Blogs are wonderul: so many possibilities, so much cool stuff to share. You might think that blogs are just about the content of each entry. But they can be so much more! What you do with your blog’s sidebars can make your blog really fun and interesting.

With some blogging programs, you are stuck with a one column sidebar, at a certain size, with a hard to navigate system for adding content. Other programs, like Typepad and WordPress, are completely customizable. You can choose 1, 2, or 3 columned sidebars, of any width, and the control panel for adding content is fairly easy to understand. Some basic HTML knowledge is required, but it’s not a lot—and not as hard as you would think.  (And I have tutorials about these in the Blogging 101 section.  See how cool I am?)  Within the sidebars, you create lists for your content—for each grouping of information, and each new type of content, you create a new list.

So what kind of content should your sidebars have?  In my mind, the content possibilities fall into three categories: information, housekeeping,and fun.

INFORMATION:

New visitors to your blog will often immediately look to the sidebars for information about who you are. There are three things, usually grouped together, that most people expect.

1. It’s typical to have a 120 or 150 pixel wide picture of yourself at the top of one sidebar column.

2. A link to an “About Me” page is also a good idea; it’s very frustrating upon finding a new blog—especially one you think you might enjoy—to not be able to figure out who is writing it! You don’t have to give your full name, specific location, or life’s story in your “About Me” page, but you might give your first name, general region, and a few facts. People generally list their family make-up, occupation, and hobbies on their “About Me” page. For example, mine might say “My name is Jen, I live in the southeast USA. I have one son, Jake, and a tough security guard husband. I’m a secretary, a piano teacher, and a writer. I love chocolate, scrapbooking, and the color purple.” If you don’t like the format your blogging program offers for “About Me” pages, you can choose instead to create a link to an entry within your blog.

3. Many readers appreciate an easy to find e-mail address, in case they want to contact you.  (Sometimes readers would rather e-mail you than leave a comment.)  If you DO include your email address, it’s a good idea to replace the symbols with words—like jenstrangeatgmaildotcom—minimizing the chance of spam.  Your readers are smart; they'll figure it out.

HOUSEKEEPING:

This is the stuff that helps keep your blog content organized. Links helping to organize your content are helpful shortcuts not just for visitors, but for you as well. There are a variety of lists you can choose to display. A list of current entries will show entry titles, which link to each individual entry. A list of current comments is a great way to make sure you see all your new comments, especially when a comment is added to an old entry. Depending on how you choose to archive your blog, you can display a list that links to your blog entries by week or by month.

My favorite tool for organizing entries is categorizing. In some blogging programs you can create a list of categories; then as you write each entry, assign it to a category. If readers want to view just my entries about music, or my son, or scrapbooking, they can click on a category from the categories list, and all entries assigned to that category will be displayed.

FUN:

The content you create for your sidebars will either be text, links, graphics, or code ( or a combination of these.)  (Here is some help for adding a code item.)  A text only list can contain items like quotes or a disclaimer/copyright statement. A links list is most often used to link to other blogs you read, or for a list of websites on a subject you are passionate about.

Lists containing graphics are often for pictures, or for blinkies/graphics. Some blogging programs allow you to build photo albums and link them directly to your sidebar. Many allow you to use ISBN information to list your favorite music and books. Graphics can easily be made into links with simple HTML. Text can be inserted following links or graphics.

Now items with codes are unique—they are originated and operate from websites outside of your blog. After finding the item you want, you copy and paste the HTML code to a sidebar list. Here are some popular code items for blogs:

Stat counters: Counters are a great way to keep track of page hits, who comes to your blog, and how they get there. I recommend Statcounter.com or Sitemeter.com.

Clock: If you live far away from some of your on-line friends, you can include current time clock so they always know what time of day it is for you (very helpful for our Australia friends!) Try Clocklink.com.

Instant Message Board: Zonkboard.com is a mini-instant message board, just for your blog—and anyone can leave a
comment or chat for about $10 a year.

Photo Albums: Flickr and Slide are a great photo hosts, which allow you to put a really cool, rotating photo displays on your blog.

You can put anything you want on your sidebars—hey, it’s your blog! Just keep in mind that too many blinking graphics give people headaches. If you insist on including flashing blinkies, break them up with some that are static. If you include something that is meant to be updated, UPDATE IT! Otherwise people will lose interest. Also, think carefully about how you order the content in your sidebar—the most important things should be at the top.  Every once in a while, take a close look at your sidebar content to evaluate if it needs to be rearranged or edited.

Happy Blogging!