Me and FeedBurner---a fast lesson

[garcia]

Want to use FeedBurner but just not quite sure of the steps? Here is what I do for every blog I make (once the blog is done and posts there).

1-Burn A feed right this instant-- Put in your blog url or blog feed url

2-Welcome! Let us burn a feed for you. Verify the feed title and address and click Activate Feed

3-Congrats! Your FeedBurner feed is now live. Just go to the bottom and click Next.

4-Get More Gusto From Your Feed Traffic Statistics. Put a checkmark in ALL boxes and click Next.

You are now at your feeds management panel.

5-Click Publicize
5a--On the next page click the words Smart Feed and when the new page comes up click Activate. Click Publicize again.
5b--Click the words friendly graphic. When the page comes up put a check by whatever icons you want on your blog (I always just use the smalll rss icon). Go to the bottom and copy the html code in the code box and save it on a notepad or editor (you will need it in a few minutes).

6-On the left hand side of the screen click Email Subscriptions. At the botton click Activate. Scroll to the blotton of the page to the html box labeled Preview Sunscription link. Copy this code and save on the same notepad or editor you just saved the other code on.

7-On the left hand side of the screen click Ping Shot. On the page that comes up make certain that ALL boxes are checked then click Activate.

8-Go to the tab near the top that says Analyze and click it. On the page that comes up--on the left hand side--go to the bottom where it says FeedBurner Stats and click it. On the page that comes up make sure ALL boxes are checked then click Save. A new page opens up. At the bottom is a drop down menu (Get the HTML code). Choose Others in that menu. On the new page that pops up scroll down to the very last code box (labeled "If you want to use StandardStats only". Copy that code and paste it on the norepad or editor you have the other two saved on.

9-Go into Thumblogger to the dashboard of the blog you just put on FeedBurner. Go to Options/Boxes. Pick and empty box and click edit. Name the box whatever you want (like Subscribe maybe) and paste the saved code (all three) from your notepad or editor into the box body. Make certain you have checkmarks by Enable and Surround With a Box. Click Change.

10-Go into Box Move and move the box you just created from the center to either the top of the left or right column. Click Change.

You now have a subscription block on your blog and FeedBurner is collecting stats and sending email updates to your email subscribers.

Go back to the FeedBurner control panel and click on the name of your blog. Click Publicize. On the left hand side click Headline Animator. On the page that pops up create an Animator. I usually use the 180x100 Black or White. Choose the colors you want for the lines. Click activate.

On the next page you will see your Animator and right below it a drop down menu. From that menu choose Other (just gimmie the code). Click the Next button. A page will pop-up with your code. Copy it and save it on a notepad or editor.

Go into your Thumblogger control panel for a DIFFERENT blog than the one you just made the Animator for. Go to Options/Boxes and select an empty box. Click Edit. (OR--if you already have a subscribe box on this blog just open it.) Place the code in the box and, if a new box, name it Subscribe or whatever. Check Enable and Surround by a Box. Click Change. Go to Box Move and, if a new box, move it to the right or left column (near the top) and click Change.

You now have an Animator block showing the last 5 headlines fro your New blog on an old blog.

There are many many more used for FeedBurner. Play with it and see what it will do.

[webpimp]

Thanks garcia - feedburner can get kinda complicated.

[Markul]

Good guide! Was wondering about those cool boxes you have on many of the new blogs you've slapped up lately

[hyballs]

I've only scratched the surface with FeedBurner. But I will scratch harder!