Are you Blogging Yet?
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St. Michael's blog
Blogging 101: Blogging has become ubiquitious in society, but a lot of folks only know that it is out there as a thing, without knowing what a blog or what blogging really is. A "blog" is a "web log"—an online journal. And just as anybody can have a bedside journal and write about what moves them, so too can just about anybody have an online journal, which of course everyone with internet access can read.
The people who write posts for their blog (the bloggers) range from news reporters (e.g., Anderson Cooper), to farmers, to grieving mothers, activists, politicians, churches such as St. Michael's, people raising charity money, people selling products, people with good info to share, to just chatty people. You name it, there are blogs for it.
So why might you want to have a blog and write blog posts? Several reasons:
- Blog posts allow for spontenaity which is not always possible with a static website
- Blog posts allow for "random" or organic thoughts which are not always appropriate for a formally organized website
- A blog can be a "website" if the focus of the blog/website is simple and straightforward
- Visitors can sign up to have your blog posts sent to them by email automatically, so they know when you have posted (which is not possible with a website, as users must go to the site to find updates)
- Visitors can leave comments (which you can moderate), allowing a personal connection with people interested in your messages
And yes, setting up a blog can be more easy than setting up a website. But don't be fooled by the fact that seemingly everyone can have one: a blog can easily be sloppy and disorganized, and not be respectful of your mission and your brand or image. In the example at the top of this page, the St. Michael's blog (which is accessible via a link on their main website) compliments and enhances the main website, and enables the church leaders to share thoughts and updates whenever they wish.
A blog requires that you understand the technology that runs it and it requires a place to host it (to get it onto the internet), just as with any website. For these reasons, we offer assistance in designing and setting up a blog that fits your needs and the brand message you wish to get across. And we provide training and documentation to help you use your blog. Then we let you go and have fun blogging to your heart's content!
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more.