five common challenges in blogging and how to overcome them
TRANSCRIPT
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Five Common Challenges to Starting and Maintaining a BlogAnd how you can overcome them
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OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Benefits of Blogging
What a Blog Is NOT
Five Common Challenges
Blogs to Get You Started
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THE BENEFITS OF BLOGGING
Improve your search engine rankings
Provide meaningful insight to who you are
Establish yourself as a thought leader in your field
Build a stronger network
Increase opportunities for professional development
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WHAT A BLOG IS NOT
A place for rants and raves
A replacement for offline efforts
A monologue
A tool for everyone
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COMMON CHALLENGES
“I don’t have anything to write about!”
~Narrow topics/themes based on passion, expertise, audience, and goals
~Read and engage other blogs in your field~Start with smaller posts
Resource: Choosing topics for your next blog post
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/14/how-to-choose-a-topic-for-your-next-blog-post/
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COMMON CHALLENGES
“I don’t have time to write!”
~Be consistent~Diversify the kinds of posts you write
~Use other forms of social media for presence~Do multiple posts at once
~Schedule posts ahead of time
Resource: 6 ways to constantly produce quality blog content
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-ways-to-constantly-produce-quality-blog-content/
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SAMPLE BLOGGING SCHEDULE
Plot on a 30 day calendar and pay attention to themes and events that may alter this schedule.
Type of Post Type of Content Frequency Tasks Required
Interview ~Young social change leader~Thought leader
1x/month ~Generating list of potential interviews and questions related to
their position and interest
Recap/Review ~Events~Resources
1x/month
News/Notes ~Interesting links 2x/month
Guest posts ~Issue affecting young people in public service
~How-Tos in social media, career development
~Events or Resources
1x/month ~Criteria for participation?~Contacting people for involvement
Editorials ~Issue affecting young people in public service
~How-Tos in social media, career development
~Events or Resources
1x/month ~Staying on top of events/issues~Blocking out time to write
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COMMON CHALLENGES
“I’m not going to have any readers.”
~Make it easy to read and share~Participate in or start blog related projects
~Market your blog~Link to your work and the work of others
Resource: 19 tips for increasing traffic to your blog
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/19-tips-for-driving-traffic-to-your-blog/
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COMMON CHALLENGES
“How will I know this is worth it anyway?”
Set up tangible measures for yourself based on personal branding goals
~Professional opportunities to speak or consult~Retweets or shares of posts
~Connections you make offline
Resource: The Journalist’s Guide to Maximizing Social Media ROI http://mashable.com/2009/12/02/personal-social-media-roi/
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COMMON CHALLENGES
“This technology is way over my head!”
~Choosing a platform is mainly about personal preference
~Play around but start small~Free online tutorials
Resource: Blog basics for beginners http://www.blogbasics.com/beginner-tutorials.php
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BLOGS TO GET YOU STARTED Nonprofit.alltop.com
Individual Public Service Bloggers rosettathurman.com | nonprofit and social justice leadership
http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/06/32-nonprofit-philanthropy-blogs-written-by-people-of-color/
blackgivesback.com | philanthropy beth.typepad.com | social media and technology createquity.com | art and social justice joannejacobs.com | education
The Art of Blogging Problogger.com |
http://www.problogger.net/how-to-write-great-blog-content/ | http://www.problogger.net/archives/category/31-days-to-building-a-better-blog/
Menwithpens.com
Want more? Look at the links/blogroll sections of these blogs!
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CONTACT
Allison Jones-----social media | social justice | millenial
leadershiphttp://[email protected]