Setting up Feedburner

If you have a blog, it is essential that you setup a way for people to subscribe to your blog.  Why?  Because subscribers will be notified, either via email or through their RSS reader, that you've updated your blog with a new post.   The great thing about subscribers is that they become the regular readers of your blog, your standard audience.

There are lots of different ways to setup your feed.  Most blog systems will have a way to automate creation of your RSS feed. For example, in Typepad, you can check a checkbox in the control panel to have it setup your RSS feed.  However, when you use the automatic system you don't have any idea how many subscribers you have.  And since they don't show up in your analytics, you'll be flying somewhat blind when considering your daily visitors.

A better way is to manage your feed through a service such as as Feedburner.  Feedburner acts as a go between, between your rss feed, and your subscribers.  It lets you keep track of the number of people subscribing to your RSS feed.  And it makes it easier for your visitors to turn into subscribers.  Here's how you set it up when you use Typepad:

1. Visit Feedburner and create your free Feedburner account.  Log in to your feedburner account.
2. Click on the link in the upper left hand corner which reads "My Feeds".
3. In the box labeled "Burn a feed right this instant" type in the URL of your blog.  Click Next.
4. If you have more than one feed source you'll be given the choice to pick which one it should use. I usually just leave the pre-selected one selected.  Click Next.
5. You'll have the option to change the name that will be displayed as your feed title (the title will be displayed in your subscribers feed reader so make sure you have a good title...not "my blog" because no one will know whose it is).  It will also gives you the option of customizing your feed URL.  I usually just leave that as the default.  Click "Activate Feed" and you'll get started.
6. Congrats.  You've setup your feed with Feedburner.  If you click on the link provided you'll see the feed page that will allow your visitors an easy way to subscribe to your site.
7. If you click the next button you'll have the option of adding some additional analytics.  Click "next" after you've selected your additional opitons.
8. Now you'll have the option for connecting your feed to your blog.  This is a very cool service if you are using one of the common blog backends (Typepad or Blogger, for example). 
   
   1. First, I click the link to override the Typepad default feed.  It will pop open a window walking you through the steps to do that.  You'll need your Feedburner login information to log in and connect your Typepad blog to your Feedburner feed.
   2. Second, you want to click on the link to publish a clicklet to display your feedburner feed.  This will put a link to your feed on your blog sidebar.  From the Feedburner feed page, click on the "Publicize" tab.  Then you can click on the "Chicklet Chooser" link on the left side navigation bar.  You can choose any option for your display.  I like to use the standard feed icon because it is recognizable and it does not restrict your users to any specific reader.  Then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on the "Use as a widget in Typepad" go button.  You'll be redirected to your Typepad account.    Choose the blog you'd like to link the feed to (if you have more than one).  You'll see the preview of the link on the page.  Click the "Add Widget" button.  Click "Return to Feedburner".
   3. Return to the publicize tab of your feed in Feedburner.  Now click on "Email Subscriptions" on the left navigation bar.  This will allow people who don't use an RSS feeder to receive a daily email with your updated blog posts. A great alternative for readers who are maybe not using a reader yet to help them keep up-to-date with your blog postings.  I use the Feedburner mail provider.  Click the activate button at the bottom of the page.  You can create a mini-form that will be displayed in your sidebar or provide a link to form to subscribe.  I like to put the form in the sidebar because it means they just enter their email address and submit to subscribe...easy!  Click on the "Go" button after the "Add as a widget in Typepad" option.  Again, pick your blog and click the "Add Widget" button at the bottom of the page.
   4. Now you are ready to configure the display of your subscriptions options on your blog.  After you've added the widget to Typepad you'll have an option to Configure Content Ordering.  Clicking the link will bring you to a page that shows the layout of your blog and it will allow you to move around your content on your sidebar.  I like to have my two subscription options (via RSS and email) at the top of my sidebar to encourage folks to sign up.  You can move by dragging and dropping the boxes to the top of the sidebar.  Then click the "Save Changes".  YOU MUST CLICK THE "REPUBLISH WEBLOG" button to publish the changes to the layout.

Now you've setup your subscription options!!!

Comments

[stacey]

I love RSS feeds!! I have all my friends' blogs available to me in an instant! However, I simply use my browser. Yes, Safari (available for both Mac and Windows) has feed notification built right in! I have my favorite ones (you included) right up in my book mark bar, so everytime you post, I get notified whenever I go online to do anything. I don't have to go to a certain place to see what new feeds I have! I love it.

[Penny Stocks]

Great post with very useful information. Thanks.

[Penny Stocks]

Very good and useful things that you have written in your blog.

[Jessica Grieves]

This is no longer my active email address. Email sent to the account is forwarded to my new address but I encourage you to update your address book. Im using a less spam friendly email address now as this provider tends to have problems with accounts getting hacked quite frequently and I get a lot of spam on this domain too.