The nonprofit blogosphere has really matured in the last two or three
years. There are literally hundreds of blogs about nonprofit issues
available for your to peruse. Match that up with the fact that we still
only have 24 hours in each day and you have a challenge: How do I make
the most of this great resource and still get my day job done? We'll
look at how to choose the best blogs for you in a minute, but first,
remember this:
1. Blogs are nearly always opinion and not facts.
Certainly some bloggers (yours truly included) post facts, or links to
articles and findings, but the vast majority of blog posts are simply
the (hopefully) educated opinions of the blogger. My point is merely to
read them with that in mind. Just because one blogger says something is
cool, or new, or the best thing ever does not make it so.
2. Blogs are a really good way to take advantage of other people's time online.
I find that one of the best benefits of reading blogs is to find links
to news/research/findings that I might otherwise miss. Likewise, I post
links and new/cool stuff on my blog. In that way, everyone saves some
time and effort.
3. Even if you
don't read nonprofit blogs you have to be aware of what bloggers (of
all types) are saying about your organization. Whether it is a compliment or a complaint, you need to know about it and deal with it. Fortunately,
Google Alerts is there to help you keep track of coverage of your organization online
.
Click on the link. If you don't have a Google ID you'll
need one, but then you can set any search term you want. Google will
alert you by email to postings on the web that match that search
string. Start
with your organization's full name (in quotations) and then any
shorthand or acronym people may use. You may be surprised how often
people comment about your organization, and if they don't....at least
you know that there's nothing bad floating out on the net about your
nonprofit. This is a set it and forget it kind of app. Do this.
So, with those thoughts in mind, and hundreds of nonprofit blogs to
choose from, how should you find and decide what blogs to read? Take a
look at my seven blog steps and I think you'll be able to winnow down
the field to the best blogs for you:
1. Check out some blogs. Go to the
Chronicle of Philanthropy's "
Give and Take"
page and look at the Blogroll on the right hand side of the page.
You'll see that the blogs listed are separated by type and subject.
Open a few that look interesting and go to #2.
2. Consider the source.
Read about the author(s). While you don't want to only listen to the
"experts", you should take a look at the author's background to
understand his or her experience and perspective.
3. Consider the frequency.
If the blog is updated once a year--it's probably not worth the time.
If it is updated four times a day, does the author really have anything
of value to post that often?
4. Read 5-10 posts.
Go through and read a few postings. See if the posts are tagged and
sorted by topic (really helpful) and if you like the style, content and
tone of the blog, consider #5. If not, move on to another blog and
repeat.
5. Subscribe.
Most blogs allow to you subscribe through an RSS (Real Simple
Syndication) feed that let's you know if the blog has been updated.
Look for the subscription options and choose one (you should also be
able to easily unsubscribe).
6. Review and winnow.
In a couple of months, go back and see how many posts you've read and
if you are getting enough out of the blog. If so, great! If not,
unsubscribe.
7. Follow recommendation paths.
On the blogs you like, there are probably links to other recommended
blogs--check them out as well. It's often a good way to find good
material to read.
Remember, blogs are great to keep you thinking, keep you informed of
new developments, and to help you with new ideas, but they can be
addictive. Focus, focus, focus....and enjoy.
So, after all that advice, what do I read? Well lots, but I subscribe to these blogs:
Nonprofit University, Laura Otten's great blog from LaSalle University
White Courtesy Telephone, Great stuff well thought out and well written.
Stanford Social Innovation Review Academic, but informative
In the
Marketing and
Tech Tips, I'll show you my favorite blogs on those topics.
, by Tom Watson
, Edited by Holly Ross, Katrin Verclas and Alison Levine