To be honest, I haven't done much research on other options, but I have heard the most about Bloglovin', so I took the leap on Sunday and joined and imported my blog list. I'm still not 100% sure we will lose our blog list from our Blogger Dashboard or just the Google Reader. Either way, I needed to import my list before it was gone forever.
In this post, I will show a quick tutorial on how to join, import your blog reading list and how to add a Bloglovin Follow Me Button to your blog.
Here's the Bloglovin Home page to join...
You can join with Facebook, but I joined with just my email address.
See the note about importing your Google Reader list? It's easy.
After you put in all your own info, the next screen will look like this...click the blue bar to "Import From Google Reader".
On the next screen, click the "ACCEPT" button.
Here's how the reading list looks when it's all imported.
I really need to research all the features on this. I just joined yesterday, it's all so new.
Maybe some of you who are already use Bloglovin can explain something...when I hover over a blog name on this "new" list of my "old" list, it says, "Follow".
I am assuming, I now have to click the "Follow" button on my whole list to re-follow them with Bloglovin"...is that correct?
UPDATE ON THIS...I THINK IT JUST TOOK TIME FOR BLOGLOVIN TO RECOGNIZE MY LIST. ALL THE BLOGS NOW SAY "FOLLOWING"
Now to add the "Bloglovin Follow Me Button"
From your Bloglovin Home page, click the blue heart in the upper right corner.
Then from the drop down menu click...Bloglovin Buttons
Click on the button that you want on your blog sidebar.
Then you will search for your blog name in this section.
Click on your blog title from the choices.
On this next page, you will click "ADD WIDGET". Make sure your blog name is in the first line and you can also change what you want the title to be on your side bar.
The widget will already be at the top of your side bar, so you have to drag and drop it where you want it on your side bar.
Here it is on my side bar. I also added it to my social media buttons, but that's another tutorial.
Please don't wait til next week and then panic when your blog list disappears...
I have no affiliation with Bloglovin, just wanted to share what I was using.
Happy Blogging,
~Karen~
I originally switched to Feedly and it was okay, but then I started getting (spam) blogs, etc. Just switched to Bloglovin a couple days ago myself. So far it seems to be more user friendly and easier to change settings, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think Bloglovin and Feedly must be getting overwhelmed...they just need to work the bugs out with spam etc
DeleteHmmmm - when I "hover" over a name on my list it says "Following" - so I assume I must have clicked "Follow"!! I can't really remember:-) Can you tell how well I cope with change of a technical sort!! Lynne.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm thinking I have to go through and "officially" follow them on Bloglovin. That's just my old list from google..now Bloglovin must have to recognize the blogs to update new posts from that blogger.
DeleteAhhh...the joy of learning new things. Lol
I tried bloglovin and then switched to Feedly. I love Feedly and think it is even better than Google Reader. Note: Unlike the first comment, I have not gotten any spam blogs.
ReplyDeleteSadly I just received an email from BlogLovin that I have a new Follower.... unfortunately he runs a porn site!! and I cannot find anywhere on BlogLovin where you can BLOCK a follower whereas on Blogger following you could! I'm still waiting on a reply from BlogLovin help desk...waiting...waiting... the only thing about BlogLovin is that only the blog owner actually knows who is following them. you can add the widget that shows how many followers you have but no names. Still a learning curve I guess.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know. Maybe as time goes on, Bloglovin will add the feature where we can block certain people or sites.
DeleteI'm not on Facebook, I would have to join with my email address does that mean every blog entry will come through my email? Or can I just go to Bloglovin to read when I have time? I have no tech skills and have put this off, until now. Please help!
ReplyDeleteYou can sign in with your email address to view your reading list, but in the settings of Bloglovin you can click where you don't want any email notifications at all, one email a day or one email when your favorite blogs update...
DeleteHope this helps
Thank you! I'm all set up now!
ReplyDeleteI'm set up on Feedly and it seems like it was just one or two steps and it was all there. Overall it seems to be great but still learning! I hate how google reader decided to be no more at the end of the month
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, Does this mean we are going to lose all the followers we have on our blogs?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but I think if they have your blog on their new feed or saved to their favorites on their computer, they will still be able to come to your blog for a visit.
DeleteThe people who don't switch over from Google Reader to another platform will lose their list of blogs and may not remember your blog or other blogs they had on their list.
My list was over 400, so I definitely wouldn't remember all of mine.
They may subscribe to your blog through email, if you offer that on your blog. That won't change. That's through Feedburner.
Maybe do a post on your blog to remind your followers about Google reader.
I looked and found feedly so used that. I just clicked the button to transfer and that was it, easy for me, lol.
ReplyDeleteI heard that our follower list will disappear?
Debbie
HI Karen...there is also a 'claim your blog' step to use Bloglovin'. Here's a link to their support page for how and why. http://www.bloglovin.com/support. I've also received a spam follower...only one since i joined months ago...i'd also like to learn if Bloglovin' will come up with a way to block these followers. Hopefully they will.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your help!
~karen
I use The Old Reader and I love it.
ReplyDeletehttp://theoldreader.com/
I sort of like it, but have found it is very slow. Is that just because things are clogged up now or has it always been slow?
DeleteI'm currently with about 3 different places trying to find which I like best.
For me, it seems to be slow when it's been a little while since i signed in because it's trying to upload all the blog entries. But if I sign in every couple of days, it doesn't seem to be bad at all. You're right though, they could be clogged up with all the new customers.
DeleteI have a crazy question.... do I need to transfer my blog over to blogger or only the list of blog followers? hope this question is clear?
ReplyDeleteThank You
Thank you for your info here, very helpful Karen :D
ReplyDeleteThe way I understand it we can all access the blogs we are following on our dashboards , it's only Google reader that will disappear. I have joined Bloglovin today and hope it works out, it's all pretty confusing really!
Karen, I also opted for Bloglovin' but I know the other really popular reader is Feedly. I used your social media tutorial yesterday to create new buttons but there wasn't one for Feedly so I created one! Here's the link on what I guess I'd call is my very first tutorial. http://reddeliciouslife.blogspot.com/2013/06/creating-feedly-button-for-your-blog.html
ReplyDeleteI set myself up on Bloglovin as soon as I heard Google Reader was being binned. I actually prefer it to Google Reader.
ReplyDeleteAs far as our blog followers go - I don't think that's linked to Google Reader at all so I don't think anything will happen to them next week. Hopefully! :o)
I'm already following you on bloglovin'. :D Going to read through your tute and see if I missed anything. If you know how to list 'all' of your followers to see whose following you let me know.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen - wanted to clear up that Google Friend Connect is NOT changing. If people read blogs in their dashboard, NOTHING will change. Your 'follower's numbers on the right will not change and neither will your blogs in the your blogger dashboard. It's ONLY if you read blogs with Google Reader. I'm finding that most people do NOT, hence probably why it's going away! :)
ReplyDeleteHope that helps clear up any confusion!
Sarah, I am with you on this. I don't use Google Reader so am not signing up for another form to read my blogs. Since this is the last day (Sunday) for Google Reader, I hope when I wake up tomorrow morning all will be well with my blog! I was starting to panic this morning with all of this and after reading Karen's post many times and almost switching to Bloglovin', your comment has me confident I am 'safe'!
DeletePamela
OK thanks. I just added it to my blog. But it said I only have 19 followers. I wonder where it go that number from? shruggin shoulders
ReplyDeleteOh No something else to figure out , I use blogger now .Do I have to change to keep all my google folloers and friends etc???
ReplyDeleteI just figure out how to move around in my site then changes changes changes , I sound like an old senior that I an LOL
Thank you so much for this tutorial - I haven't been able to figure out how to keep my blogs until today.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind but I shared this with my blog readers too.
Kirstin x
Nice tut, Karen. I switched over a few months ago and enjoy reading the blogs from the regular email Bloglovin sends me. HAPPY and safe 4th of July! :)
ReplyDeleteshawn
my blog post won't auto update (Reading list - follower) since 5 month ago.
ReplyDelete:(
anyone can help me solve this problem ?