9 quick-start blog posts for activists
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9 Quick-Start Blog Posts for Activists
MARY JOYCEFOR THE OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION
AND THE EURASIAN HARM REDUCTION NETWORKDECEMBER 2013
image: Flickr/JohnCrider
THE BLOG POSTS
1.The Pass-it-Along Post2.The “We’re Real People” Post3.The Community Appreciation Post4.The “Our Response” Post5.The Informative Listicle6.The Mobilization Post7.The Ignored News Story8. The Guest Post9.The Email Interview
FOR ALL BLOG POSTS:
1. Know Who: Speak to a specific audience.
2. Know Why: Have a clear goal for posting.
3. Be Clear: Speak in accessible language.
4. Be Brief: If you can say it in fewer words - do!
5. Attract Attention: Include a visual element (photo, video, gif) that illustrates the post topic.
1. THE PASS-IT-ALONG POST
Pro Tip:This is the easiest
type of blog post to write.
1. Keep track of relevant news by reading other NGO blogs, Twitter feeds, and listservs.
2. When you find content that would be useful to others (could be your own content too), copy and paste the content into a blog post.
3. Link to the original source to give credit.
4. Comment on why you think the content is useful.
5. Publish!
1. THE PASS-IT-ALONG POST
Examples
Share a photo that powerfully illustrates the problem.
source: SURFRIDER Foundation
1. THE PASS-IT-ALONG POST
Examples
Share an infographic that illuminates an issue your organization cares about.
source: postwhoreamerica.com
1. THE PASS-IT-ALONG POST
Examples
Share in internal report.
source: Amnesty International
1. THE PASS-IT-ALONG POST
Pro Tip:
In social media people listen to other people, not to organizations.
Reminding readers that they are reading posts from real people helps create an online relationship.
2. THE “WE’RE REAL PEOPLE” POST
1.Be attentive to the stories of staff and the work they are doing.
2.Remind your readers that your organization is full of real people by sharing stories about staff (or ask staff to share their own).
3.Publish!
2. THE “WE’RE REAL PEOPLE” POST
Examples
First-person stories from staff about they work they do.
source: The King’s Fund
2. THE “WE’RE REAL PEOPLE” POST
Examples
Office decorations, celebrations, silliness.
source: ONE Campaign
2. THE “WE’RE REAL PEOPLE” POST
Pro Tip:
Activist blogging is about creating relationships between people that allows them to
work together to achieve a common goal.
People work together better when they feel appreciated.
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
1.Be alert to the good work being done in the network.
2.Write posts that describe this good work.
3.Use photos and video to illustrate this good work whenever it is available.
4.Praise generously.
5. Publish!
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
Examples
Appreciate a group of people.
source: ONE Campaign
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
Examples
Let individual volunteers and community members tell their own stories about the good work they do.
source: Human Rights Campaign
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
Examples
Sharing a video that shows a network member hard at work.
source: SURFRIDER Foundation
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
Examples
When appropriate, sympathize with community members during tough times.
source: SURFRIDER Foundation
3. THE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION POST
4. THE “OUR RESPONSE” POST
1.Keep track of what governments and the media are writing about your topic.
2.When they say something about your topic (either good or bad) publicly respond to highlight or to correct.
3. Publish!
Examples
Give your organization’s opinion of a government policy report (that’s shorter and easier to read than the report itself.)
4. THE “OUR RESPONSE” POST
source: Results UK
Examples
Refute a misleading public statement about your issue.
source: Huffington Post
4. THE “OUR RESPONSE” POST
Pro Tip:This is a more challenging kind of post
because the purpose is to take something complicated and/or long
and present it simply and briefly.
list + article = listicle
5. THE INFORMATIVE LISTICLE
1. Think of something that you want your network to know, but the complexity of the information is making comprehension difficult.
2. Use your expertise as issue analysts to break the information into easy pieces.
3. Present the pieces as a list (bonus if each item also has a photo to illustrate it).
4. Publish!
5. THE INFORMATIVE LISTICLE
Examples
Explain the elements of a confusing new law or government policy.
source: Buzzfeed
5. THE INFORMATIVE LISTICLE
Examples
List a lot of similar content all at once (usually positive content).
source: Buzzfeed and SURFRIDER Foundation
5. THE INFORMATIVE LISTICLE
1. State why action is necessary (the crisis).
2. State why action will help (the opportunity).
3.Be clear about how to take action (make it easy).
4. Publish!
6. THE MOBILIZATION POST
Examples
Use links and boldface so the reader can see where and how to take actions without reading the whole post.
source: No H8 Campaign
6. THE MOBILIZATION POST
Examples
Make it personal with an ask from a staffer or community member.
source: Beth’s Blog
6. THE MOBILIZATION POST
Pro Tip:News is something that happens out in the world,
not in the organization.
When an organization publishes a report, that is not a news story, it’s a pass-it-along post.
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
1. Be alert to stories from inside your network that are not being covered by mainstream media.
2. Write the news story yourself, as if you were a journalist. Include:
• Who it affects (start with the story of a person who is part of the event)
• What + When + Where the event happened
• Why the reader should care
• How the reader can take action to help (if applicable)
3. Include an image (with permission) wherever possible, to illustrate the story.
4. Publish!
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
Examples
A creative solution to an ongoing problem.
source: Invisible People
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
Examples
A new threat that you want your network to be ready to take action on.
source: Human Rights Watch
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
Examples
Updates on a ongoing story members of your network are already interested in.
source: Greenpeace
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
Examples
Success stories
source: ONE Campaign
7. THE IGNORED NEWS STORY
Pro Tip:
These next two post styles are time-savers.
You are basically asking someone else to write the post for you.
1. Select a community member who has a good story to tell.
2. Email them a list of 5 questions that bring out the story.
3. Edit the interview for clarity and length if necessary.
4.Publish!
8. THE EMAIL INTERVIEW
Examples
Put questions in bold so they stand out.
source: The Open University
8. THE EMAIL INTERVIEW
1. Select an expert on a topic that is of interest to the network. This person should have good writing skills.
2.Ask the the expert to write a post on the topic.
3. Edit the post for clarity and length if necessary.
4.Publish!
9. THE GUEST POST
Examples
This is also a great way to appreciate a network member...
source: The Nonprofit Technology Network
9. THE GUEST POST
THE BLOG POSTS
1.The Pass-it-Along Post2.The “We’re Real People” Post3.The Community Appreciation Post4.The “Our Response” Post5.The Informative Listicle6.The Mobilization Post7.The Ignored News Story8. The Guest Post9.The Email Interview
you can
combine
these to
make more
types of
posts...
THANK YOU!
MARY JOYCE@MetaActivismmjoyce@uw.eduwww.meta-activism.org
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