Easy Widgets, Part 2

You may have read and followed Widgets in 5 easy steps, and now you're ready for a bigger challenge.  Check out the ‘Headline Animator' in the left panel of my blog - it flashes the titles of my last four blogs to catch your eye as you're reading this one.  Or the mini version of my blog in a Springbox widget that allows you to scroll and read short clips of my blogs.  Getting these customized widgets is a bit more complicated, so try inserting an ordinary widget first if you haven't yet.

1.  The first step for customized widgets is to Log in to Active Rain and open your AR profile.  Click "My Settings" in the left panel.  Go into the small box labeled "Blog Description" (the middle box) and scroll down below the text you have placed there about yourself.  Text is limited to 100 words, but the widget code you'll place there does not count as words.

2.  FOR A HEADLINE ANIMATOR, open a new window or tab and go to http://www.feedburner.com/.  Type your URL in the box on the opening page,  http://activerain.com/blogs/yourusername/rss  and push "Next," then continue through the sequence of menus.  You'll be asked to give your feed a title and you'll need to register to create an account.  You can choose to track visits and subscriptions to your feed.  After clicking next several times, you'll be on a page that allows you to share your feed through a direct link to various blogging platforms, or to PUBLICIZE through a headline animator or a springwidgets box.  Click "Publicize" and on the next menu, click "Headline Animator" to customize your banner.  You can tweak size, color, and design (to an extent).  When the sample looks like you want it to, click "Activate".  You'll see your sample with your headlines flashing.  You can send your animator directly to some blogging platforms, or you can select from the dropdown menu "Just gimme the code".  Copy the code, and go on to steps 3 and 4 below.

3.  Return to the "Blog Description" box on your open "My Settings" profile page.  At the bottom of the text you should enter one or two blank lines, then paste in the code you copied (control-V).  The code you copied should appear there.  Click "Update" on the lower left of the Blog Settings box.

4.  Click "My Blog" in the left panel to see the results of the code you chose and copied.  If all goes well, you'll see your customized headline banner appear in the right panel of your blog from now on.

5. TO MAKE A WIDGET BOX OF YOUR BLOG:  Open another tab or window on the internet.  In this new window, go to http://www.springwidgets.com/ to create a tiny widget box of your blog to put in the right panel or on your website or another blog.  Click "Express Widget" on the left panel.  You will be asked for the URL of the blog you wish to showcase.  Type in http://activerain.com/blogs/yourusername/rss, then click "submit".  Now you will configure your widget (you should already see the titles of your blogs listed in the sample widget).  Give your widget a name, a description, choose the dimension, color, and other options.  Keep it simple if all this is new; you don't have to use all of the options (but you must use the description box).  Now push "Publish my Widget."  You will need to register at this point and then you'll be shown your widget in its final form.  The "Share It" area on the left panel allows you to see the HTML code.  Click the HTML button, the code will appear in a box below.  Highlight and copy (control-C).  Now follow steps 3 and 4 above to place the code in your blog.

The "Get Widget" button that appears under your widget will allow others to place your widget with your info on their desktop or myspace, etc., giving you free ad space.  Enjoy your widgets!