How to add Follow by Email

Prologue: You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it people want to read your blog... SO LET THEM!! (Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley - SNL) This will be a series of posts on how to pimp your blog to make blogger work better for you and your readers.

Episode II: How to add Follow by Email

I really want to read your blog, I honestly do, but I'm lazy busy, so please make it easy for me and deliver your posts to my inbox. As it stands, every few weeks months I try to catch up on your blogs, searching to see who has posted something new and maybe reading a couple of your posts and maybe commenting if you have word verification off ;) BUT for those of you that offer "Follow by Email" (Mini*Aesthetics, Tiny Fixation, Neo-Mini, Very Little Humor, Welcome Home, Little Victorian, iseecerulean, Hommemaker) I read EVERY post as you come straight to my inbox without me having to go to you. (Okay, I'm still lazy and don't always comment, but I do enjoy reading all of your posts).

To add this feature go to your dashboard > Layout > click on "Add a Gadget"

A pop-up window will open on the "Basics" options, then select "Follow by email" (there are a bunch of other fun gadgets you can add but this one is an essential in my book).

You can customize the title... "hot new posts delivered in 30 minutes" "2, 4, 6, 8 my posts are really great" or just stick with "Follow by email". Then hit orange "Save" button.

After you save, you'll be back at the layout page. The "Follow by email" gadget will be on the top of the list. You can drag it to a different position, but I think it's most noticeable for your readers when it's right on top, easily accessible for readers to sign up. Click "Save arrangement" and you are all set.

Now when you publish new blog posts, all subscribers will automatically be sent an email notification with the new content and links back to the posts on your blog.

FeedBurner allows Follow by Email to track your subscription information, with more stats than you really need, but good ones like the number of subscribers and daily/weekly/monthly views. When on your blog, click on the tools icon under the email address and submit button, then in the pop-up window, click on "View stats and learn more." Then snoop away to find out more about your readers.


You can also add the "Subscribe" gadget, which I recommend, but I've noticed a higher increase in subscribers by using the "Follow by email" gadget. Do both so people can choose which method they prefer.

Happy blogging! (see all Pimp my blog posts)