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A blog is an online diary; a space on the Internet where you can regularly share your thoughts and experiences on day-to-day life. It's a way to start online conversations with new audiences and communities.  Blogs can also act as newsletters, keeping everyone in your organisation and your volunteers informed about your latest projects and news. It's a free way to share information about your charity, your campaigns and volunteering. 

Rules of blogging

  • Once you start, be persistent. Blog regularly (at least once a week).
  • No point in blogging if no one's reading. Build an audience by linking to and commenting on other people's blogs. It's good practice to site other blogs you've read. Post a list of your favourite bloggers.
  • Keep it personal. Write in the first person. Blogs are like diaries and bloggers use a fairly informal style of writing.
  • Blogging can be a group activity, with different members of your team or charity sharing responsibility for updating the blog.
  • Blogs should be honest. If you encourage volunteers or people involved with your charity to blog, you should be prepared to lose some control over what they say and how they say it. 
  • Blogs which have too many "brand" plugs or are too official are never popular with online communities.
  • Keep it legal. Make sure everyone who blogs from inside your charity knows the basics about copyright and libel.
  • If a blog is hosted by your charity's website you should state that "This blog is hosted by ......  but the opinions expressed here may not represent official (charity name) policy or views."

How to become a blogger 

You may want to have a blog built into your charity's website (using TypePad or WordPress.org). Otherwise here are some of the websites which offer free space online for you to create a blog. They're simple to use and offer clear instructions:

It's worth having a look at Crisis' guide to blogs.

Media Trust offer free New Media Seminars and have launched a New Media Think Tank to work alongside their Media Matching service.

The ICT Hub also offer free advice and support to charities interested in New Media.

Inspiration

Have a look at some of these blogs:

Technorati is an online search engine which searches all blogs by keyword. Others blog hosts/ directories to search are Google Blog Search and Comment is Free.

 

Read the next article in this section....  Are you a citizen journalist?