Widgets are content that you can add to your sidebar created by third party companies (that is, not TypePad). For example, apart from the Amazon Wish List module that you can add directly from TypePad, there are a whole heap of other Amazon widgets that you can add to your TypePad blog.

There are thousands of widgets available so we’re not going to go through every one! What we will do is show you the two main ways of finding and installing widgets onto your TypePad blog.

NOTE that Widgets can’t be added to blogs that have a Mixed Media Layout.

Installing Widgets (Part 1)

To install a widget, first select “Widgets” in Categories.

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We walked through how to add content modules to your sidebar in our last lesson. In this lesson, we’ll go through your options in more detail.

This is where the real fun begins! You can add a whole lot of content to your sidebar columns to make your blog a lot more interesting or just add convenient 

About You Content Modules

In Categories, select “About You”

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One of the best features of TypePad is all the built in content modules that can add great functionality and even make you some money – in this lesson, we will look at how to install new content modules and how to change the display of these modules on your blog. 

In the “Current Design” section of your Design tab, click on the “Content” link.

Overview of Content Modules

Typepad’s Content section is split into three main parts.

Firstly, there is the content selection area (1 in the image below) where you can select new content modules to add to your blog’s sidebar.

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Back in “Current Design” in your Design tab, click on the “Layout” link.

You can then choose how you want the layout of the columns and column types in your blog.

Classic Layouts

The classic options give you one main content column where your blog posts are housed and then you can choose to have up to two extra columns that house “sidebar” content (eg like most recent posts, pictures, link lists). You can stipulate the positioning of the columns. 

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Rare Bird Finds is great example of effective simplicity. Started up by a couple of women, Mei-Lynn Destouche and Sharla Oliveri (who both have online businesses selling charming objects), Rare Bird Finds is a group blog of cool things you can buy online. 

The blog itself is very simple 3 column layout with an image banner. Most of the blog posts consist of one bright picture of a cool quirky delightful thing, a short description and a link to buy it. It’s not over complicated. 

On Fridays, there’s a Fab Five which is a great twist on an interview – someone interesting creates 5 posts, each with some cool thing you can buy online according to a theme that’s relevant to them.

Another cute feature is the RBF APPROVED reviews – these are for products that they have tested in real life and genuinely love. They’ve even created a logo for their stamp of approval.

It’s not a surprise then to find out that they have over 2000 daily readers, if you’re stumped for an original Christmas present then check out the blog, you may just find something…