Friday, July 30, 2010

Add a Clickable Signature to Your Blog Comments

When you leave a comment on someone's blog, you can make it super easy for the blogger to follow you back to your blog or website.

Most of us have an ID that links to our blogging profile. Once at our profile page, a visitor needs to search for our blog's link, then take another step to visit our blog.

With a tiny bit of html code, you can turn your signature into a clickable link so any visitor who wants to know more about you (because you left such an intriguing comment on my blog) can follow you directly back to your own blog, and maybe become a follower, and leave comments . . .

Well, that sounds a bit like stalking, but you know what I mean. I think it's a great way to attract new followers to your blog. I encourage you to do it here. And if you see other bloggers leaving a clickable signature at your site, feel free to do the same when you return their visit.

If I type it out for you, I'll have created another clickable link and you still won't know how to do it. Therefore, the easiest way to learn how to write the html code phrase is to:

1. Type the name you want to use for your signature in your new post Compose window.
2. Create a link to your blog from that signature.
3. Switch to the Edit Html window and see what the code looks like.
4. Copy that piece of code into a notebook (or copy and paste into a Word document).
5. Type the complete code phrase (or copy and paste from your Word doc) each time you wish to leave a clickable link signature in a comment.

If this explanation is totally incomprehensible, e-mail me at patriciastoltey at yahoo dot com and put "clickable signature" in the subject line. Give me the name you want to use in your signature line, and the blog or website url you want to use in the link. I'll send you a Word attachment that has the code for your very own clickable signature typed out for you.

Signing off for now,
Patricia Stoltey

49 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Patricia I will take you up on that offer of emailing you, anything to do with pcs and tecky things I am useless,......well not useless ot's just that I haven't learned yet how to do many things.I have had so much hassle with a cell phone it's uncomprendable.
Yvonne.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I might try that.

Ella said...

I will consider this; it is a great idea~

Jan Morrison said...

I tried it and it worked - thanks!
Jan Morrison

Cruella Collett said...

I'm officially testing this right now...

The Giraffability of Digressions

Yay! Great advice, thanks :)

Unknown said...

This is such a wonderful post, I want to link to it on my Sunday Blog.

Thanks,

Clarissa Draper from Listen To The Voices

Patricia Stoltey said...

Good morning, everyone. Congratulations to those who left links (and I'll be seeing you at your blog in just a few minutes).

For those who need extra bit of help, I'm happy to do it. When I first starting working with my own website and then a blog, I had no html experience. I did a lot of trial and error (mostly error). Thanks to a lot of helpful writers and bloggers, I've learned a lot. I love the chance to pass it on.

Clarissa, I'd love it if you linked to this post on Sunday. Thanks.

Lisa_Gibson said...

Sounds great. Thanks for posting this. I'm going to give it a shot.

Ann Best said...

Oh my gosh, Pat. I did it. It works! Thank you. You're awesome.

Ann Best

Ann Best said...

I clicked on the signature you just posted on my blog - and it took me here!!! Aren't we having a great day! Fun, fun...

Patricia Stoltey said...

I guess I should practiced what I preach. I finally remembered to leave my signature link when I hopped over to Ann's blog, but I totally forgot to do that when I went to visit Jan, Cruella, and Carissa.

I also left a trail of typos in my comments this morning, even more than usual. Maybe I need another cup of coffee.

Jemi Fraser said...

I going to try it now...

Just Jemi

Hope it worked :)

Jennifer Shirk said...

Hey, that's cool! Thx!

Terry Odell said...

Good reminder - it's a case of "I know how, but don't take the extra time" when I leave blog comments. Only now I can't decide if I should link to my blog or my website!

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Anonymous said...

Great idea and a fantastic offer, Pat. I think I know what you mean and I'm going to go try. If I can't make it happen, I'll be back to you!

Anonymous said...

I think I did it!

Sylvia Dickey Smith

Patricia Stoltey said...

Geesh, now that I've got all of you using the links, I need to remember to do it myself. What was I thinking?

Unknown said...

You've confused me again. I thought Blogger automatically gave you a link when it listed orange name. Granted it goes to your profile, but you can access blogs there.

Patricia Stoltey said...

You're not confused, Kay, you're absolutely right. But going through the profile takes longer, and some bloggers have a lot of information there, including old blogs they no longer keep up. Visitors have to hunt for the correct blog to visit.

This method just speeds up the process and makes it easier for others to visit your blog if they see your comments elsewhere on the web.

Hemmie said...

What a great idea - it might help me gather more blog followers - unfortunately, i'll have to email you as my mind is spinning. Thanks

N. R. Williams said...

Great blog...I use the click able link all the time.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Patricia Stoltey said...

I just found a better explanation of how to do this at Dani Greer's blogbooktour blog site:
http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/2010/07/comment-tip.html

Beth Groundwater said...

Hi Pat,
I'm giving it a try. Thanks for the idea, and here's my send-off:

Beth Groundwater

Patricia Stoltey said...

Better yet, let's see if I can add the actual link: blogbooktour blog

Patricia Stoltey said...

Hi Beth, thanks for stopping by. I wish I'd noticed Dani's post before I struggled for over an hour to write my version. Her instructions are much better. :)

Unknown said...

I'm testing it here.

Elle Strauss

Unknown said...

Hey it worked!

Is there a way to make that happen automatically?

Elle Strauss

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

This is such a good thing to know. Thanks for posting. I have it in a Word file and go and copy and paste!

Monti
MaryMontagueSikes

Natasha said...

Thank you so much, Patricia. I've always wondered how it works, but now I know. May not use it much, because most of the comments I leave are on blogs I know and which know me, but it is still good to know.

Hold my hand: a social worker's blog said...

Patricia,
I just got back from Jamaica, where my husband and I spent a wonderful vacation. But that's not all, I got to tell you that I took with me "The Prairie grass murders" book to finish reading it -which I did- but the book is now part of another story that I will be posting soon. All I can say is that your book is in the hands of a lovely Jamaican girl... .I will let you know when I get to post the story...
(((((( hugs )))))))
Doris

Patricia Stoltey said...

Hi everyone, it's Saturday and I decided to leave this post up another day since it's generating so much interest.

Elle -- if there's a way to generate the signature automatically, I haven't figured it out yet. I double-checked Dani Greer's post, but she also says to copy and paste the signature line.

Hi Doris. Thanks for taking my book with you on vacation and mentioning it here. I love a good story, so I'll be looking forward to your post about Jamaica.

Michelle Mach said...

What a neat idea! I'd never thought about adding a link in my signature on blogs, but it makes sense and is pretty easy to do.

Michelle

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I had one a year and a half ago, as did a lot of people, but slowly everyone dropped the signature, so I did as well. I felt like I was advertising.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Michelle -- You're right -- it's not hard and it makes it very easy for other readers to check our our blogs.

Diane -- Leaving the link with just your name seems like a courtesy to the host blogger and to his followers. However, those who use a three line signature that includes links to website, blog, book link, etc. are overdoing it. I don't recommend that at all.

Glynis Peters said...

Well let's see:
Author Blog: Glynis Smy

Thank you so much Patricia, it works. I hope it links out, because I have done this before and it goes nowhere. :)

Glynis Peters said...

Yipee, you are a star, it links to my blog. Thanks again.

Peter D Springberg, MD, FACP said...

I'm going to try again, Pat. I just walked through the procedure with Maryjo. I added the left caret, a, right caret at the end, but it still doesn't look like a clickable signature.

Peter D Springberg, MD, FACP

Peter

Peter D Springberg, MD, FACP said...

Peter D Springberg, MD, FACP

Peter D Springberg, MD, FACP said...

Peter Springberg

Michelle Gregory said...

thanks for the tutorial.

beautiful chaos

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

That was a fantastic explanation and I've now created my own signature! Thank you very much for that.

I'm glad to see you're signed up for the A-Z challenge, as I am. Take a second to click on my new signature and check out my blog!

Duncan In Kuantan

Sue said...

oh, maybe that worked! I'll check back later, thankyou :)
Sue@JumpingAground

Ruth said...

Awesome! I've been wondering how to do that. I've been linking to my profile pic.

Ruth. I'm testing it out now.

welcome to me

yummy stuff

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip. Works great!

Blue Velvet Vincent

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, apparently it doesn't work so great! LOL
Will try again. =)

Blue Velvet Vincent

Patricia Stoltey said...

Beverly, I think you have it!

Anonymous said...

Yeah! Success. Thank you. Have a great day.

Hannah Roderick said...

Wow indeed. On first reading, I definitely thought I'd need to email for some more help.

With a little patience, a re-read and trying it out, brilliance! Success!

Thank you for sharing such useful tips and for explaining it so simply.

I'll keep watching, so thank you.
Hannah Roderick: People Watch

dk mitchell said...

Thank you. Will give it a try and then come back and make another thank you and add my clickable signature.