Hacks n Tips for Bloggers

Social Twist - A new all in one Social Bookmarking Button

Written by Basis-Consultant on 8:22 AM

Social Bookmarking Button providers

Written by Basis-Consultant on 9:54 PM

There are many social bookmarking button providers. These buttons are used to bookmark sites or web pages in many popular social bookmarking websites. Addthis, sharethis and AddtoAny are most popular among them.

Addthis provides simple social bookmarking widgets



Addthis provides two type of widgets one is plain HTML button which popups a window with list of social bookmarking websites like this



All popular social bookmarking websites are listed in the window. They also provide a JavaScript button which un-clutters on hovering showing all major and more frequently used sites.



Click here on how to add addthis button to your blog.

Addthis buttons are simple and loads faster. They also provide statistics of pages that are bookmarked. Blogs on blogger.com usually use addthis buttons.

ShareThis
They provide a variety of services. Their buttons usually load slow ( i have seen many bloggers complaining about that).
Two types of buttons are provided by them. One is standard and other is rotating icon button. This button has options to bookmark, send through mail and post your webpage to various services.

First Register at sharethis.com then goto http://www.sharethis.com/getbutton and you will goto this page...


Select your platform to add the button. You can use code for other websites n you will be redirected to other page. Share this is highly customizable. You change the color of tabs, length and width of button along with the sites that appear for bookmarking. After customizing your widget click on get sharethis code button and you will get a javascript code to add to your blog.


Share this button is highly customizable and gives a lot of options to your visitors but it is reported that it slow downs you website speed. Try it first and if does slow down then switch to addthis button.

Add to Any
There is one more provider that provides social bookmarking buttons. Add to any has one feature like search for service you have to bookmark. It is same as addthis button also has options for bookmarking and email the page link.


They also provide button to allow visitors to subscribe to your rss feeds in client of their choice like google reader or netvibes or bloglines etc..


Any way these social bookmarking /subscription buttons make easy for visitors to bookmark of subscribe to the blog they like

Social Bookmarking

Written by Basis-Consultant on 9:05 PM

Is it important to have a social bookmarking button on your blog. I use social bookmarking tools often. I have plugins installed on Firefox. I don't think these buttons are necessary on a blog. Anyway these buttons are convenient if you are at the end of the page and you can bookmark them instead of hovering mouse to the top. But many bloggers have signs instead of name of bookmarking sites on them. Most of friend don't know what these signs are for(even i don't know some of them). Here is an interesting video that explains social bookmarking





I think sharethis button would do a good job but, uncluttered addthis button is more appealing to me. Because the javscript button dropdown menu loads faster and it has symbols along with name of the social bookmarking website. However people who already know social bookmarking have tools to bookmark your site even if you don't provide one on your blog. The button acts as polite reminder for them to bookmark your site/page

How to add sharethis or addthis button to blog or blog post.

Written by Basis-Consultant on 2:52 PM

First register an account at addthis or sharethis site
then get your button code like this. This is drop down menu button.

<script type="text/javascript">
addthis_url='<data:post.url/>'; addthis_title='<data:post.title/>'; addthis_pub='tailender1';
</script><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type="text/javascript">
</script>

Parse the javascript as shown in the post How to parse javscript for Blogger

Then go to layout in your control panel
Layout---> Edit Html -> check the Expand Widget Templates option and search for post-footer word and insert this code just before
<div class="post-footer">
. You will see the add this button appearing on every post near the comments section like below