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Creating a Follower Widget Without Images: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a follower widget for your social media platforms is an effective way to increase your online presence and attract new followers. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating a simple text-based follower widget without using images. This method is particularly useful for those who prefer a minimalist design or have slow internet connections.

Prerequisites

To create a text-based follower widget, you'll need the following:

  1. Access to your social media account(s) with the ability to generate a simple link to your profile or followers list.
  2. Basic HTML and markdown knowledge.

Creating Your Follower Widget

Follow these steps to create your text-based follower widget:

Step 1: Gather Your Social Media Links

First, log in to each of your social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and copy the URL for your profile or followers list. For example, your Twitter profile link might look like https://twitter.com/yourusername, and your Instagram follower list could be accessed at https://www.instagram.com/yourusername/followers.

Step 2: Set Up Your Markdown File

Create a new markdown file in your preferred text editor or blogging platform. Begin with the following YAML front matter to define the title and other metadata for your post. Replace "Your Name" and "Text-based Follower Widget" with your actual name and widget title:

---
title: "Text-based Follower Widget by Your Name"
date: "2022-01-01"
author: "Your Name"
output: html_document
---

Step 3: Add Your Social Media Links to the Widget

Within your markdown file, create a new section for your follower widget. Use the following example as a template and replace <social-media>, <profile-link>, and <number-of-followers> with the actual social media platform name and your link to the profile or followers list:

## Follow Me on My Social Media Platforms

{% for socialMedia in [["Twitter", "https://twitter.com/yourusername"], ["Instagram", "https://www.instagram.com/yourusername/"]] %}
<p>Join me on <strong><a href="{{socialMedia[1]}}" target="_blank">{{socialMedia[0]}}</a></strong>. I currently have {{followers[socialMedia[0]]}} followers.</p>
{% endfor %}

This code creates a loop that iterates through your social media platforms and displays the platform name, a link to the profile or followers list, and the current number of followers. Make sure you have the followers variable defined in your YAML front matter:

---
title: "Text-based Follower Widget by Your Name"
date: "2022-01-01"
author: "Your Name"
output: html_document
followers: {
  "Twitter": 1000,
  "Instagram": 5000
}
---

Step 4: Save and Publish Your Widget

Save your markdown file and publish it to your blog or text editor. The widget will now display the text-based version of your follower widget with a link to each of your social media platforms and the number of followers you have on each one.

Conclusion

Creating a text-based follower widget is an effective way to promote your online presence without relying on images. By following these simple steps, you can create a customizable and minimalistic widget that is easy to implement and appeals to users with slower internet connections. Happy blogging!

Published October, 2014