The ActiveRain Stuff You Won't Find Anywhere Else on the Web

Zillow Launches Zillow® Academy - My First Big Announcement for NARdiGras, New Orleans

Today I get the privilege to announce and unveil one of the projects I've been working on at Zillow.  It's the launch of our new Zillow® Academy.  Our new "Z" Campus will help to "Make a Difference" in our business and in yours. Zillow's new Real Estate Academy is your one stop campus for ALL your Real Estate Training and Support needs.
Take A Quick Tour - Zillow Academy

Zillow® Academy is now officially open and there to provide enhanced training and support to our Industry colleagues, associates, and members.  Our mission and vision are clear, and our purpose and goals defined.

Our focus is to provide you with tools, technology, education and training that will make a significant difference in your Real Estate Business.  Our first official training "Premier Agent 101" already has nearly 200 registered guests. I know many of you will want to join us for this and other future classes, just know you're always welcomed. 

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at NAR today, and the rest of you at Zillow® Academy in the days and months ahead!  Thanks for your continued support and commitment to this Industry and to YOUR business.

In addition, you can join our "Live" chat at any of these classes using Zillow® Chat.

How To Brand Yourself an Expert and Build a Six-Figure Real Estate Business

It's not very often that I get to Host an event with a TV Celebrity Star, in fact I can honestly say that I never have.  So if you sense a bit of excitement from me in this post, or a tad of elation here, well then Gosh Darn-it, it's because I am TOTALLY STOKED about sharing this announcement!!  I'm truly honored to share a very special guest we have coming to ActiveRain and ARU this week.  Now I must admit right out the gate, I have watched the program in the past, but was never really a fan until these last couple of seasons where I actually knew some of the people who were on the show or interviewing and auditioning to "Get Hired!"

This Thursday I am so excited to announce that we have Kendra Todd coming to ARU. The Winner of NBC's hit series "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump as the host, who has pretty much coined the phrase, "YOU'RE FIRED!"  Well not for Kendra, she was all but fired, she was announced the WINNER of the entire show and the first female to ever do it!  What better person than Kendra to come talk, teach, and share How to brand yourself and expert and build a six-figure Real Estate Business?

I had the pleasure of meeting Kendra in person as one of our guests at RainCamp Bellingham, WA.  She's a very intelligent and classy lady who really knows her stuff.  Folks, you need to be at this one for sure, if for no other reason than to find out how this lady's clock ticks.  The Real Estate Business can be somewhat brutal at times, so what does it take to be a "WINNER" while surrounded with pressure and stress?  Can you imagine having to sit in front of Donald Trump and be subject to his demeanor and ridicule?  If anyone can survive that, no wait...WIN that, then there is NOTHING you can't accomplish in this business and in life.

REGISTER NOW TO COME HEAR & LEARN ALL THAT KENDRA WILL SHARE
(get all the details of our topic and discussion here)

Do You Have What It Takes?  Do You Want To Learn What It Takes?  This is a one-time offer that you better set aside some time for, it's not everyday we have a TV Celebrity in our midst at ActiveRain University.  I can hardly wait to hear what she's going to be sharing with us, no matter what, I guarantee it will be awesome.  This one will be a full class so RSVP early if you want to ensure your FREE "virtual" seat at ARU's campus. 

Well we might not have a giant mouse, space mountain or things that stick to the bottom of your shoes, but less than 1 hour away from Disneyland, Activerain will be bringing you Raincamp, and it will have outstanding speakers, thrill rides of its own, and you might even find something that will stick to the bottom of your shoes.

ActiveRain RainCamp Dallas Texas - WOW!
By: Donna Harris
Cowboys, Sideways Street Lights and Hospitality Out the WAZOO!
By: Debe Maxwell
Making "Rain" at RainCamp Dallas
By: Linda Yates at Blog.Foreclosure.com
RainCamp Was A Stellar Event
By: Jason Crouch
New York RainCamp Was A Great Experience
By: "Tommy" - Decebal Adamescu
Dallas RainCamp 2010 - Rich With Information
By: Blog.FineHomesHouston.com
Information Galore Was Provided at RainCamp Dallas
By: Meg Zoller
Chicago RainCamp - A Review
By: Barb Van Stencel
ActiveRain RainCamp Chicago - The Technology is Overwhelming
By: Dean Moss

REGISTER HERE FOR YOUR E-TICKET TO RAINCAMP

"Must Be 40" Inches or Taller To Ride!"

"Raincamp is one of the best 'catalyst' conversations for understanding contemporary real estate marketing in the country today. If you want to be on the forefront and learn what ideas, methods, and technologies to adopt, then this is the place to be. Rene Fabre | ARFCO MEDIA - Social Media Consulting

"This is not your typical Real Estate seminar with "new tools you can use" that wind up being a program someone is trying to sell you! So go, learn, implement, and see the benefit. Unless of course you are one of my competitors in my market, then you should not go, ever!" Chris Fetrow RE/MAX Four Corners

"It is one of the best seminars that I've attended and it really has changed the way I'm going about my business. I highly recommend going to one, it is a sound investment." Shirin Sarikhani, ASP, IAHSP, Seattle Staged To Sell

"I have to say that of all the industry seminars and boot-camps I've been to over the years - this was BY FAR my favorite !" Sheldon Neal - That British Agent - RE/MAX Real Estate Limited, Bergen County, NJ

"The AR team is unbelievably good at what they do and I appreciate all they shared us. The best thing is no one tried to put the hard sell on the various products that were being showcased. Can't wait for round 2! The platinum seating was worth every dollar! Thanks AR!" Becky Johnston | Colorado Real Estate Brokerage, LLC

For more Videos, Blogs, Posts, and Comments, grab the next amusement park shuttle, and come visit us over at the "Big Eye In The Sky" ... because it's a small world after-all, it's a small, small world!

  See you there!  :-)

How To Create HyperLinks to Anchor Text

Many of our Members and Bloggers have heard, read, or been told that it's not good to include links in your Blog posts to other sites.  Nonsense!  In this post, I'll share my difference of opinion, then show you how to do it.  Creating Hyperlinks to Anchor text can be very powerful and beneficial to your Blog for multiple reasons. Useful and informative links bring more value to your readers and targeted audience, they increase your SEO, and they drive traffic back to your blog from those who you are linking to.

According to many experts, creating anchor text boosts your search engine rankings and can make all the difference in the world to your Blog. "It tells search engines what the page is about.  Used wisely, it boosts your rankings in search engines.

What is Anchor Text?  Anchor text is the hyperlinked word(s) or phrases on your blog or website page - the words that you can click on to be taken to another site, Blog, or web page. 

What is a Hyperlink?  A Hyperlink is the underlined word which is commonly referred to as embedded text or an embedded link.  It's usually a blue underlined word that turns purple once it's been clicked on.  When you hover your mouse over a Hyperlink on a page, the arrow of the mouse will turn into a hand, and the URL or web address of that Anchor Text Hyper Link will appear in the lower left hand corner of your browser.

Hover your mouse over this Anchor Text Hyperlink but don't click on it, you'll see the Web address displayed at the Bottom of your Browser.  If you click on the Anchor Text Hyperlink, you'll end up right back here at this post.  Why?  Because that's how I've setup the hyperlink for that Anchor Text phrase.

How do you create hyperlinks and what is considered good Anchor Text?  Here's a couple tips:  Words like CLICK HERE, and READ MORE are not the suggested anchor text to use on your Blog posts.  They carry less value, and even moreso, they're less likely to get clicked on.  Also creating URL Anchor text IE: http://activerain.com/blogs/activebrad is less valued than using keyword(s) Anchor Text like "ActiveBrad's ActiveRain Blog"  If you want to see what other members have written about this Anchor Text topic, check out ActiveRain Anchor Text Blogs.

Now it's your turn!

Creating a hyperlink to Anchor Text is really easy. 

1. Type the keywords or phrase (Anchor Text) you want to use as the hyperlink within your Blog post.

2. Highlight the word(s) or phrase with your mouse so that it's
(only highlight and select the keywords or anchor text you want to use for your link)

3. Click on the "chain link icon" located in the toolbar at the top of your Blog Entry
(if there is no chain link, then you are most likely on the HTML tab)

4. Once the "Insert/Edit Link" box pops up, type in the URL or web address that you want to link to:
Example: http://activerain.com and be sure to add your "Keyword" or "Phrase" as the Title

The default on ActiveRain is to open a new window when your hyperlink is clicked on. You can change that option by clicking on the black arrow located at the end of the "Target" box.  I suggest having it always open in a new window so that your Blog post stays open, and your readers can come back to your post.  If you want the linked site to replace your Blog post page, then select "Open In Same Window."

5. Now click on the "Insert" button and your Anchor Text will be Hyperlinked to whatever URL or Web address you've entered.  If you hover your mouse over the new link, this is where you'll see the "Title" you created pop up over the hyperlink.

This should help get you started creating Hyperlinks to Anchor Text and key phrases, and understand why it's important that you do this on your Blog posts.  Don't get carried away with these though, if not used wisely, too many hyperlinks to anchor text can do more harm than good. The recommended amount of Hyperlink Anchor Text ranges depending who you talk to, I suggest no more than 3 or 4 per Blog post.  So what type of links are you thinking about now?  Maybe Local Schools?  MLS or IDX sites?  Chambers, Restaurants, Local Businesses etc.?

Just for fun, here's an Anchor Text that's sure to get clicked: DON'T CLICK HERE! :-O

RainCamp Las Vegas - The Highest "Payout" Odds in Nevada!

RainCamp™ Las Vegas is confirmed for April 1st, 2010.  This is NOT an April Fool, but it is a great opportunity to get away for the weekend, enjoy mixing some business with pleasure, and be one of our guests in the Ballroom Theater at UNLV.  What happens in Vegas, won't stay in Vegas this time, you'll be able to bring home what you learn, along with everything else that happens, and begin applying it immediately to your Social Media and Marketing Business Plan. 

Lot's of our friends and members are coming this year to "soak" up the "rain" and they're coming from all over.  Why?  Because it's Vegas baby, and who'd want to miss out on that?  Register for a seat, book your flight, get a room, bring your suitcase and Vegas dining attire, throw in your laptop, cellphone, some aspirin, and a couple extra bucks for site seeing and for some extra curricular activities, and COME ON DOWN!!!

We're going to make an entire weekend of fun out of it, throw in a RainCamp™, have an awesome AR Gathering after, and we want you ALL to come be part of it.  We'd love to see all 175,000 members show up at this one. There's no good excuses, you deserve it, so come help us make this the Best ActiveRain Gathering of all time.  It will be more fun than one person should be allowed to have, I promise!  :-)

RainCamp™.com

What Is RainCamp™

RainCamp™ Reviews and Testimonials

DON'T GAMBLE MISSING THIS ONE - REGISTER RIGHT NOW!

Address: Student Union, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154
Maps: Student Union is building #31 on the Parking Map and #30 on the Campus Map. 
Maps can be accessed on the UNLV website:  http://maps.unlv.edu

ActiveRain Training and Support - Your Virtual Classroom

We are now offering RainMaker members an opportunity to join us for some "informal" on-line training and support.  Our ActiveRain Training and Support Program is where you can phone in, join a classroom environment, ask your questions, see live examples and get detailed tutoring on "how it all works!"  The best part is that you can do it from the comfort of your home or office computer, and classes will be available three times a week for your convenience.  Time for the teacher to give YOU an apple.

There's no formal agenda, no formatted sessions, no rules, and no reason for you to not be getting the most out of your experience here on ActiveRain. We'll go over any requested details, and provide you information on how to use many of the AR tools and services.  We want to show you how to get the best results from areas of AR that you may not understand or just simply need some help and support with.

This is a great opportunity and chance to learn anything you want to know about ActiveRain, and do it in a non-threatening and fun environment.

Training and Support sessions will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for approximately one hour each day.  *Holidays, *RainCamps, and other *Real Estate Industry events that conflict with our ActiveRain training and support classes will take precedence, sessions will not be held on or during those dates and times.

Our dates and times selected for the first come first serve training and support this month are as follows: (ALL Times listed below are PST)

For ALL Classes, Support, Guests Speakers/Trainers, and Daily Events:
Go To: ActiveRain University

To Register in Advance - Click on Calendar

           
You'll also find a link on the Main ActiveRain Home Page under "More Information"

Having recently been to Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and now on our way to Dallas Texas, I wanted to share what others who have attended these RainCamps experienced, and are sharing with us.  This Review and Testimonial Lens is starting to grow with some great testimonials and feedback.  There's some new Blog posts, member comments, a few photos and video, and a "live" twitter feed.  The RainCamp "cloud" is beginning to take form.

If you attended any of the RainCamps, or plan to this year, we'd love to get your feedback and add it to The RainCamp Page.  We are all about making RainCamp "The BEST" it can be and are only able to do that with your help and support.  Share with us what you liked best, and we'll make it even better.  Based on many of the posts and comments, it looks like we're on the right track.

There's a feedback section available at the bottom of the page, just click the RainCamp button below.

Reviews HERE

If you have already written a post or review about RainCamp and would like it added, just leave me a link, I apologize if I may have missed it when putting this together.  You can also just leave a review or comment here, and I'll take care of the rest.  We'll be updating the page often with reviews and comments from each event going forward. Can't wait to see yours.  :-)

So come experience "Rainergy" then share your thoughts and experience with us.  We love hearing from you.

I've really enjoyed travelling around and meeting so many of you in person.  I'm excited and looking forward to seeing and meeting many more of you at future RainCamps, especially this one coming up in Dallas, I get to wear my Cowboy Hat and Boots! (Big Smile)

Over the past few weeks, we've been sending out emails discussing what RainCamp™ is all about and why we think you should be there. With the tickets being donation based, meaning you can pay whatever you can afford, you'd be crazy for not joining us.

I'm serious, you would be crazy!  Just yesterday, Garrick Werdmuller, a loan officer in Alameda, CA who joined us last month in San Francisco, posted to his AR Blog and said "I would have to say it was the best event I have ever attended as a mortgage professional and I have attended most of the big mortgage and real estate marketing events. If you get a chance, GO!"

What had Garrick so excited?  I'm sure it was that he learned how to get his content on the first page of Google. Or maybe it was the techniques he learned to help him actually get business because of his interactions on Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it was some of the connections he made and relationships he built with the people that surrounded him.

I'm certain those all played a part in forming his opinion of RainCamp.  But for a Real Estate technology lover like myself, who just can't get enough of staying on the cutting edge of marketing, it was a chance to immerse himself with 450 other Industry professionals with the exact same mindset and goals.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and ActiveRain give us an incredible opportunity to exchange ideas from the comfort of our living room. Still, there is no way to replace the real life networking opportunities afforded by being in one location with 450 of your peers, all with a common goal, maximizing their online effectiveness while still connecting in real life.

Next week, I will be in New York, along with four of the most influential people in real estate: Jonathan Washburn, our CEO and Founder, Bob Stewart, AR's Chief Evangelist, Spencer Rascoff, COO of Zillow and Ben Kinney, Mega Agent from Keller Williams in Seattle. We'll be talking about a variety of strategies to improve your online presence and help you get business using the web and Social Media.

Next week at RainCamp, we will:

• Show you how we have helped thousands of our members rank at the top of the search engines for searches in their market.
• Share how Donna Harris, a RE/MAX agent from Austin, Texas used her blog to make $122,000 in commissions over the last two years doing something you can do in your own market right now.
• Reveal how a plan and some guidance can help you use blogging to impact your business and get the same results as Donna.
• Provide you with a full day of great info to take home with you and implement immediately!

At the end of the day, Real Estate is a people business, and no amount of technology will replace old fashion networking and sharing, in person.

Come Join us on Tuesday, January 12th in New York City for RainCamp to learn and build cohesive, meaningful relationships with colleagues that will carry you into 2010 and beyond. Click here to register today, we are filling up fast and the last seats will be gone before you know it. I can guaranty that you don't want to be the one that didn't take the time to learn this stuff. 

I'm excited and looking forward to seeing you and connecting in NYC.

Kids of ALL ages, It's Time To Send Your Parents To RainCamp!

That's right kids, if your Mom or Dad is in the Real Estate Industry, just hanging around the House or Office pouting, pacing, misbehaving, biting their nails, or cussing while sitting at their computers, it's time to send them to Camp.  RAINCAMP!  We can help your folks become more productive, attentive, and obedient if you send them to us. We'll even bring the "CAMP" close to you!  (Watch for RainCamp Calendar Coming Soon!) 

If you want to help make life normal again, and see your parents come home with smiles on their faces and doing the Happy Dance, then RainCamp is the answer.  Just look at what these kids parents had to say who were among the first to ever attend "The RainCamp!"

Parents Responses Prior To RainCamp:

JoSoss: hahaha @campingworld is now following me -must be all my tweets about RainCamp! I am not a camper- lol! But I am attending RainCamp #raincamp

todderific: fully aware that my lack of recent tweets will make me a target at #raincamp tomorrow.

benkinney: Packing up for raincamp.com tomorrow in Seattle. I am ready, swine flu, and all.

alltechmortgage: Heading to Raincamp.com tomorrow....Hopefully learning new skills. Can they still teach old dog's new tricks...

JohnPayson: Looking forward to Raincamp today!

Parents Reactions During RainCamp:

mallinawilson: sitting in an active raincamp in Seattle! I should come out brilliant!

victoriarealtor: @CoachKaterina Wish you where Here :O)) Brad and Bob are awesome #raincamp

activebob: @bradandersohn never has a camera more than one foot from his reach #raincamp

pmcmortgages: At Active Rain's Rain Camp-lots of excitement! #raincamp

chrispenner: #raincamp just getting going here with Ben Kinney and Active Rains first ever raincamp. Rock on guys.

DuaneHopper: Sitting in Active Rain "RainCamp" Seattle Bell Harbor Conference center. http://post.ly/7c9v

JordanCoxRE: Just got picked to video RainCamp #raincamp

juliannahind: I accidentally entered the men's bathroom when I went on a much needed break at raincamp!

tara_camp: 67% of peeps are more likely to respond to Twitter, facebook, & linkedin than a email #raincamp via @benkinney

Lizmoras: Sitting at active rains first RAINCAMP in Seattle - with bob Kiney - bob stewart - brad andersohn - hey and scott leaf - amazing!

pmcmortgages: Ben Kinney is on stage-this guy understands social networking! #raincamp

victoriarealtor: Top 10 keywords are 19.8 % of all your search terms http://hittail.com twitter#raincamp

findrebecca: Go for the less commonly searched phrases for your targets to get the 80% of your clients that are not using most seared phrases. #raincamp

depmodechick: Wow, these fancy Aeron chairs at Bell Harbor conference center in Seattle are amazing! :) #raincamp #activerain

victoriarealtor: Wow...250 Realtors are at Rain Camp today!!!

mikelovesrobots: At #raincamp. This place is packed! Also, I've never watched an agent use Activerain before live! #spy http://twitpic.com/km8sv

JohnPayson: http://twitpic.com/kml4j - Panelist at #raincamp

elaineAcook: in the most fantastic workshop...Active Rain, raincamp! Ben is doing great! Fabulous information!

findrebecca: Listening to the Social Media panel with Jim Reppond, Rhonda Porter, Courtney Cooper and JO Soss #raincamp 2009 Seattle.

concentriconlyn: #raincamp Do you promote your blog posts on any social bookmark services such as stumbleupon or del.icio.us?

RealtorSandyN: @BradAndersohn sharing his wealth of knowledge at @ActiveRainCorp #RainCamp.

KitsapAgent: @jososs is one of the better examples of what you can do with social media tools. Her quality content dominates our local market #raincamp

clockhours: #raincamp showing Social media video.. fad or revolution.. always give me goosebumps!

RebeccaChandler: http://bit.ly/OIIs2 (expand) @danielrmccarthy embracing social media to increase consumer engagement - a new way of sharing #activerain #raincamp

jimreppond: Find what's happening at the moment right around you on Twitter with your iPhone using "Buzzd" app. #raincamp

urownlo: listening to @activebob about twitter. #raincamp twitter helps get out my information i enjoy to share

GabeSEO: Twitter TweedDeck tip: Use the filter button in columns to only display Tweets with "?". Result, only question related Tweets. #RainCamp

Design29: Very moving video. Ben Kinney talking about sharing with others, amazing stuff!! #raincamp

Parents Testimonies After Attending RainCamp:

pmcmortgages: Wrapping up the first ever Active Rain raincamp. It was invaluable! Thanks to all! #raincamp

ChristineandCo: Loving what i am learning at #raincamp

victoriarealtor: Brad...Sharing is a good and positive thing ...Thanks for Coming and sharing!  :O)) #raincamp

dalekreiser: Great turnout at Seattle #raincamp. Good info to boot! http://twitpic.com/km1eo

Pamstages: The information here at Rain Camp is great, not just for Realtors I think it's for any small business #raincamp

chrispenner: @BradAndersohn Hey Brad thanks so much to you and your team for ripping up the #raincamp yesterday, just super.

DuaneHopper: @clockhours yep, another great show by #activerain at #raincamp. See you at the after hours for a video ;-)

victoriarealtor: Thanks to our Panel at Rain Camp Jim Repond, Rhonda Porter, Courtney Copper and Jo Soss with Active Brad #raincamp

clockhours: @DuaneHopper Hey Duane.. so you are in this crowd.. awesome conference, huh?! #raincamp

cheridiehl: #raincamp Looking forward to using what I've learned to sell Long Beach WA real estate

urownlo: i have so many great ideas from #raincamp that i will be implementing asap

jimreppond: @mortgageporter more like "getting charged" :-) #raincamp

RealtorSandyN: @benkinney The 10 Days of Pain for internet lead generation! You really missed a ton of info if you didn't attend #raincamp

eComprehend: #raincamp thanks for an awesome day of learning!

RollandJLS: Had a great time at raincamp, awesome to see so many positive good people there! #raincamp

kimcripe: #raincamp What a fantastic day! Thanks for making geeky sexy again....

RentonHomeFinde: #raincamp in Seattle social media and how do we sell Renton homes great stuff for our clients and business

depmodechick: My brain is percolating truckloads of ideas, thanks to the first ever Rain Camp in Seattle (put on by Active Rain). Thank you #raincamp !!!

JoSoss: No matter what level blogger you R- #raincamp has to be a must! I picked up lots of stuff Thx @activebrad @activebob @JonWashburn @BenKinney

Ricklie: Fantastic day of learning at Active Rain's Rain Camp. Thanks to all the planners & contributors for an inspiring six hours! #raincamp

JoSoss: Just posted on ActiveRain: ActiveRain- RainCamp - Thanks the Behind the Scenes AR Crew http://activerain.com/t/1274811

renefabre: #raincamp 1 Seattle... thanks Ben Kinney, Bob Stewart, and Brad Andersohn... AWESOME JOB! ActiveRain team, you're fabulous!

Dinah Lee Griffey Allyn - "I have seldom in my career been as inspired as I was today [at RainCamp]." http://bit.ly/luWJJ

skynnard: Most amazing day of learning and sharing. Thanks #ActiveRain for making #RainCamp possible. Well done everyone. Can't wait for the next one.

BrettTousley: Had a good time at Active Rain's #raincamp today. Great speakers and a lot of useful info. Catch it if it rolls through your town.

DaleKreiser - @JonWashburn It was good to finally meet you last night. Thanks for putting on such a great event yesterday #raincamp Cheers!

JonWashburn: I am gushing with happiness after seeing such a positive twitter response to #raincamp - http://bit.ly/4qqssZ

So as you can see kids, getting your parents to one of these RainCamp events is worth while, and will literally change their life. A Happy Parent is a productive, Socially connected and educated Parent.  If you're still not sure about "RainCamp" or if it's right for your folks, just listen and watch this video below.  Hopefully, you'll be convinced why you "MUST" get your parents to an ActiveRain RainCamp in your area.

We promise to take good care of them, and are committed to making sure that each parent who attends a RainCamp, will come out of it renewed, refreshed, energized and educated.  They will never be the same parent again. :-))  Looking forward to seeing your folks at the next Summer Camp RainCamp for Parents. C'mon Kids, it's really all about them!

 

 

          

 

Tutorials | Training | Mobile | Widgets

"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

73 comments • Brad Andersohn • October 09 2009 04:10PM

How to Add Custom Links to Your Blog Sidebar

Jeff Dowler wrote a great post regarding "How To Use His Blog - A Road Map" showing Buyers, Sellers, and Visitors how to navigate his Blog on ActiveRain.  This was a fantastic idea, so I wanted to expand on it, thanks Jeff.  As with any Blog roll, as content is added to your Blog, the previous Blog is moved down the roll allowing for the most current post to be at the top of your Blog.  In this case, Jeff's great post will eventually be pushed down the Blog Roll and end up off the page. (it's already dropped down to 3rd place)

In the event that you create a post that you wish to remain visible, there are two ways to do this.

First: You can create a link to the post using the "Add/Remove" links on your Blog sidebar.  The only thing with this option is that the links appear down below the "Tags" menu bar on your Blogs sidebar.  The more widgets and gadgets you have, the lower these links will be pushed down the side of the computer screen.

Second: You can create a custom link to remain at the top of your Blog sidebar, or you can place it wherever you feel is the best location anywhere on your sidebar.  The choice is yours.

OPTION ONE:

To add a link using the "Add/Remove" links option:

1. Scroll down on your Blog sidebar till you come to the "Add/Remove" Links

2. Click on the "add/remove" link located next to Links

3. In the "Link" Box, add the URL of ANY page you want to direct your visitors to. IE: http://activerain.com

4. In the "Link Text" Box, add the TEXT that you want to appear as the Link.  IE: Real Estate Network
(Suggestion: Use some enticing text that will create the desire for visitors to want to click on it)

5. Click on the "Add Link" Button and you're done.  TIP: Be sure to always test your links to make sure they work.

 

OPTION TWO:

To add a "Custom Link" and "Text" to your Blog sidebar using the "Settings" page:

This is a bit more advanced, but you can do it if you follow these simple steps.  I'll use my most recent post as an example of how to add this to the Top of the Blog sidebar.  This will apply to any custom link you wish to create on your Blog sidebar.

1. Click on "My Home"

2. Click on the "Settings" link located on the left hand sidebar

3. Here is the secret and most important step.  You will need to use this HTML code below to create a custom link.  You can use any URL or web address where you want the link to go.  Then just add the custom text you want displayed on your sidebar.  The HTML must be exactly as shown.  Just use YOUR URL or web address and text and replace what I have used as a sample below.

4. All the HTML Codes for custom links will go in the SECOND Box on your "Settings Page", see below:

Quick Tip: If Using the <b> to Bold text or <i> to make italics, they must be closed with these </b> or </i>
EXAMPLE:  <b>Makes Text Bold</b>    and     <i>Makes Text Italicized</i>

5. Now just click on the "Update" button on your settings page to save your work. 

If you have other custom created widgets and links on your sidebar, then the placement of this custom link will depend on where you decide to place the link (code).  Just place it above or below any existing links or widgets you may already have.  The final result should be a link on your Blog sidebar that looks something like this.

See my sidebar for "Live" link sample.  There is something new to learn here everyday that can enhance and add more value to your Blog.  This may seem really advanced for some, but once you do it a couple times, it will make sense and be easy to do in the future.  I hope this will simplify adding links to your ActiveRain Blog Sidebar.  Jeff Dowler's post would be an excellent example of something I'd want to have a link to at the top of my Blog sidebar for ALL visitors to see.  Thanks for sharing that Jeff, it's what inspired this tutorial.  :-)

 

 

 

          

 

Tutorials | Training | Mobile | Widgets

"May this blog be just one more planted seed of wisdom that helps you or your business blossom today!"

65 comments • Brad Andersohn • September 14 2009 06:06PM

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