8th February 2016#SMEX16

The Power of Blogging

• Seaneen Molloy-Vaughan (s.molloy-Vaughan@mind.org.uk)• Digital Community Officer at Mind• Slightly obsessive blogger since 2003• Slightly less obsessive tweeter @ms_molly_vog

8th February 2016#SMEX16Today, we’ll…

• Think about why we should blog• How blogs can add value to our

campaigns and brand• Get some tips for great blogs• Look at some good examples from

the sector• Write a blog!

8th February 2016#SMEX16Why should we blog?

• Blogs are a place to showcase our human side- both of our staff and the people whom our work affects

• Blogs are reactive- they can be written quickly and add to the buzz of campaigns. They’re also interactive, a space to talk and share

• Blogs can be adapted and reused-for case studies, quotes to supplement our information, for fundraising, for social media and for media articles during campaigns (e.g Huffington Post or Buzzfeed)

• Having space for our supporters to share their stories helps them to feel involved, valued and listened to.

8th February 2016#SMEX16

• Blogs are accessible and can be read anywhere and on anything-not everyone wants to use social media or YouTube

• Blogs are easily searchable (unlike Facebook and Twitter) and shareable

• Blogs are good for SEO- blogs can use colloquialisms people searching for you might use, but ones that the brand doesn’t use (e.g with Mind, “am I crazy”, “schizophrenic”)

8th February 2016#SMEX16Blogs have the power

to…• Increase awareness of

campaigns and issues• Increase engagement with a

campaign or issue by challenging stigma, prejudice and misinformation

• Demonstrate the impact of our work- how has what we’ve done changed someone’s life?

• Increase support by showcasing real, shareable, relatable content

#ShelterStories

8th February 2016#SMEX16Tips for effective blogs

Be human- be brave! Create a blogging schedule Recruit and promote on

social media Create guidelines for

bloggers Use media sparingly Include calls to actions

8th February 2016#SMEX16Be human (and we’re

human!)• Include a mix of blogs- from staff, supporters and people whom your work affects

• Be conversational- it’s good to keep on brand but you don’t need to stick to it as rigidly

• Give a, “behind the scenes” glimpse- what was it like working on your campaign? How did you feel? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

• Experiences are an asset. Do you share experiences with your supporters? Eg Mind has lots of staff who have mental health problems. It’s good to show that we know what we’re talking about because we’ve been there, too.

• Real photos are a plus, if your bloggers are happy to share one.

(Ahem)

8th February 2016#SMEX16…and be brave.

• Don’t shy away from difficult topics- some of the most effective blogs are taboo-busting, myth-challenging and evocative.

• Publish blogs that will inspire debate and that pose questions

• Bloggers can often be a sneaky conduit for being a bit more direct than you can be officially…

• But remember to be there for your bloggers- give them resources they can use if they need further support and follow up with them to see how they’re doing.

8th February 2016#SMEX16

8th February 2016#SMEX16Create a blogging

schedulePlan your content in advance so you can-

• Recruit bloggers whose blogs add to oncoming campaigns, comms bursts or information products

• Prioritise submissions and manage expectations

• Build anticipation and interest by sharing, “coming up soon…”

8th February 2016#SMEX16Recruit (and promote) bloggers via social media

• Invite people to blog for you on certain topics via social media- it’s fine to be specific about what you want

• Don’t rely on a pool of bloggers- keep an eye on relevant hashtags and approach people sharing interesting stories to keep things fresh

• Retweet and share your blogs. Use graphics in your tweets. Research existing hashtags to tag your tweets

• Some independent bloggers might not want to blog on a charity website. Create banners and images they can include on their own blog to support you.

• If you’re really brave, ask an established blogger or public figure to blog about your campaign. Big risk, but big payoff.

8th February 2016#SMEX16But…

• Not everyone is on social media and not everyone has English as a first language.

• Sharing your story can be empowering and you shouldn’t need to be online to get the chance. If you’ve met someone through your work who you could support to share their story, then consider doing so. It doesn’t have to be text based- you can create a video blog or use Audioboo

• You can also use your existing channels to source and promote blogs.

8th February 2016#SMEX16

• Tips on planning their blog: Ask your bloggers to reflect on what they’d like to say. Include examples that they can refer to.

• Tips on structure and tone: keeping it conversational and to a general word count

• What you’re looking for: is there a specific topic that you’d like blogs on?

• What you can’t publish: such as opinion pieces or fiction• How to submit a blog: include a web form for quick

submissions• Manage expectations: we can’t respond to everybody who

submits• Links to blogging sites: so that bloggers can set up their

own blog, too

Create guidelines for bloggers

8th February 2016#SMEX16Use media sparingly

There are other ways to tell stories besides text based blogs- go explore some workshops!

But I’m focusing on written content so…

Use a maximum of 5 images, depending on length

If you include a video, keep the copy short

Use the right storytelling tools for the right stories- Storify is good for campaigns, Storystream is great for events

8th February 2016#SMEX16Include a call to action

• It’s nice to read a blog about someone’s experiences but what do you want the person reading to do next?

• Include a call to action linked to the blog- to check out your information, donate, get involved

• And make sure you include social sharing buttons!

8th February 2016#SMEX16

Take 5 minutes to think of a message that you want to

share

Then write that blog in 5 sentences

Take 5