Maximize Your Blogging: Saving Time with Text Expanders

By Mandi Ehman • February 12, 2009

source: guz_007

As a career transcriptionist, I’ve been using text expanders since before I knew what blogging really was. However, as a blogger, I’ve realized the incredible potential they offer for making blogging more efficient. They minimize the time I spend typing web addresses, writing HTML and inserting standard text so that I can maximize the time I spend actually writing quality content.

What is a Text Expander?

A text expander is a software program that allows you to type a short string of text that then expands into a longer word, phrase, sentence or paragraph. For example, I can type “asap” and my program expands into “as soon as possible”. Although expanding words and phrases is the main way I use text expanders as a transcriptionist, the real potential I see for bloggers comes from the ability to quickly write HTML and type web addresses. I currently have four blogs, and I am also an editor at Blissfully Domestic. I tell you sincerely that the minutia of managing so many different projects would drive me nuts if it wasn’t for text expanders.

Text Expanders for Blogging

For example:

To add standard text to a series of articles we post at Blissfully Domestic:
journalintro = JOURNAL NAME is an online journal written by WRITER. You can find the <a href=http://blissfullydomestic.com/tag/JOURNAL”>JOURNAL archives</a> here or access all of Blissfully Domestic’s <a href=”http://blissfullydomestic.com/channel/family-bliss/online-journals”>online journals here</a>.

To write HTML quickly and easily:
photolink = <a href=”URL” target=”_blank” title=”TITLE”><img src= “PHOTO URL” alt=”POPUP TITLE” /></a> textlink = <a href=”URL” target=”_blank”>TITLE</a> photosource = Photo by <a href=”URL”>NAME</a>

I also follow a standard protocol for each blog I maintain so that I’m saving time in corresponding, posting, etc. For example:
oyw = Organizing Your Way

oyw/ = Organizing Your Way: A Personalized Approach to Decluttering Your Life

oyw// = http://organizingyourway.net

oywwp = http://organizingyourway.net/wp-admin

oywem = organizingyourway@gmail.com

These are just a few of the literally hundreds of text expanders I use on a daily basis.

Text Expander Software Programs

The program I use for my text expanders is ShortKeys by Insight Software, and it provides all of the functionality I need for the tasks I’ve described above. Although there are other programs available on the market, I’ve never had a need to try another program, so I can’t recommend for or against them.

For more tips and uses for text expanders, be sure to check out Transcription Talk. Obviously not all of the posts will apply to blogging, but you will definitely get a good feel for the power of text expanders and the functionality of ShortKeys.

What about you? Do you use text expanders? Have you ever considered text expanders as part of your kit of blogging tools? Why or why not?

Categories: Blogging

About the Author

Mandi Ehman

Hi. My name is Mandi and I’m an organizing junkie. I’m also a wife, and Momma to four little girls (5, 3.5, 2 and a new baby!). I've worked at home since our oldest was a baby, and like a lot of other moms, my life is a constant balancing act of caring for my family and my home, meeting my obligations and finding time for hobbies in there somewhere. Oh, yeah, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m somewhat of a kitchen dunce and I only like to pretend that I’m crafty. Read more here!

5 Responses to “ Maximize Your Blogging: Saving Time with Text Expanders ”

Danny Feb 12th, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Hi Mandi,

Have you tried Ditto from Palabrio Software? It’s got a couple of great features like visual advisories and phrase suggestions based on what you type. ShortKeys is great, but it doesn’t help you find phrases you use often.

– Danny

[Reply]
Sarah H. Feb 13th, 2009 at 8:43 am

Hi, I just found your blog through Simple Mom and I love it already…I subscribed too! Your series of posts about blogging is very beneficial to me, so thank you. I’ve got to try these text expanders because I’m always looking for ways to have to type less.

Sarah H.’s last blog post…Mission: Appliances – Electric Indoor Grill

[Reply]
Taylor at Household Management 101 Feb 13th, 2009 at 11:52 am

Wow! Thanks for this really great idea. I will definitely check out that program. I voted thumbs up on Stumble Upon for this post, BTW, because I thought it was so helpful.

I too found your blog through SimpleMom and really like it. Looking forward to reading more!

Taylor at Household Management 101’s last blog post…Feb 12, Weekly House Cleaning Schedules Benefit Your Home And Sanity

[Reply]
Lori Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:16 pm

You know, I never thought about using this for blogging!! When I was writing my thesis in graduate school I used this all the time for terms I used frequently in my thesis. But it could also be used so easily in blogging!! Especially for all that HTML code!

Thanks for bringing this up!

[Reply]
oh amanda Feb 18th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

I’ve been wanting to know about these! So, is it expensive? (Guess I could check the site out…)

oh amanda’s last blog post…UNICEF Relaunches Pamper’s One Pack=One Vaccine

[Reply]