Write Fast without Internet Connection Using Offline Blog Editors

What are offline blog editors? These are simply software intended for you to write, edit and publish post without an internet connection. Have you ever wonder drafting a post without the temptation of other social activities such as going to twitter or facebook instead?

What are the benefits of using blog editor?

Blogger has been a very good blogging platform, it's post editor is dynamic. Every now and then, it automatically saves your post without saving it manually, in a couple of seconds I guess. No way of worrying you will lost an entire paragraph, however, am here to give you some alternatives. There are still some benefits bloggers can get of using blog editors. Here are some important considerations:

• When your offline. There are instances that you can't control it from ruining your online career. So wait for it to come back, or use offline editor.
• When your internet connection is slow. Do you want to embed videos or upload images to your post? You can't do that easily with a slow connection, you have to wait.
• Write without waiting. This is synonymous to a slow connection! Opening your online post editor, provided by your blog platform cost your time. Alternatively, use offline blog editor and write as fast as you can without loading time problem!
• Copy and Paste Easily. This is one of the important features. Even at blogger post editor, if I copied a written post in a word document, it would give me text without line breaks. But with this alternative, no formatting change.

So what now? Well, you can try one of the best blog editors that can be downloaded for free and safely installed in your PC. Here are some recommendations:

According to David Risley,
• Windows Live Writer is the best for Windows, and
• Marsedit for Mac.
  

What is Windows Live Writer?

Windows Live Writer is brought to us by Microsoft for Windows. If you are trusting Microsoft for a long time now, so am sure you can with this dynamic desktop application. You can create a compelling post and it would work best with the existing blogging platform you use including blogger, wordpress and more. You can download this for free via cnet or softonic.

What is Marsedit?

Marsedit, they say, is great for Mac users and integrates best with your blogging software or platform. It has a spell-checker, drafts and more features and functions. However, unlike the first one, you will only enjoy 30-day free trial. After that period, you are asked to get the license. But if it will help you grow your blogging career, why not? Download it at red-sweater.

See you:)

Posted by Editorial Team on 7/05/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blog Editors, Blog Tools

Change Default Post Unordered List Style for Blogger in Few Steps

We are talking about css or html list style default in blogger template. Before, I was wondering how to actually customized list style specially for unordered list. Through some experiments, am able to customized list with an image marker. Today, I will gonna teach you a quick step by step tutorial on how customized blogger unordered list style type. I will introduce 3 commonly used:

circle, square, image list marker

• How about changing your list into this type?

• How about this one?

• Or how about SB custom style? Like it? Use it.

Decided? Want to customize yours? Let's go...

In few steps, we will add a css style to your blogger template, and all your existing list post with unordered list style will be changed.

1. Go to your blogger template, back up your current theme, and proceed!
2. Search for ]]></b:skin> by CTRL+F.
3. Above ]]></b:skin>, paste the code below, choose one.
4. Save your template and you're done!

Code Choices

For Circle:

/* list style circle www.simplifiedblogging.com  */

.post ul {list-style:circle;

}

.post ul li {

line-height: 1.4em;

margin: 0.3em 0;

padding: 0 0 0.8em 10px;

}

For Square:

/* list style square www.simplifiedblogging.com  */

.post ul {list-style:square;

}

.post ul li {

line-height: 1.4em;

margin: 0.3em 0;

padding: 0 0 0.8em 10px;

}

For Image List Marker:

/* list style with backgroud image www.simplifiedblogging.com  */

.post ul {list-style:none;

}

.post ul {list-style:none;

}

.post ul li {

line-height: 1.4em;

background: transparent url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_aUlXC4b15udKEXbTSk30BSKZeF9UOVh1aW4K8fpGy_3NMY0Lfxs27kV95BMpnC7ZQorn8sTKjDP19wJL1CCtNz3wArFUV6eMFnf9k9pYKGDHVuSNjvfEsjmm2WYcKJe1_PKqbjhmc8/s16/bulletgreen1.png) no-repeat scroll 0px 4px;

margin: 0.3em 0;

padding: 0 0 0.8em 20px;

}

You can change the image source with another image you want. If you have on your PC, upload it to Picasa or your favorite photo hosting site and upload it. Right click on the uploaded image and copy the image location! Paste it instead the one I highlighted.

See you :)

Posted by Editorial Team on 7/04/2012 08:00:00 PM in How to Customize Blogger Template, Post List Style

The Easiest Way in Creating Permalink as Post Custom URL

Recently, I tried to help spread the good news about Permalink newly introduced by blogger. I assumed you have known it by now, and am sure you enjoyed creating your custom URL for your blog. This time, as I partly discussed this in my recent post, I want to share my technique in creating Permalink easily, without even adding extra task for writing your latest content. Somehow, some people are hesitant to try new, because they thought it's an additional labor, but this time, let's make it lighter.

Creating your Permalink as Post Custom URL for a better blog seo is as easy and instant like clicking the publish button of your blog. Here we go:

Custom URL = Post title = Permalink

That's the easiest formula. Write your title, then formulate your permalink by just replacing spaces to dash. I mentioned that already, this time I will give emphasis to it. You can either use Word document or Word counter tool, it's up to your choice, but I guess am more comfortable with Word document so I will use it.

Writing my title for this post:

The Easiest Way in Creating Permalink as Post Custom URL

That consist of 56 characters including spaces. Remember, our title should not exceed 70 characters.

Writing your Permalink:

The-Easiest-Way-in-Creating-Permalink-as-Post-Custom-URL

What I did is only replace spaces with dashes. The character count remains 56! So, it's ready.

Where to find the Permalink?

Please go to draft.blogger.com, then go to new post, then permalink and choose Custom URL. See image below (click to see the full size).

See you :)

Posted by Editorial Team on 7/02/2012 08:00:00 PM in Custom URL, SEO

Custom Post URL Using Permalink by Blogger to Improve SEO

This post has

• a. discussion/explanation, and
• b. screen shots at the bottom.

Remember when blogger team updated the blogger platform, they made available for all users the upgraded blogger interface, a more friendly dashboard for blogging. Who can forget the new threaded comment? Or the search preferences options? Well, I guess those are highlights. Today, we got an important addition - it's the option for users or bloggers to create a custom post URL for their post with the new Permalink introduced by the team via draft.blogger.com

Autmatic URL vs. Custom URL

• We can easily differentiate, automatic URL is chopped, not a complete one - or it cannot stand on it's one unlike a complete sentence. Not that good. e.g. /how-to-write-faster-maintaining-quality.html
• Custom URL is an URL created by you. Be sure it's targeted, precise, and can tell readers what's your post all about. e.g. /Update-AddThis-Sharing-Tool-to-Include-Pinterest-Button-and-Google-Plus.html
• Use at least 70 characters, just like you write your post title, that includes spaces.
• Substitute spaces with dash - and do not use other special characters or punctuations.

Using Permalink surely adds the work - but this is an important seo updates, so you should mind this. This is not yet added to blogger, this is available for users for "testing" or sort of, it's the time to cooperate with the blogger team so that this would be added to blogger officially. For the time being, access Permalink via draft as provided above.

Quick Tips on How to Create a Custom URL

• Always bear in mind that post title character limit is 70, though you can choose longer. That's the ideal anyway.
• Your Custom post URL is your post title, create a targeted, precise title less or at least 70 characters, your Permalink must consist of text and dash only, though you can use other characters. Dash is used to separate words or text, e.g. Update-AddThis-Sharing-Tool-to-Include-Pinterest-Button-and-Google-Plus
• One way to write your permalink is in an open word document. First, write your title and count characters by highlighting, write clicking on it and going to the bottom left corner of the document that say, e.g. Words:10/10, if you are not familiar, please refer to my post - The Uses and Importance of the Blogger Upgraded Interface Every Blogger Must Know, scroll down at the bottom, or;
  
• Use a Word Counter Tool, I guess this is a lot quicker than the first option. Paste your entire post title here, and it automatically shows the counts of characters, and then replace spaces with dashes, as I shown in the screen shot below (that would be your instant permalink).



• Make it a habit, every time you draft a post, open a word document and craft your title first, count the characters, and if you're convinced with it, in the next line, write your permalink ready for "copy paste" OR use the second option - the word counter tool!


• How to write a good title? Well, precise, descriptive, and always consider using the keyword tool, please refer to my post - How to Find a Keyword for a Better Blog SEO!


• Not the least, if you want to dig more about this, we have a comprehensive tutorial about Permalink, ideal character counts and so on at MBT - Blogger Introduced Permalink Option..., check it out!

Permalink Ready?

It's time to use it as your Custom URL... excited? See screen shot:

Click "Done" and you get the preview of your custom post URL - it is descriptive than the automatic ones:

So? Try it :)

Posted by Editorial Team on 7/01/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blogging Tips, Custom URL, SEO

Top 3 Free Contact Email Form Builders for Blogger with Tutorial

Well, most of you want the easiest way of making your contact email form or contact us for your blog. The reasons are simple:

• You have no enough knowledge amount form customization.
• You want to focus more time in writing your blog content.
• Your blog has no contact form yet. Providing your email address is not safe.
• Your readers want to communicate you in person, how would you know?

Today, I would give you top 3 on my list. These are contact email form builders specially for blogger platform that will guarantee that your readers can reach you in private safely.

The Easiest and Simplest!

foxyform.com

This is the easiest way of making your contact form. Generate the code within few minutes. What's good, this has a built-in anti-spam protection... you are rest assured that your inbox won't be full of spam messages. In 3 Easy steps, your contact form is ready!

• Settings - check the one you wished, the basic fields are name, email and subject.
• Advanced Settings - you can change the font color and background color, as well as the font style of your form.
• Target Email Address - this is the destination email. Messages coming from your readers will be sent to that email. If you have a customized email address like mine, e.g. support@simplifiedblogging.com, you can best used that. Or, least, make another email address for that purposes only, e.g. support@gmail.com, or you might prefer using your existing email. Click create formular to get the code. Copy and Paste to a new page to your blog the entire code.
• Anti-Spam Protection - this is the bonus feature. No boot can mail you spam messages. It's human test!

The Best with Customization Tutorial!

No, am not biased, I'd say this one is the best for me.

emailmeform

Let me list down what make it the best as to experience:

• It will provide your reader a page redirection after they have sent their message to you. You can then specify an URL as a redirection or landing page. You can say "Thank you, you message has been successfully sent. We will contact you as soon as possible to answer your queries, suggestions or opinions", and message like that.
• It has spam protection, even if some features are available for upgraded members, but the free service is awesome. You got 200 as sending limit a month, but it's enough.

Learn how to customize the form in my previous tutorial:

Custom Contact Form for Your Blog - The Easiest Way!

One of the Best According to Some!

wufoo - online form builder

Yeah - this one is awesome. It's a form builder, build anything, they host everything. So far, am amazed! I got an account already... experiment - love it!

Differences!

Foxyform let your create and generate the code for your contact email form without registering for an account! It's that instant. While the rest will gonna require you to sign up for an account, so you have access to information on your dashboard. Edit existing forms or create new ones.

In foxyform, sent messages has a neat confirmation not leaving your contact page, but you have no dashboard to access with. The screenshot below shows my test message:

Next... my experiment with wufoo!

See you guys. Do some experiment too :)

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/30/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blog Tools, Contact Form

Update AddThis Sharing Tool to Include Pinterest and Google+

Have you updated your AddThis Bookmarking Tool installed in your blog? I have just noticed today that I miss a Pinterest button, so I looked for ways on how to do it. Amazingly, AddThis has a Pinterest Button default in it's script, what's missing is the precious Google+ button. What need to be done now is add back the missing G+ button, so that we will have a perfect sharing options from Facebook like, Tweet, G+, Pinterest and the rest provided by AddThis pill!

Anyway, the screenshot below show that only the floating widget has the Google+ button with counter:

Recently, I have included AddThis as one of the Top 5 Blog Tools for Building a Great Blog.

How to add back the missing g+ button?

If you have already updated the sharing widget and found out that g+ is missing, do the following:
• Open Blogger Layout and open HTML/JavaScript where your AddThis script is saved.
• Expand the widget by maximizing the window and dragging the bottom right of the box as shown in the screenshot so that you can view the entire codes and script.

• This time, simply add the g+ plus code along the existing ones. Please screenshot, click to see the full size:

Here is the code to be added there (Copy and Paste this), the ones highlighted at the screen shot above:

<a class='addthis_button_google_plusone' g:plusone:size='medium'></a>

Anyway, the next code will show a more clear picture where the g+ be placed. Search for <a class='addthis_button_tweet'></a> by pressing CTRL + F.

<a class='addthis_button_facebook_like' fb:like:layout='button_count'></a> <a class='addthis_button_tweet'></a> <a class='addthis_button_google_plusone' g:plusone:size='medium'></a> <a class='addthis_button_pinterest_pinit'></a> <a class='addthis_counter addthis_pill_style'></a>

Why I still choose AddThis?

Am not a geek, but I know this sharing tool is perfect as a third party application to blog for its lightness, neat look!

So, you can easily place it now... see you guys.

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/29/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blog Tools, Bookmarking and Sharing Tools

Drive Traffic to Blog by Installing Tynt Publisher Tools

We are constantly looking for blogging tools and seo that will help us rise in the blogosphere, am I right? But it's hard, the real traffic and promotion is like enrolling in a calculus class, where your professor does not exert his best effort to teach his students. I don't like that much, I'd rather study on my own. But today, I stumble upon a very good tutorial about driving traffic to our blog with the use of reader's engagement through copying some texts from our post content, and pasting it elsewhere. They might share it via email or social networks. A free tool, easy to install can help us do that, without effort - yes. Am not repeating the tutorial because this one is a complete guide - Mayura4ever.

It's a spoon feed. It's gonna be a long tutorial but it's worth reading! Well, let me write what I learned:

• Tynt publisher tools will run a script on your blog to track "copy pasting" activities of your readers.
• Without Tynt, "copy paste" cannot help your blog in driving traffic.
• It helps your blog drive traffic because an URL back to your blog, as well as twitter and Facebook account will be added together to the copied text automatically.
• Every time readers read your blog and copy paste some text from it, share it to social networks or rather email it to a friend, a link is attached.
• Tynt offer you a dashboard with seo and tracking tools. Discover how your readers share your content.

Below is a screen shot, I copied some text from my recent post and paste it on a mail.

See? It will gonna help you drive some traffic. Make every possible way counts!

See you and thank you again Mayura :)

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/28/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blog Tools

How to Write Faster Maintaining the Quality of Your Content

A big difference yes, writing fast, posting fast can sometimes sacrifice the quality of our content. But it's not always the case. In this situation, if you are like me, you will gamble to learn the ways, the appropriate technique in writing your blog post fast without sacrificing its quality. How can we do that anyway?

This is a follow up post of my recent topic about A Technique to Writing Fast - Make a Post within 20 Minutes or Less, of course, one should take caution in writing fast, you need to be alert for spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and sort of. But the real problem is your message. How can you craft a informative post in less than 20 minutes?

Everyone is busy.

From that concept, you need to present your ideas at "first look"! Don't let them search it, give them what they want instantly - that's writing fast. Take this, if you have the idea in mind, write it fast and the output is a concise post, a direct to the point content! Listed below are tips:

• Write your title first. It's first thing first. It cannot exceed 70 characters, use word counter, MS word will do.
• Edit your post by paragraph. You can easily spot typos this way. You only need the final reading after drafting the entire content.
• Write less to avoid flaws. You are giving idea and information to a reader wanting it badly. Writing it with too much flowery words can destruct you from writing straight to the point.
• Spoon feed. How graders are taught? Teachers give them everything. A complete "how to".
• Do not write unfamiliar topic. Though it's viral, it doesn't mean you need to write it. Prioritize the one you know best.
• Upgrade your style. I do, I just realize writing post with several topics or subjects do not worth the effort. I just did not have the clear mind, so clear yours.

To Sum Up:

Write a good title, write your post, make sure everything is written well including correct punctuations, write direct to the point (focus on one), do not write unclear idea, busy people like me hate it (the truth) = then you can write fast maintaining the quality of your content.

Image Source: bpaquality.wordpress.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/27/2012 08:00:00 PM in Writing Techniques

A Technique to Writing Fast - Make a Post within 20 Minutes or Less

Writing fast. Writing with message for my readers. Is that hard? It sounds hard, but all of us can do that, say yes. I say yes. Today, let's make writing fast within 20 minutes time. Yeah, no time to edit after this, so I guess it's the real challenge.

Latest Update: 5 Powerful Tips on How to Write Blog Post Fast During Break Time

Update: How to Write Faster Maintaining the Quality of Your Content.

Why some bloggers need to learn to write fast?

Time constraint. That's the direct answer. Am working as an accounting staff, am studying BSA, am maintaining my blog, I have my personal life, is 24 hours a day enough? Yes - it's about time management and making things quicker. How to do things quickly? Presence of mine, concentrate and achieve things. Focus on one thing at a time. I write so my mine is writing!

How to make writing that fast?

• The most essential thing is preparation and knowledge. You open your post editor now because you have something in mind to share to your readers. I clicked new post now because am eager to write this idea "writing fast".
• You can't write fast if you don't know your subject. So, what's the secret? While you are at your work, think of something that is applicable to your blogging career, make a note, list down possible key points and write something about that idea later.
• Are you in writing mode? There are times that you really want to write. Pause, stop doing your task, for 10 to 20 minutes, draft your new post. That's it.
• Make your leisure habit productive. As what I have said, if you don't have the idea, you can't write. So keep on reading! I have a post about it - Top 10 Tips to Keep Your Mind in a Good Writing Mode!

Speed writing must be done with caution. There are lot of things that can be done to make the written content less quality if we won't carefully consider them such as correct spelling, correct grammar, the coherence or the significance of the entire content.

Anyone can write, any blogger can write content, but the question is, did we deliver a message helpful to our readers? If not, we should re-draft. I updated this post to remind everyone that we can only write fast, only if we have the "instant idea and concept" in mind. We could not just write down things without purpose.

If you have the idea now, why not take the opportunity in writing fast within 20 minutes as a short break from your paper works? You should try it.

Image Source: contentflicks.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/25/2012 08:00:00 PM in Writing Techniques

What is Google Webmaster Tools in the Eyes of New Bloggers?

When we read about webmaster, and some sort of things - what do you have in mind? Another hard thing? Another challenge? That's what I actually thought, these types of information are analytical and technical, yet, all of us "new bloggers" can actually try to use and apply it at least.

What are the things that make you think it's better to leave it for the experts? For the webmaster geeks out there? Perhaps, you think it's hard, all you can do is write and scribble down your post. NO, it's wrong, you can always try these things for good - for your own good.

As newbie in the blogosphere, you need to know things beyond the look of your blog. Do you have a beautiful blogger template? How about the health of your blog? Is it healthy? How would you know?

We go to the hospital, have some doctor's check and prescription to insure that our health is good. Same, your blog, my blog needs some check up. It's not optional - it's recommended. And what is the tool that will help you check your blog's health? Well - it's the Google Webmaster Tools, check yours!

So - What are the things I found helpful?

• Messages - Check for occasional messages, specially if blog got some serious trouble perhaps.
• Configuration - "touch me not", you don't need to actually change or configure this one, or unless you have moved your blog to a different domain, no need to start from scratch. Just tell the webmaster of the URL of your new domain!
• Health - this is the highlight here. We need to at least check this one from time to time so that we can tell whether our blog is doing fine or not specially the crawl errors.
• Traffic - this will give you some important update of your blog. From there, you will know who links your blog! Those are do follow blogs, no less. You will gotta know your most linked URL, so it will give you a better idea of improvement.
• Optimization - here comes the sitemap. Have you generated the right sitemap for your blogger blog? If so, if you submitted, say 170 webpages, then the webmaster must have indexed the same number as well. If not, read this post from MBT - Why Google Indexes Only 26 Pages Of Your Blogger Sitemap? (1)! You can also check your content keywords. Do it now :)

Anyway, aside from that, I have surfed you a very good aid to understand fully what is the function of this tool - Google for Webmasters, check this out!

Also check the Google Webmaster Central Blog for new webmaster tutorial videos.

Image Source: revili

See you:)

Posted by Editorial Team on 6/21/2012 08:00:00 PM in Blog Tools