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Social Networks

How To: Create A Profile Badge

If you have a blog or a web site with an “about me” page, you might want to highlight your social networks, like Facebook or LinkedIn. Each social network makes it easy to create a “badge” — an image that promotes the social network site and links to your profile. Read on to learn how to make yours!

Facebook

We’ll start with Facebook.com.

  1. Log In to your Facebook account.
  2. Go to your profile page:

    Facebook Profile Link

  3. Scroll to the bottom of the left hand column. You’ll see a link to create your profile badge:
    Facebook Profile Link
  4. Select “Create A New Badge” and you’ll see this widget:
    create profile
  5. Decision time! Do you want a horizontal or vertical badge? Do you want it to be an image (safest) or Javascript (Javascript won’t work with WordPress.com and many sites that restrict javascript for security reasons)? What information do you want to share on the badge?It’s OK if you need one that is horizontal and one that is vertical. You’ll simply repeat this process and create a second badge.
  6. For this example, we are selecting a vertical “image”. I’m changing “name” because this badge is going on my own sites; the name seems redundant. I’m changing it to “websites” by selecting it from the drop-down menu (click on the arrow). I’m deleting “networks” because it’s more information than I want share on the badge. Click “save.”

    Facebook Profile Widget

  7. After you click “save”, Facebook generates the badge and provides you with the code (HTML) that you need to embed the image in your blog or web site:

    Facebook Profile Badge Widget

  8. Copy and paste the code. It should look (and act) something like this:

    Kathy E. Gill's Facebook profile

LinkedIn

Now we’ll create a LinkedIn badge.

  1. Log In to your LinkedIn account.
  2. Select the “Profile” link from the left-hand navigation bar:
    LinkedIn Navigation
  3. Be sure you are in “Edit Profile” mode:
    LinkedIn edit profile
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the edit summary. Select the “edit” “Public Profile” link. (Yes, it is confusing!)
    LinkedIn edit profile
  5. Next, select “Promote your profile with customized buttons” (we’re almost there!):
    LinkedIn edit profile
  6. There isn’t as much customization at LinkedIn as there is at Facebook. Pick the style that is aesthetically pleasing to you, and then copy the code (HTML):
    LinkedIn edit profile

There you have it! Easy-to-create “badges” that help you promote your social networks.

By Kathy E. Gill

Digital evangelist, speaker, writer, educator. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles! @kegill

2 replies on “How To: Create A Profile Badge”

Tonya: I agree with you. Than what? I copied all the HTML code but it doesn’t make sense to paste that long code into an email. There is still a step missing. I got this far on my own in LinkedIn. What is the last step?

Hello. I just read the info you provided on creating a badge on LinkedIn. You indicate to pick a style and copy the code.

Then what?? I am just as lost now as I was before I read it.

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