The Power of Words

Weblogs, or blogs, are an effective way to communicate with your organization’s key audiences, whether customers, members, employees or the general public. The most effective blogs are constantly updated, rewarding readers for returning on a regular basis. You can use your weblog to post news concerning people, events, products and services. Regular blog entries create a personal touch, allowing you and key employees to share their thoughts and actions.

But a weblog can be a lot more than just a kind of electronic soapbox. The potential is illustrated by this site which is based on Wordpress, sophisticated open source blogging software. On this site I do not even use the “blogging” function, instead creating “Pages,” documents that are indexed and linked in the sidebar. The main text that appears in the center is a master page that remains static, or at least until I choose to change it. It could just as well be a blog with the supporting material appearing in the sidebar. I use a simple template, but there are hundred of layouts available to suit  every need.

Thanks to the flexibility of Wordpress I can easily update my site at any time, simply by adding, revising or deleting text or whole pages. As time goes on I will add new features. Under the Writing About Writing link in the sidebar I have even posted blog-like personal essays on the craft of writing. You may find these personal ruminations to be entertaining reading.

There is almost no limit to what your organization’s weblog can do. It can serve as a kind of “newspaper” with up-to-date reports on your organization’s people, products and services. Use it to inform readers about upcoming events, and post word-and-picture reports after the fact. You can even use a weblog site to post on-line catalogs, price lists, service bulletins and other information. You can post images and even video clips. Your weblog can link to other web sites, such as your online store and other sites. If your company gets a plug on another site, you can link to those, too.

Working with a webmaster, I can help harness the power of blogging for your organization, including design,  set-up and training. I can even provide on-going support by writing posts, editing drafts created by your staff, coaching employees on how to craft a steady flow of blog entries, and generally making things “tick.”