Jeff Dowler wrote a great post regarding "How To Use His Blog - A Road Map" showing Buyers, Sellers, and Visitors how to navigate his Blog on ActiveRain. This was a fantastic idea, so I wanted to expand on it, thanks Jeff. As with any Blog roll, as content is added to your Blog, the previous Blog is moved down the roll allowing for the most current post to be at the top of your Blog. In this case, Jeff's great post will eventually be pushed down the Blog Roll and end up off the page. (it's already dropped down to 3rd place)
In the event that you create a post that you wish to remain visible, there are two ways to do this.
First: You can create a link to the post using the "Add/Remove" links on your Blog sidebar. The only thing with this option is that the links appear down below the "Tags" menu bar on your Blogs sidebar. The more widgets and gadgets you have, the lower these links will be pushed down the side of the computer screen.
Second: You can create a custom link to remain at the top of your Blog sidebar, or you can place it wherever you feel is the best location anywhere on your sidebar. The choice is yours.
OPTION ONE:
To add a link using the "Add/Remove" links option:
1. Scroll down on your Blog sidebar till you come to the "Add/Remove" Links
2. Click on the "add/remove" link located next to Links
3. In the "Link" Box, add the URL of ANY page you want to direct your visitors to. IE: http://activerain.com
4. In the "Link Text" Box, add the TEXT that you want to appear as the Link. IE: Real Estate Network
(Suggestion: Use some enticing text that will create the desire for visitors to want to click on it)
5. Click on the "Add Link" Button and you're done. TIP: Be sure to always test your links to make sure they work.
OPTION TWO:
To add a "Custom Link" and "Text" to your Blog sidebar using the "Settings" page:
This is a bit more advanced, but you can do it if you follow these simple steps. I'll use my most recent post as an example of how to add this to the Top of the Blog sidebar. This will apply to any custom link you wish to create on your Blog sidebar.
1. Click on "My Home"
2. Click on the "Settings" link located on the left hand sidebar
3. Here is the secret and most important step. You will need to use this HTML code below to create a custom link. You can use any URL or web address where you want the link to go. Then just add the custom text you want displayed on your sidebar. The HTML must be exactly as shown. Just use YOUR URL or web address and text and replace what I have used as a sample below.
4. All the HTML Codes for custom links will go in the SECOND Box on your "Settings Page", see below:
Quick Tip: If Using the <b> to Bold text or <i> to make italics, they must be closed with these </b> or </i>
EXAMPLE: <b>Makes Text Bold</b> and <i>Makes Text Italicized</i>
5. Now just click on the "Update" button on your settings page to save your work.
If you have other custom created widgets and links on your sidebar, then the placement of this custom link will depend on where you decide to place the link (code). Just place it above or below any existing links or widgets you may already have. The final result should be a link on your Blog sidebar that looks something like this.
See my sidebar for "Live" link sample. There is something new to learn here everyday that can enhance and add more value to your Blog. This may seem really advanced for some, but once you do it a couple times, it will make sense and be easy to do in the future. I hope this will simplify adding links to your ActiveRain Blog Sidebar. Jeff Dowler's post would be an excellent example of something I'd want to have a link to at the top of my Blog sidebar for ALL visitors to see. Thanks for sharing that Jeff, it's what inspired this tutorial. :-)
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