blogging tips: keeping your blogroll up to date!

blogroll
definition: A list of other blogs that a blogger might recommend by providing links to them (usually in a sidebar list).
.
I have to admit that updating my blogroll is a tedious endeavor. I always feel like I’m “missing someone” … especially since so many new WeddingBees start up personal blogs all the time. While I’m really good at subscribing to lots of new blogs in my reader, I’m really bad at transferring and typing those into my blog’s blogroll. I figure most people are just like me, so when I saw this neat little trick, I thought I’d share it with everyone!
.
If you use google reader to subscribe to RSS feeds, here’s all you need to do to create a dynamic (meaning it changes automatically with your updates and modifications) blogroll using either WordPress or Blogger:

– Log in to Google Reader

– Navigate to SETTINGS>READER SETTINGS, then select the tab marked “Folders and Tags.” You will need to have at least one folder for this to work, but hopefully you’re already taking advantage of this awesome feature and have your favorite blogs categorized as you’d like them!

– Check the box next to a folder that you’d like to use as a blog roll (i.e. WeddingBees or Foodies or something else just as fun! Then, look up towards the top of the navigation bar, and click on the drop-down menu that says Change sharing… and select Public.

– You’ll now see a bunch of links pop up next to your category… one of them being “Add a blogroll to your site.” Click it and a new window will open up with a preview of your dynamic blog roll! Now you can change what the title of it is for your blog viewers (maybe something more catchy than just FOOD blog or weddings, ya know?), and also control the color scheme.

– If you have a blogger site, just click the Add to Blogger button.

– For WordPress sites, select and COPY (Ctrl-C) the HTML code that you see in the box. Then, go to your actual WordPress backend, log-in to the Dashboard, and go to Appearance->Widgets. Select a text widget, and drag it to where you want on your sidebar. Then click that Widget, paste in the text (Ctrl-V), and click save below. You can also choose to paste this HTML code anywhere on your site that you want it (mine is on a separate PAGE in WordPress).

Hope this helps someone else out! You can check out my synced lists up above at “My Favorite Blogs” !