Blogs for Events
Posted by Administrator on September 23rd, 2005
By Josh Hallett, hyku, llc | hyku | blog
EDITORS’ CHOICE | Blogging for Non-Profit Groups
Blogs offer a cost-effective solution for non-profits to promote, cover, discuss and wrap-up events
Events often pose smaller non-profits a problem with their limited web site budgets. Some non-profits might have basic content management tools that allow them to add a news item or calendar event, while many others have standard flat HTML pages. Often a new event was not in the ‘master web plan’ when the site we designed a year or two ago. In these situations an event will receive very limited exposure, if any, on the web site and is often shoe horned into an existing site structure. If a non-profit has additional web funds they will sometimes create a micro-site for the event, but it is often a flat/static page with few updates and no life beyond the event. Blog software can help change this.
From a technical standpoint blog software is an easy-to-use content management system that allows users with limited technical skill to post web content. Blog software can do more than just run blogs though. Organizations are quickly bootstrapping software such as MovableType, WordPress, Expression Engine and TypePad to create non-blog content. Fellow Global PR Blog Week contributor Lee Lefever runs his entire website at CommonCraft.com using MovableType.
A great example blog software in a a non-blog use is the University of Florida’s Newsroom. The UF site uses WordPress to manage all press releases, photos and podcasts. Using blog software also allows UF to easily provide an RSS feed of all the content posted. University of Florida webmaster Mark Trammell says, “WordPress has not only streamlined the release workflow, but keeps the focus on developing smart Web content. Making the move created a database of stories allowing us to easily change the structure and aesthetics of the site down the road.” Plus it’s easy for the communications department to use.
These same blog software tools can create an effective event site as well.
It’s Cheap:
The majority or blog software is relatively inexpensive (MovableType for non-profits starts at $49.95) or in the case of WordPress is free.
Easy Set-Up:
Need to set up a site for a new event? Use the ‘Create New Weblog‘ wizard in either TypePad or MovableType (WordPress and Expression Engine have similar tools) and within a few minutes your ’site’ is up and running. A small amount of HTML knowledge or some ‘donated’ time from a local geek can help customize the look of the site template. The majority of the time the focus is on the content not the design so templates can be relatively simple.
Easy To Manage:
Existing bloggers know how easy it is to publish content; enter your title and the body and click publish. When users realize how easily they can post and manage content, they quickly embrace their new-found tool. Training for staff members is short and sweet.
Using Categories for Content Sections:
Using the built-in category system of blog software allows an organization to create a navigation structure similar to a traditional site. Categories for an event could include: News, Schedule, Speakers, Travel & Accommodations, Sessions, Wrap-Up, Photos etc.
Need to post the list of conference hotels? Create a new post and put it in the ‘Travel & Accommodations‘ category. How about a list of speakers with their bios? Post a daily schedule? No problem.
Forgot to provide an area for post-event wrap-ups? Create a new category and rebuild.
RSS by Default:
Using blog software to manage an event web site automatically creates an RSS feed of all your content. The tech-savvy audience will appreciate this. RSS feeds can also be used to syndicate content to other parts of the non-profit site. For example a list of the latest event updates can be posted on the home page of the non-profit web site.
Less is More:
Many content management systems are overloaded with features and tools confuse the end user and make training difficult. Blog software provides the bare essentials that are needed to post and manage content.
Comments Too:
With each entry the non-profit can turn on/off comments. Looking for some quick feedback on an issue? Post a question and allow the attendees to comment. Conference speakers can also post questions and initial topics to gauge interest and knowledge level. Some items such as a speaker bio might not need comments.
Live-Blogging:
During the event the blog can be used to post notes from the sessions. Those who could not attend, but are still interested in the content, can follow along remotely. Once the session is over comments can provide additional resources and follow-up.
Pictures Are Easy:
Flickr has made it incredibly easy to crop & edit photos and create photo galleries. Create a Flickr account and upload photos at will. Including photos in the event site can easily be accomplished in a number of ways.
Tag It:
Event organizers can encourage participants to utilize tags to aggregate external blog content and photos. During BlogNashville the event web site had a Discussion page that automatically aggregated all blogs and photos tagged blognashville.
The End is Just the Beginning:
Once the event is complete the site can be used to post: session recaps including downloadable versions of handouts, photos, post-event surveys and pre-plan next year’s event.
Conclusion
Non-profits have always faced issues with limited funding and staffing along with a reliance upon volunteers to help carry out their mission. Doing a lot with a little is a way of life.
Considering all the features listed above coupled with the low-cost and ease of use; blog software can effectively provide non-profits a robust web publishing system that can be used for event web sites.
About the author
Josh Hallett is an expert in the utilization of web and internet based technologies for business communications. For more than ten years, Josh has been working with emerging internet communication technologies and is recognized as an early adopter who works closely with public relations practitioners and corporate communicators to integrate these tools into an organization’s public and media relations strategies. His latest venture, hyku, llc, combines his technical skills with his understanding of public relations and marketing. In addition, Josh is known as an expert on the topic of weblogs and is a sought-after public speaker on web technology issues. Josh is a member of the Information Architecture Institute and the Florida Public Relations Association.
{tags: prblogweek, pr, public+relations, non-profit+blogging, event+blogging}
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:37 pm
This would be especially useful for fundraising events that rely on “teams” (of walkers, runners, etc.) My company recently participated in a walk-a-thon event for the American Lung Association. While the event had a main website, it would have been nice to be able to post information about the mini-events my company was hosting to raise money for the big event, the actual Walk. There certainly would be operational issues, (authorship, categorization, etc.) but nothing that couldn’t be resolved with a little thought and creativity. Allowing comments would also generate more interest and ownership of the event.
Josh, thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
September 26th, 2005 at 1:46 am
This is great information for a non-profit agency, large or small. I completed my internship for a non-profit organization this summer. There were many fundraising events taking place throughout the summer, and we were constantly promoting our events. When the event was over, we would have to send out press releases and publications with the results from the event. It can be overwhelming at times. Having blog software and a web publishing system seems like an excellent way for non-profits to easily publicize an event.
I like this idea of using blogs for non-profit agencies because it’s cheap, which we all know is a necessity in this field! Having an area for you to add pictures, handouts and plans for next year’s events is essential. Being able to set up categories and sections on the site is beneficial for a larger agency as well because they probably have several events and wrap-ups going on at the same time. Having a section for people to comment and post feedback is always good for a company so they can learn where they need improvement. I like that you can ask questions and also turn on and off the comments. Recapping information from an event and explaining your ideas and plans for the next event is important. This seems like the perfect way to cover all areas.
You set up the information and steps very well. If someone was looking to use this software, your post and access to each link would definitely help them out.
September 26th, 2005 at 4:14 am
Using blog software to manage a non-blogging website is a great idea. Company content on the Internet needs to be updated constantly. With that in mind, Communications and Public Relations departments need direct control over their company’s site. In the past, it may have been sufficient for the Communications department to use the IT department as a website liaison however, as the Internet information process has come into larger demand, this type of lag time no longer seems feasible.
Like you say, blog software is easy to use. Communications and Public Relations departments can use this software without having to really learn anything technical about the Internet. (On a side note, I recently began blogging on Wordpress software and have been amazed at the low level of skill required) I think this will really come in handy in the terms of crisis communications and also in directly controlling the content of the site.
On the topic of non-profit companies, I think this type of software would be very beneficial. Many non-profits, like you say, have very basic websites. When I see a basic website, I often perceive it lack credibility. This stops me from believing in the message the website is trying to convey and will probably keep me from visiting the site again. Blog software templates look professional. Companies that may have very little money available to allocate towards their web site can use the blog software to make their site’s give off a professional appearance, but for very little money.
September 26th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
Seeing an example of how to incorporate a blog into a nonprofit is helping me see how learning about this new medium can actually help me. I interned for a Chamber of Commerce over the summer, and we sent out several mailings that we could have reduced had we had a blog set up. There could have been an e-mail sent out to the ones that request information be sent by electronic means when available. However, some members preferred hard copy information, and we still sent out several mailings.
Using a blog to keep interest up during the “off-season” of an event could be beneficial to keeping your volunteers and supporters interested. If you could post special offers once in a while and also just keep them informed about what is going on in your organization, you could perhaps have a higher retention percentage, as well as having everyone informed of what is going on.
Using the comment capability would encourage feedback from the community, which is sometimes hard to get. If those reading the blogs have questions, they can easily post a question and then look back for an answer. Often, people forget about calling or misspell an e-mail address and never receive the answers to their questions, which might keep them from participating.
I am definitely interested in more ways to implement blogging in the nonprofit sector!
September 26th, 2005 at 8:07 pm
I have worked with non-profit organizations my entire life and I have also just recently begun blogging. I know how easy using a blog can be and also how effective it can be in the world of non-profit.
I worked at a no-kill animal shelter for four years that had very little funding because all money went to taking care of the animals. They had a website that had tons of people visiting each day, but it wasn’t equipped with enough information people wanted, like what animals were available for adoption because this was constantly changing.
Blog software tools such as how easy it is to use pictures would allow for pictures of the animals to be posted every day. Commenting could be used for feedback as to which animals people were interested in adopting or any questions they might have. The shelter has special events almost every week that are hard to advertise because of cost so blogging would allow for events to be posted and easily updated. A blog site would allow for this organization to have a cheap, efficient, and easy-to-use website that would help both the company and the client.
The animal shelter I worked at would greatly benefit from blogging and there are so many other non-profit organizations that would as well, but they probably just aren’t aware of how resourceful and easy it is to use this form of online technology.