The Followers Gadget on Blogger - Part III - The Benefits of Being a Follower

If you've been keeping up with this series, you already know:

• How to add the Followers feature to your blogspot.


• How to follow another blogger's blogspot.
  

If you missed the first two posts of this series, just scroll down to the two posts below and you'll get caught up to speed.

Today's post covers why you should be a Follower.

Part III - The Benefits of Being a Follower. You may or may not have noticed some of the rewards that'll come your way when you decide to follow someone else's blogspot. Here are the ones I've discovered. Maybe they'll convince you to take the step of being a Follower on your favorite blogspots, if you haven't become one already:

1. If you click and agree to follow a blogspot, your photo (unless you choose to be anonymous) gets added to the Followers grid on that site for all visitors to see.


2. Anyone who moves the mouse to your photo will see your name displayed.


3. Anyone who clicks on your photo will automatically land on your Profile, which, if you've filled it in correctly, should contain your website, your blogspot(s) and other valuable information, along with any blogspots you're following.


4. Because the links to the blogspots you're following are conveniently listed on your Profile, you can easily follow the blogs you like by accessing the list on your Profile.


5. Here's something else, which I found surprising, and you may not realize - If you Google your name, or receive Google Alerts, your name most likely will come up on that blogger's blogspot even if you haven't visited it that day. This has happened to me quite often.


6. You'll make a blogspot owner very happy you decided to be a Follower. Doing that will give you a warm feeling inside.


7. If warm feelings aren't enough, look at it this way. Following is one more way to network. The more webs you weave, the more opportunities you have to become known and get your brand out.

Have these benefits convinced you to be a Follower? Or, are you one already? Do you know of any other reasons to be a Follower?

Please share.

The Followers Gadget on Blogger - Part 1 - How to Add The Followers Gadget to Your Blogspot

Blogger has all sorts of neat gadgets to make a blogspot more appealing. I've had lots of fun using them at Double M and at my group blogs.

This is the first of a three part series.

1. Today I'll tell you how to add the Follower feature to your blog.


2. Monday you'll learn How to Follow Someone's Blog.


3. Tuesday you'll get the scoop on Why you should be a Follower. You may be as surprised by the benefits as I was.

So you've heard about and seen this cool feature called Following on other people's blogspots, but you're not sure how to add it to your own. It's not that hard. Here's what you do:

Part I - How to Add the Followers Gadget to Your Blogspot:

1. Sign in to Blogger.com with your username and password, either from your own blog or just by typing the url at the very top of the screen;


2. Find your blogspot on the dashboard. You may only have one, unless you're blog crazy like I am with many of them;


3. Click the Layout button. The outline of your layout will come up;


4. Click Add a Gadget;


5. You'll get a popup screen with Gadgets listed. One of them is Followers;


6. Click the plus sign by Followers;


7. Keep the name Followers or you can call it something else. Click Save in the popup window;


8. Blogger automatically puts the gadget at the top. If you wish the Followers feature at a different location on your blog, drag the box labelled Followers or whatever you've called it yourself to a new spot;


9. Click Save again when you're through deciding where it goes. You can always change your mind again by dragging the Followers box somewhere else later and saving it.


10. Click at the top of the layout where it says View Blog.

Now that you can view your blogspot, look in the spot chosen in the layout. It should say Followers (or whatever other name you gave it), plus it will say Be the First to Follow This Blog. After you've snared your first follower, it will say Follow This Blog instead.

You've done it! The Followers feature is now up and running on your blog. Here's hoping you have many followers.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I tell you how to become a follower, then on Tuesday when you learn the many advantages of why you should be a follower on other blogspots.

I'm curious. Have my instructions helped you to put the Followers gadget on your blogspot?

Or did you already have it? Please share.