To Blog or Not to Blog…We Keep Asking Ourselves the Question

If you’re not at ASAE’s annual meeting this week, maybe (like me) you’ve been reading their blog, Acronym, for snippets of wisdom that attendees are sharing from various sessions and meetings. One of the most interesting posts I’ve read is, “More blogging tips from smart association bloggers.”

Blogging can serve many purposes for your organization if it’s done correctly and the members or certificants participate. To blog successfully the content needs to be stimulating and thoughtful while at the same time inspiring readers to comment.

ASAE’s blog post gave some helpful hints we thought were worth sharing, such as (more available online):

Decide on a posting schedule, and stick to it. Choose a schedule that's manageable -- quality is better than quantity.

To be an effective blog writer, read many blogs -- not just in your own area of interest, but more broadly as well.

Read your own archives – you might be surprised at what you find.

Another post on Acronym encouraged associations to have a member (or certificant) blog and function as an ombudsman—a sort of watchdog for the membership. The author argues it can increase the transparency of the organization and, let’s face it, hearing complaints is somehow the best way we improve. Read the blog posting here.

There are lots of resources out there to help you start and maintain a blog. The bottom line is that, like any other resource, you have to commit staff time and resources to doing it to make it successful.

Happy blogging.