Business

Daily Buzz: To Blog or Not to Blog?

Considering adding a blog to your association website? Let us sway you in the direction of yes. Also: Understand the vision behind your online community.

It’s a modern-day conundrum: Should your organization be blogging? According to Claire Axelrad on the Bloomerang blog, the answer is a wholehearted yes.

“Nonprofit blogging is the easiest and most effective way to stand out from the crowd and assert expertise as a leader in your industry,” Axelrad says. “By posting quality, informative content on a regular basis, you show you know what you’re talking about and that, in fact, you’re an expert in your niche.”

Blogging also strengthens the relationship between your association and its audience—especially prospective members.

“The format of a blog lends itself to two-way dialogue. When you make room for comments, you create a form of active involvement, which is generally a prerequisite to ultimate investment,” she says. “It gets your foot in the door with constituents, making it more likely they’ll move on to deeper forms of engagement.”

There are also logistical benefits: Publishing a blog can increase your association’s search engine rank.

“If your nonprofit can grab a first-page Google search result, you’re much more likely to be found. And blogs rate higher on page results than regular websites,” Axelrad says. “Here’s why: Your blog is updated regularly. Your website may not be.”

Recognize the Role of Your Online Community

Despite the name, online communities are about more than community.

“I can guarantee you that your senior leadership did not make the decision to build a community for the sake of building a community,” says Marjorie Anderson on Community by Association. “Members can gather in many ways, so you can believe that the decision to invest in community was part of a larger strategic vision.”

The question is, how are you working to align with that vision? Anderson says community managers should be proactive, speak up, and reach out to leaders to understand how the online community can help meet goals. And as the association strategy evolves, so should the community.

“Remember, strategic plans help guide your program but are never meant to be set and not touched for three to five years,” she says. “As conditions change, you should be prepared to make changes to how your community supports your business and your members.”

Other Links of Note

Your brain is wired to procrastinate. Inc. shares how to undo neuroscience and stop stalling.

Not sure how to incorporate TikTok into your social media strategy? The HubSpot blog shares how other brands are leveraging the platform.

YouTube is known for video, but many creators are turning the site into a podcast network, says The Verge.

(Irina_Strelnikova/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Jeff Hsin

By Jeff Hsin

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