Active Rain has many fantastic Blogs and Writers.  They have also provided you with some useful tools to help you keep track and follow some of your favorite Bloggers and posts.  Here are 5 ways you can "Subscribe" or "Track" your Favs.  I will also cover how to "ADD" the subscribe link many of you have used to "Subscribe" to my Blog.

  1. The first way to subscribe to another members Blog is very simple.  As you navigate through Active Rain and stumble upon posts and writers that have "value-added" content, or subject matter that you are particularly fond of, you can "Subscribe" to their Blog by scrolling to the top of your screen and clicking on the  above their Active Rain Photo.  This does not notify you when they post a new article to their Blog, it simply adds them to your "Dashboard."  To see your dashboard, and all your Blog Subscriptions, click the link on your tool bar at the top of your screen that says "Blogs."  Your Dashboard will give you two columns of Blog posts.  The left column will be all the posts on AR sorted by the most recent, and the right column will be all your "Blog Subscriptions", CLICK HERE to see who you've subscribed to already.


  2. The second way to subscribe is something you might want to consider for your Blog.  This way will allow readers to subscribe to your Blog, but instead of relying on the "Dashboard View", visitors and readers can be notified by email when you post something new to your Blog.  For this method, I use a product called FEEDBLITZ.   Visitors just add their email address and click on "Subscribe" and that's it.  When you post, they will be notified by email.  You will need to go to their site and register to get the "Subscribe Widget" you see below my photo.  (Click on Preview to see a sample of the email that goes out to subscribers)
     
    Preview Sample Email to Subscribers


  3. The third way to subscribe is to create an RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication) of your favorite Blogs and Bloggers.  There are many ways to do this, I will show you the simplest one.  An RSS feed brings all the information to you instead of you going to look for it. 

    • Google has a FREE Reader you should check out, this will allow you to start adding subscriptions or you can just take the tour to understand it more thoroughly. 

    • Using their Keyword Search Feature will get you any Blog, Topic, or person you are looking for.
       
    • Once your search is complete, just click on the "Subscribe" links that you want and you're done.  Now you can use the Google Reader to keep up with the writers and Blogs that matter most.  It's like having your own personal on-line newspaper.  I really recommend checking out the Google Reader.


  4. The fourth way to subscribe is really simple, a bit old fashioned, but it does work.  You can always add your Favorite Blogs as a Bookmark to your Browser.  I don't use this Feature within Active Rain, however I do use it on many of the "Outside Blogs" some even written by fellow Active Rain members.  You will find that some of your favorite Authors and Bloggers here also run other Blogs outside of Active Rain.  Many of them I have tagged as "Favorites" in my browser.  Don't laugh, people still use this method to keep track of their favorite sites and Blogs.


  5. The fifth way to subscribe is a bit more complicated, and is one that I have been asked about many times.  I add the "Subscribe" and "Add Associate" buttons to the bottom of ALL my posts just in case other members or readers may not know or be aware of the other 4 ways to subscribe.  How do you do this?  Here's what I do:

    Below is a quick sample of something you could create or use for this part of the tutorial:



  • Select a graphic you wish to use as a "Subscribe" button or icon.  You can even make your own if you're feeling creative and have the application to do it.  (I use the one provided by Active Rain)
  • To use the Active Rain "Subscribe" icon, right click your mouse over the icon, and select the "Save Image As..." option.  Give the file a name like "Subscribe.jpg" and save it to your desktop or a place you can find it later.   (That's the graphic or image you'll need to upload in just a minute...)  You can use the one above too...
  • Now, you'll need to get the link to your "Subscribe" button that's above your photo.  To do that, just right click on the "Subscribe Button" above your picture, right click your mouse over the button, and select the option "Copy Link Location..."  Make sure you are not already "Subscribed" to your own Blog.  The button MUST READ "Subscribe To Blog."  If it reads "Unsubscribe" DO NOT copy the link, Unsubscribe first, then copy your link. 
  • Lastly, place the icon (or any graphic you choose) on your post, and link the graphic or "Subscribe Button" to your Agent Id link as shown below. 
  • The only thing that will be different is your agent id number.  Mine is 22617, just replace mine with yours and you're good to go. 
  • To find your Agent ID: Go to your "profile page", right click mouse on "your picture", select the " properties" option, and a box will open showing a long URL that appears like this:


    FINDING YOUR AGENT ID USING FLOCK:





    FINDING YOUR AGENT ID USING FIREFOX:



FINDING YOUR AGENT ID USING INTERNET EXPLORER:



Now you have all the information you'll need to setup a "Subscribe Button" on your post.  To make sure you are able to take this process to it's completion, I just want to reiterate the instructions for adding the graphic and creating the proper link to your graphic so that you don't accidentally set it up so that members are clicking on your "Subscribe" and actually subscribing to mine.  So, please read these instructions very carefully:

 


 

If you are not sure how to "ADD" a link to a graphic, I'll explain it for you here:

  1. Place your mouse or cursor where you want the image to appear
  2. Click on the insert graphic icon   from the tool bar at the top of your page.

  3. Select the  icon under the general tab ( it's just to the right of "Image URL" )

  4. Click on "Browse" and find your "Subscribe" graphic or Icon of choice

  5. Click on "Upload Photo" and you'll see your "Subscribe" Icon appear

  6. Click "Insert" to place your "Subscribe Graphic" anywhere on your post or page


Now you have your graphic on the page, and it's ready to link.  To create a link to your "Subscribe" Icon, here's how you do it:

  1. Click one time on the icon you wish to create the link to 
  2. Next, Click on the   icon from the tool bar at the top of your page

  3. Place the URL (see below) you copied from your "Subscribe Button" into the "Link URL" box

    The link should look something like this, but with YOUR agent ID number:
    http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=22617

    *** VERY IMPORTANT ***
    (All you need to do is replace my agent id 22617, with yours for the link to work)

  4. Next, enter a title into the "Title" box, for example: SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG etc.
    (FYI: this only appears on when the users mouse hovers over the icon or graphic)

  5. Now click "Insert" and you are done! 


I told you it was a bit more complicated.  But I also knew you could do it!

Keep in mind that you will have to go through this process every time you do a new post.  If you want to have the  "Subscribe" option included on your post, this is the only way, and you'll have to add it to each post.  I hope this post helps you understand some of the ways you can "Subscribe" to others and setup additional opportunities for others to "Subscribe" to you.  If you're not quite sure about any of this at all, that's OK too, just let me know....I'll help you out.  I'm not just a member, I'm a SUBSCRIBER!!  :-)

Content Copyright Protected © 2008 - Brad Andersohn       Subscribe to Brad Andersohns Blog      Add Brad Andersohn as an Associate       The Rest of My Blog

 

 

 

          

 

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98 Comments on 5 Ways To Subscribe To Blogs

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

MAR
09
2008
366,508 Points 17 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Called Shot Master
Brad - thank you!  I got it!  I never noticed that tab.  I should have asked you in the first place instead of stumbling around for 3 days  (I have already subscribed to 67 of my favorites, I know how to do that, thanks - now I need to add a couple more.)
10:00pm • #79
681,625 Points 316 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Virginia - glad you found them, they'll be happy to have you subscribe!!  I know I am!  :-)
11:42pm • #80
MAR
10
2008
215,481 Points 28 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
LOTS of information here!  I think I can take this and apply it to the information Mary McKnight posted about creating backlinks and be really powerful!  THANKS!
9:48am • #81
681,625 Points 316 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Eleanor - Mary is the bomb!  You can apply anything she shares and you're good to do.  Mine is just a little icing on the cake!!  :-)  Thanks for the nice comment! 
3:55pm • #82
MAR
11
2008
199,483 Points 5 Featured Posts
This is such a great post because you sum up all of the ways to subscribe in one place!  I haven't tried all of these yet and I am one of those people that still does save some blogs and articles to my favorites, ha! 
8:11am • #83
681,625 Points 316 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master
Patricia - I save a ton of stuff in my Favs, not just blogs, I must have 1000+ bookmarks, there....I confessed too! LOL!~  Thanks for the kudos!  :-)
9:59am • #84
JUN
12
2008

So much great information. Thank you, Brad, for all your   valuable information. I have subscribed and will learn so much from your blogs. You're awesome!

1:46pm • #85
681,625 Points 316 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Brian - thanks, humbly speaking, I forgot how much info was on this post! Holy Cow, it must have been one of those "Red Bull" nights! lol~  Thanks my friend, I'll try not to disappoint you since you're subscribing! :-))

10:29pm • #86
AUG
14
2008
163,968 Points 3 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Hi Brad,

I love learning new things, but I'm currently pulling my hair out.....

I tried the #5 tip on changing your "Subscribe" key, but I can't even get past "copy link location" (above the photo on the blog) because both my computers, a year old HP & my 6 month old MACBOOK PRO doesn't have that capacity.  It's harder on the Mac since I can't right click, but I thought the HP would have worked.  I even tried both on the HP; the FireFox and Internet Explorer  (newest version ~ 9.0, if I remember correctly), but neither worked.  I don't have the "copy link location" for a right click command, and I tried all the other commands that the "right click" had.

  What am I doing wrong????  AUGH! Eh!

9:11pm • #87
AUG
24
2008
531,270 Points 33 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Oh Brad I read comments saying 'easy to understand' and i'm feeling obtuse.......i've tried the "To do that, just right click on the "Subscribe Button" above your picture, right click your mouse over the button, and select the option "Copy Link Location..."  and for the life of me i can't see a copy link location when i right clicl on the subscribe button........i've picked a button that Marti was so awesome to design for us.......Deb had offered to set me one up but then i followed Marti's link to you and thought maybe i could do it myself.........but I'm totally flustered now...:-(  Help!

8:32pm • #88
OCT
07
2008
1 Featured Post

FINALLY, THE KEY TO "ADD AS AN ASSOCIATE" AND "SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG" BUTTONS. THANKS A MILLION!!

11:06am • #89
OCT
19
2008
1 Featured Post Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp

Thanks Brad for the info here as I see I need to make it a little easier for members and others to subscribe to my blog.

12:28pm • #90
NOV
11
2008
126,222 Points 3 Featured Posts

Brad - Thanks to you again, but this one seems way to complicated to me to have to do with every blog.  Maybe later....

 

Debbie

12:57pm • #91
DEC
21
2008
6 Featured Posts

Here it is!! Now lets see if I can do this. :)

1:49pm • #92
JAN
19
2009

I'm somewhat new to Activerain. How do I unsubscribe to a blog that I mistakenly subscribed to?

Thanks

10:12am • #93
MAR
10
2009

Thanks Brad.  I am about to post my first blog...I will look into ths.

3:50pm • #94
NOV
11
2009
118,342 Points 1 Featured Post

Brad, as a relative newbie I am trying to look at every tutorial you have posted.  It sure takes a long time to learn some of these technicalities.  But, I'm working at it.  Charlie Gantz, Greenwood, IN; J.D., M.B.A.; owner/principal broker, Atlas Commercial Real Estate, LLC

5:22pm • #95
JAN
07
2010
990,453 Points 50 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Hi Brad - I'm trying to figure out my agent id and I'm having trouble.  I wasn't able to right click on my "subscribe" button and when I went to my profile and picture this is the address it shows:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/activerain-image-store/agents/193976/large/Michelle_Gibson_3x5_1_.jpg?1254172178

Is the 193976 my agent id?

Thanks

5:44pm • #96
JAN
08
2010
681,625 Points 316 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Michelle - Yes, your AR ID is: 193976.  The link would look like this but with your member ID number.

http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=22617 Hope that helps. :-)

 

1:15am • #97
JAN
13
2010

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Brad Andersohn

ActiveBrad

Fairfield, CA

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Zillow - Natl Outreach Mgr & Dir of Zillow Academy

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