How to Add Pages to Your Blog

Another how to blog post for my #agnerd and blogging friends

A lot of friends have recently asked me how to add tabs or pages to your blog. You can also create a mini website for your company or farm by using pages. So here is a adding pages tutorial for Blogger blogs, and don't forget to check out my How to Blog Guide for more Tutorials.

Step 1. Go to your Dashboard, find you blog and click on Pages. 

You will find this list on the left hand side. 

Step 2. Creating the page. 

You are going to likely want to create a blank page. 

You create your page just like you would create a post. Things to keep in mind.

1. keep the name of your tab short
2. the About Me tab/page is one of the most important pages to a blog.

Once you create the page, you will hit publish, just like you publish your blog post. 

Step 3. Make your tab/page go live

Once you have created all the pages you would like you need to hit save arrangement (the orange box in the upper right hand column). 

By holding your mouse over the vertical blue line into from of each tab name you can click and drag the pages into the order you desire. Remember to again click save arrangement after you make your change. 

Step 6. Ideas and creating a website 

My Crystal.Cattle Pages

Page ideas you might have for your blog:

About Me –  This one gets a lot of hits. I also have my complete contact information under here

Recipes – if you post recipes regularly you might want to include them under here

Photos – show off your photography skills

Other Blogs – if you don’t want to list all the blogs that you like in a blog roll on your homepage you can include them here, or other websites you enjoy

For those cattlemen that are using their blog as a website, you may want to set up tabs like For Sale, Sires, Show String, Contact Us, etc.

 ZNT Cattle have used the Blogger format to create a website for their family's cattle farm. 

Optimizing your blog for smartphones

Another blogging tutorial.

Blogger has now come out with the option for you to optimize your blog for smartphones in just a couple steps. I converted my blog, and I hope many of my other blogger friends will consider doing theirs as well. Why? Well on my poor ole Blackberry, I can't bring up a lot of your blogs. Which therefore limits my on the road blog reading. So what do you need to do to optimize your blog for smartphones?

Step 1. Go to your dashboard

Click on Settings. Look at my impressive use of the pencil tool in photoshop!

Step 2. Select Email & Mobile

Step 3. Change your settings

Click on the yes option so a mobile version of your blog with appear when people are surfing the web via their phone. I was really impressed with how fast the photos loaded, and how easy it was to read my own blog. 

I hope this tutorial was useful. Even if you are a just a blog reader encourage your friends and bloggers to consider switching to the mobile template so we all can get a little more reading done. And don't forget to check out my other tutorial and advice on starting your own blog under the How to Blog Guide tab. 

Blogs Worth Reading

Today I want to highlight a couple of my fellow bloggers:

The Great Arizona Bale-Out 

In my Life Isn't Very Fair When You Are a Farmer post I didn't mention one of the other natural disasters that has been effecting agriculture this year - wildfires. In Arizona there are some massive wildfire fires that have burnt up thousand of acres of grasslands leaving little feed for cattle and livestock. Anna on Life Be Delicious takes about how you can support their Arizona ranchers and farmers.

Am I Eating Dirty Foods

Do you question which tomatoes you should buy when at the grocery store - the regular ones, the organic ones, or should you leave the grocery store and visit a Farmer's Market. There is an article from Men's Health magazine circulating, and I don't agree with it very much. Amanda Hill has done a great job of commenting on the Dirty Foods article, I would have said the same thing, so check it out. 

Social Media Lemonade Stand

Are you needing help with your blogging? Then talk to me about redesigning your blog or helping you generate a larger social media presence. If you want those cool new blog features, feel like you need a new template, or want to get that facebook page started then visit my About tab and shoot me an email and we'll talk about some ideas and strategies. Also, one of my blogger friends does some nice design work, and is raising some funds to go to an agriculture social media conference. Brooke Clay will help you redesign your blog header for a small fee, and then will use the funds to fund her trip. Hopefully, she'll write a post about what she learns when she gets back. 

What are some of your favorite blogs or posts out there right now. I am always looking for good reading. 

The Five Best #Agblogs in Alberta, Canada

We are talking about agriculture and a few other things. 

Remember, the Summer Synergy project I was helping out with? Summer Synergy is a youth livestock show held in Alberta, Canada. This year the marketing project was participants had to create agriculture blogs. My partner Tiffany and I had a great time coaching the participants and in the end helping choose the top blogs.

If you want to add a few new great blogs to your list check these out:

First Place - http://absolutelyagriculture.blogspot.com/ 

Rosie, dived head first in blogging and social media. You can now find her Tweeting and using on of my favorite apps, Instagram, as well. Rosie let's you see an inside glimpse of life on her family's Hereford farms and the variety of agriculture organizations that she is involved in. She also has great style so look for cute cowboys to show up on her blog every now and then.

Second Place - http://redhotcowgirlboots.blogspot.com/

I just love the design of Carling's Red Hot Cowboy Boots Blog. She covered everything from Pigs (one of my favorite posts), the difference between cow/calf farmers, seedstock farmers and feedlots in this  post, and encourages others to participate in the Ag in the Classroom program. Plus, you have to check out her gorgeous prom/graduation dress.

Say tuned. I'll featured third through fifth later next week.

Rockin' Rural Women

Pretty cool ladies. 

Recently, I have gotten involved in a group called Rockin' Rural Women. Is is a group for women from across the world to join in and celebrate the rural lifestyle. That means those women who live on an acreage outside of town, those women who run 500 head of cattle or those women who work on a multi-generational grain farm and everyone in between. 

Last night we had a launch party on our Facebook page, and today I want to introduce you to a really cool Rockin' Rural Women. We haven't met in person yet, but our paths are going to cross at the National AgriWomen Conference in November, where I am speaking, and I can't wait. So here is Celeste! 

A bit about me ~

Doesn't she have the
best hair! 

I am a proud farmers daughter steeped in the rich traditions of all things agriculture! By day I am a fresh vegetable commodities broker and when that is complete I work side by side with my family on our Red Angus cow /calf operation. This past year I have ventured out and created Couture Cowgirl Communications where I do a whole lot of fun things including a weekly blog, write a column and special features for the livestock magazine Pacific Showcase, promote and assist with the marketing of fellow cattle operators, weekly fashion minute on farm radio in the midwest and finally my one true love which I am trying to build bigger and better - speaking on behalf of rural America! I especially love speaking to groups of young people hoping to empower them to be their best selves!! 

I am the current president of California Women for Agriculture, board member of my local farm bureau, legislative director for California Cattlewomen and proud member of American Agriwomen!

I am also a very proud Zia to my niece Paige and looking forward to her starting 4-H and helping her with her projects – keeping my fingers crossed she will want a little heifer to show – no pressure !!!

What is a RRW~

A Rockin' Rural Women is one that steps out of her comfort zone and finds the “magic”- she is committed to her rural roots but is not afraid to get out there and tell her ag story to all those that will listen, empowering folks along the way! I believe as a RRW it is my obligation to fellow farmers and ranchers and to my family to share the ag story!

Biggest Social Media Tip ~

Celeste & her niece

Be yourself - there are a lot of folks on social media who do wonderful things with their facebook page or blog through fonts and photos and beautiful graphics but some of us aren’t as techy as others and that’s ok – your social media platform is a canvas to express yourself, share your thoughts, your pictures and your story like you know how. No one expects you to be someone else so there is no need for you to think that way either!  There is a whole world of wonderful people out there that share the same passion as you do , I love connecting with them and then finally meeting them! I have made some amazing friends through social media circles. Use these new friends to help you share your ag story! 

Favorite Social Media Tool ~

I think the ability to “tag” a person is a great thing! I am all about promoting fellow ag enthusiasts and it gets me excited to be able to share my friends with others.  By tagging you can express your thoughts, be a champion for others and share with them at the same time.  I believe social media is not all about me but about the connections I have created that make me better!

Where can people connect with me ~

I am on facebook or you can follow my blog Couture Cowgirl or twitter at couturecowgirl7. My facebook is a place to share news and information on agriculture issues, my thoughts and current events, we throw in a bit of personal fun every now and then too and I love pictures!!  My blog started just this year and I am constantly learning, my blog covers everything from clothes to cows.  We talk current trends in fashion and offer up fashion advice and tips, I also like to share my ag adventures and special features on special people in my life. My fashion followers enable me build the bridge and connect over to the world of agriculture. 

Three favs in my closet ~

Scarves – I love scarves and wraps and have trillions of them in all patterns, textures and colors, I really believe they add to an outfit and pretty much any time of the year if weather permits I have some sort of scarf wrapped around my neck.

Bracelets, bracelets and more bracelets – there is always a party happening on my arm !

Cowboy Boots – Love my boots and wear them with dresses and with jeans.  I have lots of cowboy boots but my favs are my brown leather pointed toe with flower embroidery. 

I think with these three staples you can spice up any outfit, they are timeless and fun and can really make an outfit pop!

Best of the Barns Giveaway

Vote and Win! 

Hello lovely, super, amazing followers. Why the extra sugar, well I have a favor to ask, but don't worry you'll there is a goody in return!

This week the second Best of the Barns nominations are up and I am up for three awards! Best Cattle Blog, Best Show Cattle Social Media Poster, and Ag Advocate of the Year. It is always exciting to see your name list amongst people that you respect. You have until the end of the month to cast your vote, and you are not required to vote in every category, but you do have to leave your email at the end of the survey.

Now here is the fun part. Some of my friends like Star Lake Cattle Ranch, Purple Banner Designs, Butler Livestock Judging Team, DRIVE and Southern Jewlz are also nominated!

She does horses too! 

Today we are going to feature Bethany of Purple Banner Designs. I LOVE Bethany's designs and have featured her on the blog many times. She custom makes tons of different baby items, kids clothes and these stuff cows called Stockyard Friends (totally want one of these for Christmas)!

Bethany is donating a $35 gift certificate to the Purple Banner Designs store.

Bethany has done bibs for me to give as baby gifts. 

You can also read about the custom nursery bedding she did for my good friend Robyn. You can not believe how soft that brown fabric is that is in the picture. 

I wonder if I can convince Bethany to make me one of these cow stocking hats in big kid sizes! 

Now for the important part how to enter. 

1. You must visit www.bestofthebarns.com and cast your vote, and then come back here and leave a comment saying you did 

www.bestofthebarns.com

For extra entries

2. Follow Crystal Cattle's blog and leave a comment saying you do

3. Follow Purple Banner Designs and leave a comment saying you do

4. Tweet about this contest, include the hashtag #bestofthebarns and leave a comment saying you did

5. Blog about this contest and leave a comment saying you did

6. Post about this contest on your Facebook page and leave a comment saying you did

Good luck to everyone. We'll draw for a winner at noon, on Monday, November 7.