon) that allow people to gather online to share ideas, start conversations, ask questions, or crowdsource.

Social Network: Your contacts within all of your social media outlets.

Status Update: In it’s simplest form, the status update is a report of what you’re doing right now. However, your status update can be a question, a link to a video or blog post, or a photo. On Twitter you’re limited to 140 characters for your status update, but in an application like Facebook, you can use more (though brevity is your friend; if you have something longer to write, you may want to consider a Facebook note which is available under the Applications list in your Facebook navigation).

Twitter: A micro-blog tool that allows you to interact with others using up to 140 characters for status updates. (Next week I’ll have more about Twitter and common Twitter terms.)

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101 and shares daily links to technology articles at the BB101 Tumblr blog. She is also the co-author of TypePad for Dummies.

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Defining Basic Blogging Terms, Part 3

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:37:46 +0000

Thank you for sticking with me as I’ve defined basic blogging terms over the last three weeks. This is the last week for the blogging glossary; next week I’ll be defining and discussing social media terms.

CAPTCHA: stands for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart. You’ll recognize captcha as those words you have to type to verify yourself as human when you leave a comment at some blogs or make changes to some online accounts. Article for more help: The Official CAPTCHA Site

Favicon: Favicons are the small 16 pixel by 16 pixel pictures you see beside some URLs in your browser’s address bar. You also see them in your list of bookmarked sites. They are fairly easy to construct or generate online. Article for more help: What is a favicon and how do I make and install one on my blog?

Hexadecimal value: The six-digit code used within HTML to determine what color to display for a page element. For example, if you want a word to be green you could use this HTML code and hexadecimal value: orange which looks like this — orange — in your browser. The #ff6600 is the hexadecimal value of that particular orange color. For your reference, white is #ffffff and black is #000000. It’s handy to know the hexadecimal values of your blog design so you can be sure to use the same colors each time you add a design element to your blog (you can change your link colors to match or be complimentary, add lines between posts in specific colors, etc.). Here’s a handy chart that provides hexadecimal values for many colors.

Lurker: Someone who visits a blog, but rarely, if ever, comments. Is it rude to lurk? Not at all. As a blogger, I appreciate that comments can make your day, but it’s important to remember that not everyone is comfortable joining an online conversation. Your lurker(s) may love what you write, but don’t feel that they have anything to contribute. Or maybe they were looking for specific information, found it, and are off implementing your advice or tutorial. There are a million reasons why someone may lurk, but don’t let it ruffle your feathers.

Troll: A commentor (usually anonymous, but not always) who leaves hurtful and rude comments at your blog. A troll is different from spam because spam is usually an advertisement of some sort. A troll’s sole purpose is to stir up trouble on your site. What can you do? Ignore them as much as possible, or, if it escalates, block their IP address (most blogging platforms have a way to do this, ask the help desk). My advice, and it’s easier said than done, is to try ignore the troll as much as you can. Do not engage in a conversation with him or her. It won’t end well.

Please feel free to leave some ideas for other terms you’d like to see defined or add your own definitions in the comments section.

Melanie Nelson writes tips and instructions at Blogging Basics 101 and shares daily links to fascinating and helpful tech links at the BB101 Tumblr blog.

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Defining Basic Blogging Terms, Part 2

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:35:50 +0000

This week I’m continuing to define basic blogging terms. My goal is to compile a glossary of key terms that will help new bloggers navigate their way through the blogosphere. Every time I think I’ve defined all the basic terms, I come up with a few more that have stumped my readers in the past. Once I’ve finished with basic blogging terms (maybe one more post), then I’ll start on social media and Twitter terms. (And yes, I know that Twitter is technically social media, but it has it’s own set of terms that warrant it’s own list.)

tags Article for more help: Category: A blog category is a topic you address on your blog; your list of categories is like the table of contents for your blog. Categories are broad and can encompass smaller, more defined topics (i.e., tags). A category title should be descriptive and can be several words long. Categories go hand-in-hand with Understanding and Using Blog Categories and Tags Effectively

Hosted: Refers to a blog that resides on the host’s server (e.g., Blogger, TypePad, or WordPress.com blogs). A hosted platform is housed on the platform’s server — in other words, if you have a Blogger blog, your blog is hosted on the Blogger server; if you have a TypePad blog, it’s hosted on the TypePad server. Articles for more help: How We Communicate: FAQs for Beginning Bloggers, WordPress? Blogger? TypePad? How to Choose a Blogging Platform

Meme: First things first: the pronunciation of this word rhymes with dream and theme. According to Top 10 Internet Memes, a meme is “an [online] image, video, phrase or simply an idea that spreads from one person to another seemingly for no logical reason at all.” A few years ago, the most popular memes were lists of questions that people answered about themselves. These days memes include everything from LOLCats to viral videos to Facebook statuses (e.g., the ones that ask you to post specific information in your FB status as a show of solidarity for a specific cause). If you invite someone to play along with a specific meme, that invitation is called a tag, as in “Tag! You’re It!” When you first start blogging, memes are an easy way to overcome writer’s block and share information about yourself. However, it’s important that you don’t get your feelings hurt if you tag someone for a meme and they choose not to play. Many bloggers don’t dig the meme. Article for more help: The Daily Meme

Non-hosted: Also referred to as self-hosted. A self-hosted blog is hosted on your own server or web host, usually a third party you pay to host your site. You can use WordPress.org or Moveable Type as a self-hosted blogging platform if you set up an account with a web hosting company. Articles for more help: How We Communicate: FAQs for Beginning Bloggers, WordPress? Blogger? TypePad? How to Choose a Blogging Platform

categories are your blog’s table of contents, tags are your blog’s index. Tags go hand-in-hand with categories. Article for more help: Tag: 1. A tag is a word or short phrase attached to your post that helps make the post findable. It addresses items you discuss in a particular blog post and is usually only a word or two and reflects the keywords or points of your article. If Understanding and Using Blog Categories and Tags Effectively. 2. An invitation to participate in a meme.

Please feel free to leave some ideas for other terms you’d like to see defined or add your own definitions in the comments section.

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Blog Roll Etiquette and Advice

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:33:23 +0000

I recently received a great question about blog rolls. The question was whether or not you should contact the people you put on your blog roll to let them know that you’re linking to them. Then I started thinking about all the issues related to blog rolls, the etiquette behind them, the usefulness of them, and whether they’re worth the trouble. I’m going to explain the basics of blog rolls, then I’m going to tell you my opinion of them (and you might be surprised).

Blog Roll Basics

What is a blog roll? A blog roll is a list of blogs you like and want to share with your readers. Usually you list the name of the blog and link to the site. If you’re really ambitious, you may give an overview of the blog or link to some of your favorite posts from that blog.
How do I make a blog roll? Making a blog roll is fairly simple. You probably don’t want to make it into a blog post that will get buried on your site. Instead, make a static page and list the blogs and links there. Then you can link to it directly from your navigation on your blog’s front page.

Care and Feeding of Blog Rolls

The problem with most blog rolls is that they can overwhelm you quickly. You have decide what kind of blog roll you want to share (more on that in a minute), how often you’ll update the list, who you’ll include on the list, etc.

What kind of blog roll do you want to create? Just like your blog, your blog roll can be many things. You can have a blog roll of your personal favorites or a list of blogs that are relevant to your blogging niche. Maybe you’re writing a hyper-local blog and you want to list the blogs in your city — why not sort them by area so your readers have an idea of where everyone is? The possibilities are endless.
How often will you update your blog roll? Many bloggers think a blog roll is a “set it and forget it” affair, but it isn’t. If you’re not updating blog roll regularly, your readers aren’t checking it regularly and it’s not useful to anyone. Keep your blog roll current and changing to keep it interesting to your readers. If they know you update the list regularly or on a specific day, readers are more likely to check that page regularly.
Who will you include in your blog roll? Regardless of the type of blog roll you create, be prepared for some hurt feelings. I’m of the mind that your blog is your domain and you choose the content and links, but any time you start making lists, someone is going to get left out and, subsequently, have their feelings hurt. Lists always have a bias to them, and your blog roll is no exception. You have two choices here: make an all-inclusive list (impossibly huge and hard to manage, let alone update) or make a carefully culled list (more manageable, but feelings may be hurt). If you make an all-inclusive list, what exactly is your point? You’re listing everyone you read? Or links to you? Blog directories already do that. And if your list is all-inclusive, how will you curate it? How can you update it or change it if everyone is already listed? If it’s a long alphabetized list, what happens to the blogs that start with M when the reader got tired of sifting through the titles at F? If you make a carefully culled list, you have more opportunities to change the list as your tastes change or to highlight specific blogs on a rotating basis. Even so, be prepared to receive an e-mail or two from bloggers who want to know when you’re going to include them in your list.

Blog Roll Etiquette

Now that you’ve created your blog roll, what’s the next step? What are the ins and outs of blog roll expectations? The reason for your blog roll shouldn’t be to list other blogs in the hopes they’ll list you in return. Create your blog roll because it’s a useful tool either for yourself or for your readers.

Should I contact the blog owners to tell them I’m linking to them? Even if you haven’t had contact with a particular blog owner, but you’d like to include them in your blog roll, you can definitely drop them a quick e-mail letting them know you’re linking to them.
Should I ask for a reciprocal link? No. Asking any blogger for a reciprocal link is bad blog etiquette. Invariably it’s a newer blogger or a blogger with less traffic asking a seasoned blogger with more traffic for a link. From the new blogger’s point of view, they just want some traffic and recognition. From the seasoned blogger’s point of view, though, you’re asking them to vouch for you and your content (even if they do not read you), and you’re putting them in the awkward position of telling you no.
Do I have to link back to someone if they include me on their blog roll? Nope. And if they imply that it’s the polite thing to do, they are misinformed. You are under no obligation to include them on your blog roll (though they may remove you from theirs — and that’s OK too). You might send them a short e-mail to thank them, though.

My Personal Thoughts on Blog Rolls

In my opinion the traditional blog roll is outdated thinking. The original blog roll was a list of sites you liked and was extremely popular about five years ago. New bloggers would make them as a way to keep track of what they liked and to share those interests with their readers. After a few months, the novelty wore off and those bloggers ditched the blog roll and just linked to other bloggers within their regular posts (which was actually a more effective way of introducing your audience to a new blogger because it didn’t involve a click to another page; the link was obvious, not buried somewhere else). In fact, it turns out that most people don’t check your blog roll regularly whether you’re updating it or not. A reader may check it once or twice a year (and that’s being generous).

Now that most people use RSS feeds, e-mail feeds, Twitter, and Facebook as their link sources, blog rolls as they were five years ago just aren’t necessary. Instead, the blog roll has evolved and, if created well, is a helpful list of resources for your new readers. For instance, if you’re writing a blog about home decorating, it could be extremely useful to have a list of the other top blogs or resources for your niche so you audience can find even more information. A list like this helps your audience find relevant sites, establishes your authority (since you know where are the good blogs are in your niche), and is just plain old good will toward others.

Another evolution of the blog roll is the microblog. Instead of creating a static blog roll I need to update regularly, I use Tumblr to share links from the blogs I read. If you’re subscribed to the BB101 Tumblr RSS or my Twitter feed you’ll see my links throughout the day. That takes pressure off me to to update something and pressure off you to check a static page to see if it’s changed. Win-win.

photo credit: theparadigmshifter

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Can I change my blog name and keep my readers?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:00:05 +0000

Blogging is a fun hobby. It’s a way to get your voice out into the world and meet people with similar interests. As with anything, though, the more you do it, the more you see where your interests lie. You may start out blogging your pregnancy and family life or you may blog your political ideals. Then, after a few months or even a year, you see that you tend to be writing about certain topics more than others — you’ve found your niche. And wouldn’t you know it? Your niche and passion just don’t fit your blog’s name any more. Hey, it happens. One of my blogs went through three name changes before I finally settled on its final name. The question is: how can you change the name of your blog without confusing your readers?

I’m going to point out the obvious and tell you that you should seriously consider your blog’s name before you start blogging instead of just throwing something up there because then you won’t be in this predicament. But, since I didn’t do that and I’m hardly one to throw stones, I’m not going to dwell long on that sentiment. Before you change your blog’s name, though, you should take some time and think about what you’re going to use as your blog new title because your readers, though loyal now, will tire of your whimsy if you’re changing your blog’s name every year. I think it’s an un-written blogging law that you get one change and that’s it. Any more than that and not only are your readers confused, but you’re damaging the brand you’re trying to build. You can’t have consistency if you’re always changing.

So, if you must change your name, let’s look at some things you need to think about:

Match your blog’s new name with a domain. If at all possible, your blog’s name and domain (URL) should match. As you’re considering what to change your name to, do a search to see if the domain is available (and try to get the .com and .net). Having your blog name and URL match isn’t just good SEO, it’s an easy way for people to find you. If a reader can remember the name of your blog, she can remember your URL and find you. For example, if I meet you at a conference or just around town and you tell me your blog’s name is I Like Pie, chances are, when I try to find you online, I’m going to type in http://www.ilikepie.com. If that’s not your blog, I may or may not type the title into Google. It depends on how much I want to find you. If your blog’s name and domain match, problem solved; if they don’t, it can be a hassle for your new fan.
Match your brand throughout your social media accounts. Ten years ago, most bloggers just had to worry about their brand on their blog (and we didn’t even call it a brand). Now you have a social media brand on your blog, Facebook, and Twitter at least. If you decide you need to change your blog’s name, consider how that will affect your other accounts. I went from Chilihead to Melanie Nelson a few years ago and I still have people calling me Chili (which, actually, I love). In fact, many times I introduce myself and I get the blank look. Then I say, “I’m Chilihead on Twitter” and the person usually has at least a glimmer of recognition. If you change your blog’s name, will people still be able to recognize you throughout the social media community?
Change your name early in the game. If you think you want to change your blog’s name, do it sooner rather than later. When you’ve established an entire brand or identity around your blog, it’s harder to change that when you have 1500 posts instead of 500.
Tell your readers as soon as possible. Let your readers in on your decision and keep them in the loop. Let them know that you’re going to change your name, how the change will affect your content (if at all), and whether your domain will change as a result. Tell your readers your thought process and lead them through the transition. Your readers are your community and, though it is your blog, they are your readers and they’ll be more inclined to make the jump with you if they’re part of the process.

Questions for Comment

Have you ever changed your blog’s name? Were you able to retain your readers or did you have to start over? How long did it take you to re-build your brand once you made the change?

This article was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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RSS Series: How do I set up my blog’s RSS feed via e-mail?

Melanie Nelson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:25 +0000

If you have a blog or web site, you likely have an RSS feed your readers can subscribe to via a feed reader so they know when you’ve updated your site with new content. Traditionally, RSS feeds are read through a feed reader or news aggregator. Lately, though, more and more people are asking for feeds via e-mail. Answering that request is easier than ever and I’ll show you how.

Feedburner is the most popular tool for sharing your RSS feed. Feedburner is free, allows you to manage multiple feeds, and it’s easy to use. To include an e-mail version of your RSS feed follow these instructions:

Log in to your Feedburner account. If you don’t have one, you can follow these instructions on creating a Feedburner account.
Click on the feed you want to edit. A new page appears with the stats for that feed. This page also has tabs at the top: Analyze, Optimize, Publicize, Monetize, and Troubleshootize.
Click the Publicize tab. A new page appears with a list of services in the left sidebar.
Click the Email Subscriptions link in the left sidebar. The Email Subscriptions page appears.
Click the Activate button. The Subscription Management page appears and gives you a choice of either creating an e-mail subscription form or offering e-mail subscription via a link. You can place either option in your sidebar.
Choose either the form or link option.
- If you use TypePad or Blogger, Feedburner can create an easy-to-install widget for you (just choose your blog platform from the pull-down menu and click the Go button).
- If you use WordPress, copy the code and create a new sidebar widget for your blog.
If you choose the form option, it will look similar to this:

Your readers can simply type their e-mail address into the first box, then click the Subscribe button.

If you choose the link option, it will look similar to this:

Of course, {Blog Name} will reflect your blog’s name. When your readers click the link, the Feedburner Email Subscription Request page appears:

Your readers will need to supply a valid e-mail address and type the CAPTCHA to complete their e-mail subscription request.
Click the Save button.

If you ever want to deactivate your e-mail RSS option, just follow the above steps, but at step 4, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Deactivate button.

Are you using e-mail RSS subscriptions in addition to traditional RSS subscriptions? How do they compare (in other words, do you have about the same number of subscribers for each?)?

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RSS Series: How do I burn my blog’s RSS feed with Feedburner?

Melanie Nelson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:00:22 +0000

Today I’m starting a five-part series about RSS and why you need it. Throughout the series you’ll learn

what RSS is and why you need to make sure you’re offering it (Pt. 1)
how to burn a feed with Feedburner (Pt. 1)
how to offer your readers RSS via e-mail (Pt. 2)
how to customize your RSS button and install it on your sidebar (Pt. 3)
whether you should offer full or partial feeds (and what those are) (Pt. 4)
what your options are for monetizing your feed (Pt. 5)

Let’s get started!

RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication and it’s a way of letting your readers know when you update your site with new content. Your readers can subscribe to your RSS feed, set up an account with a feed reader (e.g., Google Reader), and then, when you update your site, the feed reader shows that content in your readers’ feed readers. This video explains RSS in the simplest way I’ve seen:

Now that you know what RSS is, how it works, and why your readers want it, you need to find out what your RSS feed is and make sure you’re providing a clear option for subscribing to your blog. Most blog platforms provide a basic feed for you when you set up your blog. These links will help you find the RSS your platform provides:

How to find your TypePad RSS
How to find your Blogger RSS
How to find your WordPress.org RSS

While it’s true that you can use the default RSS your blog platform provides, most people opt to burn a feed with Feedburner. Feeburner is free, allows you to manage multiple blog feeds in one place, and provides statistics about your subscribers. Feedburner offers so many features I can’t list them all here, but I strongly suggest you take a look through your Feedburner dashboard (after you set up your account) and see what you’ve been missing.

To burn your feed with Feedburner, just follow these instructions:

Go to http://www.feedburner.com. You’ll see a welcome page similar to this:
Type your blog’s URL into the text box under Burn a feed right this instant. If you’re a podcaster, check that box as well.
Click the Next button. You’ll see a page similar to this:

You’ll see the name of your blog (Feed Title) and your Feed Address.
Click the Next button. You’ll see a note congratulating you on claiming your feed. You’ll also see your feed’s RSS link. This is the link you’ll use when providing a subscription link for your readers.
Click the Next button. You’ll see a page similar to this:

This is where you can choose additional features for Feedburner to track for your feed. Check the boxes of the features you want to include. I suggest checking them all; if you find you don’t need the stats for those items, you can change your preferences later.
Click the Next button. You’ll see a page that looks like this (it’s actually longer and has more info, but my screen capture cut it off):

This page lists several blog platforms (click on yours to integrate your Feedburner feed with your site) and provides links for you to get even more out of your feed (Publicize, Optimize, Analyze, Monetize, and Troubleshootize).
Choose your blog platform from the list and follow Feedburner’s instructions from there.

After you integrate your Feedburner feed with your blog, I strongly suggest clicking around under each option (Publicize, Optimize, Analyze, Monetize, and Troubleshootize) to see what “extras” you can find that are a fit with your blog. As your blog grows, you may find that some items are more helpful than others or that some items aren’t a fit with your blog. You can turn things on and off as you see fit.

This article was cross-posted at BlogHer.com.

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Helpful Blogging Links: Win a Year of TypePad, Tips for Using Your Digital Camera, Photoshop Tutorial

Melanie Nelson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:00:30 +0000

Every day I share links to all the tech articles I love on the Blogging Basics 101 Tumblr blog! Subscribe to the Tumblr blog and never miss another article.

Win a Copy of TypePad for Dummies and a Year of TypePad! via Blogging Basics 101. Today’s the last day to enter to win a copy of the book I wrote with Shannon and free year of TypePad.

The Camera LOVES Ya Baby! via feathers, freesia, and fishing tackle. This article shares some tips on using your digital camera. I keep thinking I’d like to take more pictures and learn this stuff. Then I realize I have more work to do and no free time. I offer this article in the hopes that someone will take pretty pictures and inspire others since it’s clearly not in my cards.

Photoshop Tutorial: How do I maintain proportion and scale when I resize my images? via Life with My Three Boybarians. My friend Darcy is a whiz with Photoshop and she’s extra awesome because she shares her knowledge. Now that you’re taking awesome pictures with your camera (see link above), Darcy will show you how to make sure you aren’t making them wonky on your blog.

Tiled Background Designer. This is an easy little tool that will help even the design-challenged (like me) create a quick background for your blog. I’ve found this can be a quick fix until a real designer can step in and fix things up.

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RSS Series: How do I set up my blog’s RSS feed via e-mail?

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