How to Make a Blog Button

You may have noticed the blog button that popped up today at the button of my blog's sidebar. Today I'm going to teach you how to make one of those. The easy way. Lets get started!

(Yea, this was my first try...)

---

Why do you need a blog button?

A blog button is a picture, that might be your blog's 'mascot', or anything related to your site, that has a code which can be shared on another person's blog. For example, you might have seen my blog button has a code underneath. If you embed this code into your blog, (if you have one), my blog button will come up. My blog button is linked to my website, so whenever somebody clicks on the blog button, it brings them to my website. It's like how companies spread by 'word of mouth', except in this case it is 'click on button'. Now if whoever clicked on my blog button liked my website, they can copy the code given, and paste it onto their website! So now I have two blogs which have a link to my website, which gives me more chance that my website will be seen.

What to use as a Blog Button?

Anything that is related to your website. Something that captures attentions and gives your message with few words. For example, mine says, Click here to come over to All Things Mini! And at the bottom it has my (very squished) website link. Also I made it a GIF. (Using GIMP. It was hard to get at first, but then it got easy). So yea, maybe it isn't the best, but it should have a 'clear call to action'. I would have like mine to be better, and maybe a little brighter? Also maybe a bit bigger... to attract more attention....

How to make a Blog Button

Finally...

Step 1: Create your picture. A size between 100-200 pixels works best. Other wise it may not fit on a sidebar.

I think this one is 100 or 150 pixels.

Step 2: Upload your picture to something. Anything. I uploaded it to Pinterest. Anything to which a picture is up-loadable.

Step 3: Now click on the picture. Or right click on the image and click "open image in new tab". 

Step 4: See that link in your address bar? Copy that.

Step 5: Now go to http://www.mycoolrealm.com/sandbox/gbgen/. Once you get there, will in your 'credentials'. Copy paste the link from your image into the field named "Your Image URL".

Step 6: Click the "Preview" button. This is what should pop up.

Step 7: Click "Get Code". This is what should come.

Step 8: Pull out the "Embed" widget. Or whatever the equivalent in your website designer is. I use Weebly. Put it somewhere like the sidebar, or the "About" page.

Step 9: Paste the code into the box.

Step 10: When you save, or click out of the box, your button should come up, with the code underneath. Now, when people copy the code and paste it on their website, the viewers who click on the button will be directed to your website.

If you want, here is a video link to a video I created myself:
Blog Button Creation Video

I hope this helped, and you should now have a working blog button! Congrats! :) :)
Now publish your site! If you do end up trying to make a button, feel free to send it me, and I will see if it works! 

All the best!
-Erin