Introduction

How Non-Profit Organizations and Local Governments Can Use Blogs to Communicate with the Public -- Part One

There are so many practical uses for blogs it’s hard to know where to begin. For this reason, I’m going to start from the ground up, with the presumption that most of those reading this are checking in to see what this blog thing is all about. First, I’ll go into the definitions and a bit of the history of blogs, and then expand from there. Information I have that applies to blogs in general will be in the section entitled, All the Basics in One Place. I’ll be focusing on hosted blogs, which are accessed through visiting the site online, rather than the kind that require software on your computer, and hosting by other means.

After we’ve covered that I’ll split this presentation into parts for the specific realms we’re exploring – non-profits and government. Each category has its own unique set of needs or values, as well as many similarities. I also recognize that individuals may have a variety of needs, and so will try to show that there are no hard-and-fast rules, and through your own innovation and creativity, you may find that something usually done for one kind of blog may be helpful at another.

So everyone reading this can become a participant if they so choose, comments are open and available at each section. Some of the information may seem to be a bit more bare-bones than you’d like, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have. If you’re reading this on my assigned day for the presentation, (July 13, 2004) during my “office hours” of 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT, you may get an answer from me within minutes of posting your comment. After PR Blog Week is officially over, this presentation will remain at the blog for future reference. You can continue to post questions or comments whenever you happen upon the discussion and I’ll respond as soon as I can.

I’d like to encourage discussion among participants, as you’d do in an informal presentation with everyone sitting in the same room. My role here is more as a facilitator rather than a lecturer. You may have ideas or points to make that I haven’t thought of yet, so go right ahead and make your point.

After you’re done here, please go over and check out the presentations by the other facilitators. After the event is over in real time, this presentation will still be here so latecomers won’t miss anything. Unlike an in-person conference, you have the ability to attend sessions which may occur simultaneously in real time.

There’s an advantage right there – any kind of org can benefit from holding this kind of conference!

Throughout the presentation, where an individual or website is mentioned, I’ll have the link highlighted in the material, so you can visit the site if you choose.

About me – there’s a section on who I am and what qualifies me to be talking about this stuff at my main blog, WOLves.

Links for sections of this series:
Pt. 1 Introduction
Pt. 2 All the Basics in One Place
Pt. 3 Blogs for Government
Pt. 4 Blogs for Non-profit Orgs

Author: Trudy W. Schuett | Jul 13, 04 | Permalink | 0 comments
Category: @ Trudy W. Schuett | Topic 2 Corporate Blogging

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About: The Global PR Blog Week 1.0 is an online event that will engage PR, marketing and business bloggers from around the globe in a discussion about blogging and communications. The event is scheduled for July 12 - 16, 2004.

Links: The New PR Wiki

Recent Entries: Looking forward to 2.0; Site Statistics and Trends; A participant’s final thoughts; Traditional PR is dead - Long Live DIY PR; Quiet is the new loud

Recent Comments: Rick Barry on A Very Brief Look at Blogging for the Uninitiated Executive; George Mc Quade on The Battle Over PR; Duncan Adams on Robert Scoble interviewed on Corporate Blogging; Kevin O'Keefe on How to launch a corporate blog for a professional services organization; William Luu on Site Statistics and Trends