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Wednesday, March 23, 2016

A to Z Tips - Creating a signature for the #atozchallenge

Here is a tidbit that you might find useful come April.

Visiting blogs and commenting on them is a huge part of the A to Z experience. And so is visiting back! If you want to make sure that people whose blog you commented on can find you and visit you back easily, it is very useful to have a hyperlink signature at the end of your comment.
Here is how that works:

Fill out this template with your own information:


[Your name or Twitter handle] from
<a href="yourblogaddress">Name of Your Blog</a>

You can add more lines if you have more blogs.
For example, my signature looks like this on code:

@TarkabarkaHolgy from
<a href="http://multicoloreddiary.blogspot.com">The Multicolored Diary</a>
<a href="http://hungarykum.blogspot.com">MopDog</a>

And looks like this when you see it at the end of my comments:

@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog

IMPORTANT: SAVE YOUR SIGNATURE somewhere where you can easily find it and copy-paste it. Me, I have it saved under Drafts in my Gmail box. Every time I go visiting, I just Copy the code, and then Paste it at the end of my comments.

Also: Some commenting formats, like Disqus, don't read HTML. In those cases, just copy and paste your blog URL. The important thing is to leave an address so people you visited and easily visit you back, without having to sift through your G+ profile or your Blogger lists.

124 comments:

  1. Thank you. This is helpful - assuming I did it correctly. Please delete if I botched it!

    Traci Nathaniel Walker
    Traci Nathaniel Walker
    @TraciNathaniel on Twitter
    Traci’s Facebook Page

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nevermind. They work! Again, thanks. This will be a productive month and some, I can see that already.

      Delete
    2. Looks great! Some blogs also don't allow URLs (some, like mine, only allow them to pass unmoderated after you've left a certain number of comments and proven you're human, not a spambot). Try anyway. It's a great way to get backlinks, if they're allowed; if your comment's good, it will probably be published after review; if it's banned, oh well. Better luck next time!

      URLs are most likely to be permitted (at least on my blog!) if they can be verified, go where they appear to go (aren't misleading), and aren't blatantly commercial in nature (no "landing pages" for MMO schemes!), etc.

      If they contain a backlink to your own blog, Facebook, Twitter and you're inviting people to connect, that's great! It's also super convenient for people who want to visit you.

      Delete
  2. This is really very useful. I still had my signature saved from last year. I used it the first day of the theme reveal.
    Thanks so much for sharing this :-)

    JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - Jazz Age Jazz

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  3. Hi ATH - I need to get this sorted this year .. cheers Hilary

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  5. Think I got it right this time :)
    Zeljka from
    The Truck Traveller

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  6. So glad to see this highlighted here, thank you. This is a serious time-saver. Helped me no end navigating my first (and all subsequent!) A-Z.
    Best wishes,
    Nilanjana.
    Madly-in-Verse

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  7. I loved this idea and hopefully I've done mine right too - thanks so much :)
    Leanne from
    cresting the hill

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  8. Fortunately it's rather easy to figure out which blog in my Blogger profile is mine. But this would be helpful for those with Google+ profiles because it's a pain in the butt to find a blog there.

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  9. The last part of this blog post is important - some commenting formats DON'T read HTML. Don't assume they all do. If there's no way to preview your comment, and you enter your signature via HTML, you won't know if your signature appears properly until you've completed the process. The link to your blog will still be there even if the HTML didn't take, but it will just look funny because it will be mixed in with HTML coding.

    A to Z Theme Reveal: Becoming an Author

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  10. LOVE this tip ... thank you so much!

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  11. It makes a difference. And Last year I put the instructions on the bottom of all my posts.

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  12. I forgot to say that the reason I added it to my posts was so others would do it and explained some people are very hard to find in order to respond back.. I keep my code as a sticky or note on my desktop.

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  13. Thank you. This is a great helpful tip. Now can you help me with trying to figure out what I'm going to write about? :)
    Lynda Grace from my blog
    Lynda Grace An Hour Away

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  14. What a neat trick! Thank you. I'm going to try it out, so here goes:

    @deb_atwood from
    Pen In Her Hand

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  18. (Sorry, I was fiddling with codings on multiple sites. Please remove my earlier deleted comments.)

    Finally got it set up. Thanks!

    Doing at least SIX blogs this time. (Five themes have already been revealed. Working on the sixth one and adding that blog to the A-Z Linky list.)

    Here we go!

    Fad to the Bone – Dog Products Revue
    Heart of a Ready Writer
    Just Workin’ It – Job Starts and Smarts
    Kicking MS to the Curb
    Nickers and Ink Poetry and Humor
    Practically at Home

    Find me on Facebook
    Find me on Twitter

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    Replies
    1. I can barely handle one blog and you're doing SIX!? I'm in awe.

      Delete
  19. Can I warn people who are new to this that a lot of blog systems have a default that sends comments with more than two links (or two or more) to the spam area.

    So if you want your comment to go straight up, stick to one link (which still might get bounced or moderated), or at most two.

    I change that default (under the 'discussion' setting in Wordpress) two three during AtoZ, then back again. In Blogger I haven't found where to do that yet!

    Jemima Pett

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  21. Great idea thank you! Time saving - so needed!

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  22. Thank you.
    This saves so much time during the challenge.
    I wish more bloggers would leave the signature link when they comment.

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  23. This is a great idea! I'm new to this challenge and I write Adult Content. I've added the (AC) to my blog signature, but I'm wondering how people would feel about that as showing up in their comments section? I want everyone to be well aware before clicking on the link, but at the same time, I don't want to imply anything - even though I would never say anything content inappropriate on another's blog! - simply by having the (AC) in my signature. What do you think?
    @RebeccaNoon from Enjoy A Nooner (AC)

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    Replies
    1. I think putting it in your signature next to the name of your blog is a good way to do it. That way, people who don't want AC don't click on it, but it is clear that you are a participant.

      Delete
    2. I think putting it in your signature next to the name of your blog is a good way to do it. That way, people who don't want AC don't click on it, but it is clear that you are a participant.

      Delete
  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. [@nananettie1969] from
    Annette's place
    Hope I did it! Just joined twitter too!

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  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  27. I don't know what I am doing wrong but it just doesn't work for me. Is there an easier way??

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  29. Well, this is interesting information! I have wondered how people did this. I am new to A-Z, and this is so useful. If I do it wrong, please delete! Thanks!
    McGuffy Ann Morris from
    McGuffy's Reader

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    Replies
    1. Thanks you! I saved it in my drafts, too!

      Delete
  30. I've learned so many things just by being part of this A to Z community. Last year it was the IFTT and now this signature. Thanks. One question though. I created it and tested it out. It connected me to my blog but even though I used the home page as the web address, I came to an error message that what I was looking for wasn't found, try a search.

    @ma_holloway from
    <a href="https://mholloway63.wordpress.com/”> If I Only Had A Time Machine</a>

    When I tried it out, I had my editor in text and then switch to visual where it show up properly. I just pasted it above and didn't convert. What's the trick?

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  31. Ok, that looks pretty cool. Let me try that right now and if it works, thanks!
    Melissa from
    LittleCunningPlan

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  32. Great tip! Copied it on sticky notes on my desktop for easy access. Thanks for sharing :)

    Parul from
    Happiness & Food

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  33. Great Tip, thank you. Saved it on my computer for future reference.

    Josefine from
    Getting to the end

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  34. Thanks for the great tips. Trying out the signature. Hope it works (first time it didnt - my bad).

    @mysilverstreaks from
    Storiesandmore

    PS well the signature did work, but am not able to include my Wordpress URL due to 'illegal characters' so Google account it is - dunno how that got created :(

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  35. I tried on my blog and it didn't work. Let me try here:
    Faith
    Household Diary

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    1. Great idea. I saved it in Evernote so it shares over devises. Plus I created a short cut on my iPad so I only had to type the short cut , delete and fix typos and repost.
      Fran @travelgenee
      from the TravelGenee Blog

      Delete
  37. Great advice thanks for the reminder... I had to dig around a bit but I found the one I saved from last year... let's see if it still works

    Reflex Reactions

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  38. Another tip: My blogging is mostly via WordPress with a bit in other places. When you like or comment I can visit you by clicking your name at the top. It helps me keep track of whom I've visited and sent a reply to without taxing my brain or resources.
    You can find me at tj6james6.wordpress.com or https://lilathisnalilofthat.wordpress.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Another tip: My blogging is mostly via WordPress with a bit in other places. When you like or comment I can visit you by clicking your name at the top. It helps me keep track of whom I've visited and sent a reply to without taxing my brain or resources.
    You can find me at tj6james6.wordpress.com or https://lilathisnalilofthat.wordpress.com/.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Ok let's see if I can get this to work! So much going on for this challenge. I've been preparing since February and I can't believe it starts this week! Good luck everyone, and thanks for posting this helpful hint!

    [@NikisSimpleLife] from
    The Richness of a Simple Life
    May 2016 Kindness Challenge

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  41. Great tip. Thank you!

    Instagram #The_Sugar_Free_Runner from
    The Sugar Free Runner

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  42. Cool tip! I'm preparing for the A to Z Challenge.

    Maria from
    Vancity Girlfriends
    Coupon Chef

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  44. Thanks for this... One more to be added to the checklist :)

    @sunjhini from
    Destiny's Child
    Twinkle Eyed Traveller

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  45. Thanks for this... One more to be added to the checklist :)

    @sunjhini from
    Destiny's Child
    Twinkle Eyed Traveller

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  46. Let's see, does this work?
    @RhondaGilmour from
    Late Blooming Rose

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  48. Last year I created a blogger account so I could comment on blogs outside of Wordpress because even with the option to comment as my wordpress blog it would always show up as Anonomys which is annoying. But this is a Great tip as usual. I've had a few bloggers recently comment with these signatures and wondered how they did it. Now I can too. Looking forward to Friday and all the great blogs to read.
    @lilly2412 (Paula) from
    Random Musings and Wanderlust

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  50. Hope I've got it right this time
    Thanks for this great tip!!!
    Bellybytes@unishta from
    MumbaoOnAHigh

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  51. Thanks for the information! Looking forward to the challenge!!
    [Bobbi Capwell @Bobbic07] from
    Thoughts on My Life and Laughs

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  54. I would love to see this work. What am I doing wrong????
    Paula from
    Smidgen, Snippets, & Bits

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  55. Thank you for this tip! :)

    Let me try:

    @rosemawrites from
    A Reading Writer

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  56. Extremely useful!! Thank you so much :)

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  57. Awesome tip! Thankyou.. :)
    So excited to be part of this challenge!
    Seena from
    Thinking Aloud

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  59. Thank's! Let me try it: [AmyMontallana] from
    erhynireh

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  60. Ooooo...useful! I think I prefer to default to just the URL so I don't have to think about whether the comments will support it. Which will make it look like...this!

    @niicki from OfftheBeatenPlan.com & IVEYbooks.com

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  61. Wow! This is very helpful. Thanks so much!

    Sharon Arthur Moore @good2tweat
    Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time

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  63. Thank you for the tip! I wish everyone luck! I am learning so much.The A to Z Challenge is a labor of love!
    @ffmamacoach from
    Fabulous Fit Mamas

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  64. I had this on my to do list, so this is perfect timing. Thanks.

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  65. I had this on my to do list, so this is perfect timing. Thanks.

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  66. Thanks very much for this. Having a go at creating a handle. anything could happen ...
    [@kimcooper63_kim] from
    Kimberleycooperblog

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  67. Let's see if I did it correctly:

    Laura Hernandez
    @VoluptuousBDiva from
    The Voluptuous Book Diva
    YA Book Divas


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  68. Let's see if I did it correctly:

    Laura Hernandez
    @VoluptuousBDiva from
    The Voluptuous Book Diva
    YA Book Divas


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  69. My turn ;)

    [Rian Durant] from
    Rian's Randomness

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  70. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  71. Not sure I've got it right. Here goes:

    @Teachezwell from Teachezwell

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  72. I feel like a complete bonehead, but I have NO IDEA how to make this work. Do you copy and paste the signature after you type a comment and before you hit post?

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  73. Great idea! Thought it would be simple but somehow haven't been able to make it work yet :( Trying again.
    @kalpanapster
    From
    Kalpanaawrites

    Kalpanaawrites on Facebook

    Kalpanapster on Instagram

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  74. https://daisywillows.wordpress.com/category/atozchallenge/

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  75. Thanks for the tutorial! I often wondered how people do that.

    Mary Ann from
    A Joyful Chaos

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  76. Another suggestion: Get a Gravatar. Not all of the blogs you'll be commenting on are Blogger blogs. Gravatar is almost universally recognized, and not only can you pick a different profile pic (if you really want to) for each email address you use, you can set up your own bio page, so that if someone clicks your Gravatar, they'll learn a bit about you and see all your links - any you want them to see, anyway! Just go to Gravatar.com (you may need to open a WordPress.com account, if you don't already have one, but that's painless and quick and well worth it). BONUS: As an anti-spam measure, some bloggers refuse to accept comments - or put them into moderation - from people who do not have a Gravatar. Why? Because it's difficult for a bot (automated script or program) to create a Gravatar. It gives you a bit more credibility - like having a Google account and profile photo here does.

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  77. Replies
    1. I probably won't use the full thing since I don't want to take up too much room, but it's good to know that I can get it to work! Thanks for the amazing tip!

      @LGKeltner from
      Writing Off the Edge
      Parallels

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    2. It's not so much the "room" (most comments fields are wide open when it comes to that - bloggers love conversation on their posts, right?) but the NUMBER Of allowed links. I think many bloggers limit that to just one or two. But - you could keep variations of your signature in notepad, and use different ones according to the customs of the individual bloggers you like.

      Delete
    3. Also, on most blogs, if you see them ask for your website URL and/or Twitter handle, those will be live links. You could use your links to share other sites you're on - Facebook, maybe. Another blog. You could, conceivably, double the links you get.

      Delete
  78. Thank you THANK YOU for this! I've always wondered how people did those nifty signatures. I'm so NOT computer literate. Just figured it was more of that techno magic I'm not gifted in. :)

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  79. From Melissa Sugar @
    < a href= "Http://melissasugarwrites.com"> Melissa Sugar Writes < /a >

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  81. Let's see if I did this right.

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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  82. Trying again so if I get it right I can save it somewhere.

    Melissa Sugar Writes

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