the issues Before you get started Getting started Gaining momentum Keeping your momentum! Stopping

Before you get started

Getting started

Gaining momentum

Keeping your momentum!

Stopping

before you get started Be rigorous asking the questions: “ why do we want a blog?” would it be better done some other way? are we doing this just because we can ? ...or because someone told us to...? Think about developing a pilot: a project-based blog with limited lifetime no / low commitment Be clear about ownership Work at the right “radar level”...

Be rigorous asking the questions:

“ why do we want a blog?”

would it be better done some other way?

are we doing this just because we can ?

...or because someone told us to...?

Think about developing a pilot:

a project-based blog with limited lifetime

no / low commitment

Be clear about ownership

Work at the right “radar level”...

Develop a policy (if this fits with your organisation) Think about moderation: the BBC model is good Have a workflow, preferably minimal: Write, check and publish  I like this one  Write, send to colleague, check and publish Write, circulate, sign-off, publish Write, circulate, send to committee, wait three months, get sign-off from everyone apart from the Director who is away on holiday, spend time re-developing blogging guidelines, get sign-off from Director who says “blog? what’s that?”, publish just as you reach retirement before you get started #2

Develop a policy (if this fits with your organisation)

Think about moderation: the BBC model is good

Have a workflow, preferably minimal:

Write, check and publish  I like this one 

Write, send to colleague, check and publish

Write, circulate, sign-off, publish

Write, circulate, send to committee, wait three months, get sign-off from everyone apart from the Director who is away on holiday, spend time re-developing blogging guidelines, get sign-off from Director who says “blog? what’s that?”, publish just as you reach retirement

getting started Choose your platform Buy a domain name if you want.. ..or extend your existing one (blog. or /blog) Do what you can to publicise: link from your main website link to other blogs send a newsletter tell your friends and colleagues

Choose your platform

Buy a domain name if you want..

..or extend your existing one (blog. or /blog)

Do what you can to publicise:

link from your main website

link to other blogs

send a newsletter

tell your friends and colleagues

gaining momentum Participate: embed yourself in the community identify and follow other blogs get a great feed reader like Google Reader Link, a lot , especially to other blogs Comment, and use your URL when you do Be fairly shameless in self-promoting: “ I like what you’re saying but over on our some museum blog we’ve taken a different approach..” Spread the URL around

Participate: embed yourself in the community

identify and follow other blogs

get a great feed reader like Google Reader

Link, a lot , especially to other blogs

Comment, and use your URL when you do

Be fairly shameless in self-promoting:

“ I like what you’re saying but over on our some museum blog we’ve taken a different approach..”

Spread the URL around

keeping momentum Use your stats to support what you do Use Technorati, Google Blog search, etc Start to embed these in people’s lives by reporting Make sure you post regularly, and with high quality: Don’t post because you haven’t done one in a while... Do post because you’ve got something to say If you’re losing momentum, maybe there’s a reason? Do some evaluation of your blog: ask readers Look for co-authors. You may be surprised!

Use your stats to support what you do

Use Technorati, Google Blog search, etc

Start to embed these in people’s lives by reporting

Make sure you post regularly, and with high quality:

Don’t post because you haven’t done one in a while...

Do post because you’ve got something to say

If you’re losing momentum, maybe there’s a reason?

Do some evaluation of your blog: ask readers

Look for co-authors. You may be surprised!

if it’s getting stale, try some alternative approaches: interviews podcasts video or other media embedding live blogging! surveys or polls ...be creative, and copy other people keeping momentum #2

if it’s getting stale, try some alternative approaches:

interviews

podcasts

video or other media embedding

live blogging!

surveys or polls

...be creative, and copy other people

stopping develop an exit strategy be very clear with your readership: if they are loyal and you have a community, then think about the impact: communicate how and why talk about the successes be positive! make sure (see getting started ) that you can extract all your content (if you want it!)

develop an exit strategy

be very clear with your readership: if they are loyal and you have a community, then think about the impact:

communicate how and why

talk about the successes

be positive!

make sure (see getting started ) that you can extract all your content (if you want it!)

thanks any questions...?

any questions...?