Use a Header with Penn State Logo

The minimum visual standard for each blog is to display a banner graphic/header that contains the Penn State mark. Please keep in mind that the header should not be so large that it overpowers the content on your blog or pushes the content too far down on the page.

The Ag Communications group will assist bloggers in developing a banner/header. You can contact Steve Williams  (sfw3@psu.edu) or Chris More (cjm49@psu.edu) to request help creating a header.

Subscribe Via RSS

You should allow your readers the ability to subscribe to your blog via RSS and email subscriptions. To allow readers to subscribe via RSS, you will need to add the "Subscription Links" gadget.

Subscribe Via Email

You should allow your readers the ability to subscribe to your blog via RSS and email subscriptions. Follow these instructions to add a gadget to your blog that will allow readers to subscribe via email.

1. Go to http://feedburner.google.com/
2. Log in with your Google Account
3. Below “Burn a feed right this instance” enter your blog URL
4. Click Next
5. On the Identify Feed Source page, choose the RSS option
6. Click Next
7. Click Next
8. Click Next
9. Click Next
10. Click the Publicize tab
11. On the left, click “Email Subscriptions”
12. Click Activate
13. Copy the code shown
14. Go to your Blog in Blogger
15. Go to Layout tab
16. Select the Page Elements option
17. Add a Gadget
18. Choose the HTML/Javascript Gadget
19. Enter a title, such as Subscribe Via Email
20. Paste the code into the Content area
21. Click Save

Standard Links

In order to enhance the possibility of increased traffic to other blogs and to Penn State sites, each blog should have the following links displayed/listed:

• College of Ag Sciences (agsci.psu.edu)
• Penn State (http://www.psu.edu/)
• Your department, program or Cooperative Extension home page
• The Dean's Desk (agsci.psu.edu/dean/blog)
• Possible other college blogs

Facebook Link

Each blog should have a link to the College's fan page on Facebook.

• Use the Link List gadget
• Use this name: Ag Sciences Facebook
• Use this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/University-Park-PA/College-of-Agricultural-Sciences-Penn-State-University/53789486293

Sociable

This cool gadget allows your viewers to quickly take your post and add it to their social media applications such as Delicious, FaceBook and Twitter.

To add this functionality to your blog, you will need to add the "Sociable" gadget.

Twitter Feeds/Updates

If you, the author maintains a relevant Twitter account, you can include it on your blog. If you don't tweet, you could use a departmental tweet, a program team tweet, a county tweet or the Dean's tweets (twitter name:MEDFLYGENES).

You will need to add an HTML/Javascript gadget and copy and paste the following code into the gadget.  Once it is pasted, you will replace our twitter name (AGITTRAINING) with your twitter name in the two locations shown.

<div id="twitter_div" style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 10px 0px 2px;"><ul id="twitter_update_list"></ul>
<a id="twitter-link" style="display:block;text-align:right;" href="http://twitter.com/AGITTRAINING">follow me on Twitter</a>
</div>
<script src="http://twitter.com/javascripts/blogger.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/AGITTRAINING.json?callback=twitterCallback2&count=5" type="text/javascript"></script>

Followers

The Followers gadget is a tool to help you grow your blog's audience. Readers often visit a blog and enjoy it but fail to return. With the followers gadget you can get readers to return and become a fan.

Also, if you have a blog which has many readers you can show off the popularity of your blog using Followers. 

We recommend that you write a post about your followers gadget and encourage readers to become a follower. Many readers ignore sidebar items so writing a post about your followers gadget should grow your audience.

NOTE: In order to become a follower of a blog, users will need to have a Google, Twitter, Yahoo, AIM, or Netlog account or an OpenID.

To Show Labels or Not?!

Labels or categories can be used on each post to allow them to be grouped together. Labels are handy if you blog about a lot of different subjects, since readers can then choose to view all of your posts on, say, gardening at once. When you publish your post, the label(s) may be listed with it. Clicking any of the labels will take you to a page containing only posts with that label.

Use the Label Gadget and edit the settings to determine how many labels to appear in the gadget, although you can use more labels than actually appear. We recommend you use a maximum of 10 in the gadget.

A few other tips:

• Be consistent with the names of your labels. Use the Show all button if needed on each post.
• Authors of team blogs should agree on a pre-determined set of labels to use.

Note: The following characters cannot be used in labels: & < > @ ! ,

Contributors - Who are they?

The Contributors gadget is more important than you think. This is the author or authors of the blog. People want to know who you are and why should they listen to what you have to say!

Blogger has a built in profile page which should include pictures, bio, professional expertise are good. Or you have some other options to create a different bio page:

• Create a custom post and link to that if you wish
• Create a page outside the blog and link to it (i.e. page on county or dept. website)

If you are using the built in profile page from Blogger.com be sure to edit it today and then review on a regular basis to make sure it's current.

Use Lists, Bullets Points and Pictures

Long posts of straight text can be, well BORING! I mean, long posts of straight text are less likely to attract readers.

People like to absorb information in bite-size pieces. Use headings to break up the block of text.

Bullets and lists help organize the information.

Pictures also make your posts more interesting to look at and give readers a quick clue about the content. jpegs work well, while gif's are iffy.

Let's Focus

Stay focused on each post!

Stick to one topic per post and make sure the topic is different enough from the previous posts so your readers don't get bored.

Posting Guidelines

Frequent and consistent posts are a must! This will develop traffic and loyal readers and help with the overall effectiveness of the site.

Recommendations:

• Post every 2 weeks or more often.
• Use original text and pictures
• Link to relevant information on other sites
• Link to other sites that may be of interest to your audience

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an application that allows for tracking the visits and reactions to posts over time. It provided detailed reports. Google Analytic code should be activate. More information and the code is found on the Communication & Marketing page.

Comments

All blogs should accept comments to allow for possible audience dialog. Commentscan be moderated or unmoderated, your choice!

Moderated comments will require the author to check in and accept or decline each comment.

Unmoderated comments are the easiest for the author and the spam comments can still be deleted.

Marketing & Promotion 2

Once you get your blog established with more than a few posts, start publicizing it. Use the link in your newsletter, your county or department page, your email signature line, Tweet about it and post it on your Facebook page.

Get the point?

Put in on your pencils, pens, bookmarks... :)

Marketing & Promotion 1

Successful blogs grow slowly so be patient!
You will not be added to the College's blog list with your first post, or even your second.

Successful blogs grow slowly over time and require input and attention beyond management and content develpment. Being listed on the College blogs list will help as will crosslinking with other college blogs but in order to find new readers it is important to find other blogs, sites and forums on the Web relevant to your blog and begin posting on those sites with links back to your own. These posts must be relevant to those sites and not purely a pitch for your own. This is a time consuming process if not carefully managed. It is suggested that a written plan be developed indicating which sites you will visit, how often and stick to that plan so as to not get caught up in those sites and spending more time than necessary.

For more information about promoting a blog visit How to Promote Your Work essay and How I'd Promot My Blog if Starting Out Again. Or, just google "How to Promote a Blog" for lots of suggestions.

Defining Your Blogging Committment

Boggers should make their employer aware of their blogging plans if they will be doing this as part of their job or referencing their professional work. Plans for how the blog will be handled if the blogger changes jobs or can't continue should be discussed and planned for.

Blogger vs. Other Programs

Blogger is our recommended blogging tool at this time. It will allow for the growth of a community of bloggers that can provide support and expertise among the group. It is suggested that new blogs using other tools that have not yet developed an audience consider migrating to Blogger.