Do you use Bloglovin’? Recently I’ve noticed the topic of Bloglovin’ coming up in a bunch of Facebook groups I’m a member of. People either love it, aren’t using it, or have no clue about it’s potential.
Now I must say I’m not a regular Bloglovin’ user. I much prefer Feedly for staying up to date with my favorite blogs. But still, there’s something to be said about the platform. Depending on your niche and where your audience hangs out, it might be very worthwhile for you to take advantage of everything Bloglovin’ has to offer.
And even if you don’t plan on using Bloglovin’, I still think you should at minimum have a presence there, especially if your readers use it.
In this post, I’m going to go over everything you need to know about Bloglovin’ including how to claim your blog, how to add a Bloglovin’ follow widget to your site, ways you can use Bloglovin’ to be an even better blogger, and more!
What is Bloglovin’?
Bloglovin’ is a blog reader that allows you to keep up with your favorite blogs and discover new content. You can follow all of your daily reads and read them in one convenient location. Plus, you’ll always be aware of new content. No more missing posts!
In addition to reading your favorite blogs, Bloglovin’ is a great community for bloggers. You can explore different categories to view top posts within each one, extending your blog reading even further beyond your favorites.
Since Bloglovin’ is used to read content, it’s the perfect platform to curate the best of the best via collections. This gives you the opportunity to create some awesome reading lists for all of your followers. Plus, you can even check out collections of other bloggers! It’s definitely a fun place to explore.
Why should I use Bloglovin’?
There are a number of reasons why bloggers should use Bloglovin’. Perhaps the best reason is so you can easily follow your favorite blogs! No more missing out on new blog posts! Plus, because Bloglovin’ is a network of sorts, it gives you more opportunities for people to discover your blog.
But my favorite reason for using Bloglovin? Finding new and interesting content! Whenever I’m feeling bored or if I’m looking to curate content to share on social media, Bloglovin’ is my number one stop.
How do I add my blog to Bloglovin’?
Because Bloglovin’ relies on RSS feeds, you don’t need to add your blog in order for it to show up! Anyone can simply search for your blog via its URL. If your site has an RSS, they can follow.
However, you can claim your blog which gives you control over how your blog is displayed, including the category is is displayed under and the description.
To claim your blog, search for your blog via URL in the search bar, then click the claim it link on your blog’s page. You’ll be provided with html code for a link. Copy and paste the link into a new blog post (using the text editor — not the visual editor) and publish it. Go back to the page with the html code and click the claim blog button. If it worked, your blog is now claimed!
How to add Bloglovin’ widgets to your blog
One of the best ways to grow your following on Bloglovin’ is to add widgets to your blog. This will allow your readers to quickly and easily follow your blog on Bloglovin’.
To add a Bloglovin’ widget to your blog, visit the widgets page and select a widget by clicking “get this widget.” You’ll be provided with a bit of code that you can add to a sidebar widget on your WordPress blog. If you’re a Squarespace user, add a code block wherever you want the Bloglovin’ widget to display and add the code provided.
How to use Bloglovin’ to stay up to date with your favorite blogs
Let’s talk about Bloglovin’s main purpose: staying up to date with all of your favorite blogs. Once you’ve gotten yourself set up with an account, you’ll want to follow your favorites! To find your favorite blogs, search for them in the search bar. As you type, suggestions will appear. When you see the correct one, click on it and you’ll be taken to that blog’s page. To follow the blog, click on the blue follow button underneath the blog description. That’s it! Now when a new post is published from that blog, you’ll see it on your homepage.
Now let’s say you are going to be following a ton of blogs. You’l probably want some sort of organization right? I mean, if you’re in the mood to look at recipes, you’ll want to be able to just view your favorite food blogs. And the same if you’re looking for blogging tips to share on social media.
Luckily, Bloglovin’ allows you to group the blogs you follow into groups. To create groups, go to your feed page and find the groups link in the right sidebar. When you hover over the link, an edit link will appear. Click edit and you’ll be taken to your subscriptions page. At the top of the page, click on the create new group button. Once the group is created, you can add blogs to it by clicking on the change group drop down next to any of the blogs you’d like to add.
How to find new and interesting content on Bloglovin’
Ahh, my favorite part of Bloglovin’! When I’m on the hunt for content to share via Twitter, Bloglovin’s Explore tab is one of the first places I look. When you click on Explore in the menu, you’re greeted with posts from all categories. But the real magic happens on the category pages. That’s where you can find posts related to your niche that your audience will find valuable. You may even find some new blogs to follow! I know I’ve definitely added quite a bit of blogs to my reader thanks to the Bloglovin’ Explore section.
How to save content to collections
If you’ve ever come across a post you want to save for later, whether it’s so you can read it when you have time or to save for future reference, Bloglovin’ has a great save feature that allows you to create collections of blog posts.
When you come across a blog post you want to save, simply click the save button below the post. If you have collections already set up, you can select a collection to save it to. If you haven’t created any collections yet, enter a name for the collection you wish to create and then click create.
More Bloglovin’ tips
1. Dislike the Bloglovin’ frame when reading posts? You can disable it! Click on your profile picture in the top navigation menu and select settings. Scroll down to the bottom and select “I don’t want the frame.” Boom. Now whenever you click on a post via Bloglovin’ you’ll be taken directly to that blog without the pesky frame!
2. Want to change the order in which items are displayed in your feed? From the homepage click on the … next to mark all as read. From there you can sort by newest or oldest first. You can also select the size of the images displayed in your feed!
3. Bloglovin’ profiles are public, which means anyone can view the blogs you follow. If you want to hide that guilty pleasure blog from public view, you can make it private. Click on your profile picture and select edit blogs you follow. Then simply click private next to any blogs you want hidden.
4. You can keep up with your favorite blogs on the go via the Bloglovin’ app, which can be downloaded here.
Keep up with your fave blogs & grow your community with this ultimate guide to Bloglovin’!
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Do you use Bloglovin’? What’s you’re favorite feature? Got any tips? Share below!
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