[Dress Up Your Blogs] Creating and Adding Google Group in your blog

[Grace]

Have you started your own Google group? What form of newsletter sign up do you use to bring about your latest updates to your followers? Do you know that using Google group can make your followers subscribe to your blog updates? Here is my tutorial for you on how to create your own Google group and add the widget to your blog.

1. Log in to your Google account. In your account settings, look for this icon:

2. On the next screen, click the Create a group button.

3. Fill up the field required information. (Click the screenshot for larger view)

Name your group (1) – This is the name of the group you want to create.

Create a group email address – This is automatically generated with regards to your group name.

Google Web address – This is the link to your Google group.

Write a group description (2) – Write simple and clear description of your group.

Choose an access level (3) – You have three options for the access of your group. A description of each option is already given so just choose one that fit to your group. In my group I choose Announcement only since I want to use this group to bring about the latest news and updates about my blog to all my subscribers. If you want your members to post in the discussion board, choose Public.

Create my group (4) – Click this button when you are done.


4. Then you will be asked to type characters for verification. Click Create my group button.

5. If you have some target email address(es) of your friends, you can input their email addresses in the Enter email addresses of people to invite field box. Then write an invitation message. Or you can just click Skip this step button and do later. (Click the screenshot for larger view)

6. You will now be directed to your Google group homepage. Within this page, you can customize your settings for your group: your group thumbnail, discussion, invite members, etc..You can explore it yourself.

How to add your Google group widget in your blog:

1. In the homepage of your group, click the Tune your group’s settings.

2. Then you will see the Group settings General options. Click the promotion box link under the Public website. By the way, you can set your public website when you click the Edit button below.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see this Subscribe box for your web page. Below this widget you will see there codes. Copy those codes.


4. Login to your Blogger account. In the Page Element, click the Add widget and choose the HTML/Javasript.

5. Paste the code you have copied. Click Save.

6. Preview your page. Then click Save to take effect the action.

Now you can broadcast about your group and start spreading about what is happening in your blog. This is also a great way for a newsletter for your blog subscribers and followers. You can directly post in your Google Group discussion board or through email in sending updates to your members/subscribers.

For those who prefer to use Yahoo Groups than Google Groups, keep coming back in this blog for I will find time to make tutorial on how you create your own Yahoo Group.

You can see my own subscribe box at the upper part of this page. I use my newly created Google group for my announcement about updates of this blog. So if you want to subscribe about my updates here, you can join me. I have also a newsletter sign up in my Digital Retouching but I use the free account at Your Mailing List Provider.

Enjoy creating your Google group.

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Posted By Grace to Dress Up Your Blogs at 1/11/2011 09:00:00 AM