12 Things you Need to Know before Creating a Community Blog

With a number of people dropping by because of our nomination in the 2011 Wales Blog Awards, we thought we'd offer some general thoughts for anyone considering their own community blog. After all, the Awards are nothing other than an encouragement to blog...

They rarely make money but they can be personally rewarding. It may be a cliché but community blogs really are the first draft of local history. It's an important niche and anyone can start one. You don't need to be a community leader. In fact, it's better that you aren't. You just need an ear to the ground and a lively writing style. Check out the other short-listed community blogs for evidence of that: Photon and We are Caerdydd. If you want to start one of these niche blogs, here are a dozen things to remember:

1. Focus

Is yours to be a general community blog or will you focus on a specific cause, something that perhaps is splitting or galvanising the whole community. If specific, you may have a finite lifespan. If general, avoid "announcement" type posts. Instead, stick to something with a bit of bite. Remember, too, that you are about to create your own sub-community, so always foster it.

2. Comments

Encourage comments, keep an eye on them and try to enter the debate, either via replies or by referring back to specific comments in new posts. This helps generate your community. Never tolerate abusive or racist comments. There's a delete facility but use it sparingly, otherwise no one will trust you. Moderation may be a necessary evil but it does stifle debate. To avoid disappointment, it's better to moderate from the start than introduce it later.

3. Anonymity

Decide whether you want anonymity. This depends upon how tightly knit your community is. Anonymity's the path I chose but in hindsight, it probably wasn't the best. But I know from comments that anonymity adds a certain sharpness & spice. If you need to confide, ensure you choose wisely. Have a plan if you're outed. Never use anonymity in a small community to criticise others within it. Libel still applies. If you wouldn't publish something under your full name, don’t publish it at all.

4. Criticism

If you're focusing on a community and some of its difficult issues, it's inevitable that people will disagree with you. They will criticise, sometimes publicly. It's happened to me. Never ignore it. How you handle criticism is paramount to your reputation. A bit of humility, a bit of humour, and definitely no hubris will gain you respect. Expect criticism and learn from it. You will be judged on how you right any wrongs.

5. Promotion

What are your priorities? To make money, maximise the number of readers or write for pleasure? You're unlikely to be wealthy from a community blog's smaller readership. Forget sponsorship because of self-defeating accusations of favouritism. Even if you write for fun, it's pointless if no one reads you. Decide at the outset on a promotion strategy. It's easier for community blogs than general ones. Involve the local media (they'll love it), pin notices in the library & newsagent, use community newsletters, involve politicians, circulate organisations, invite contributions and even leaflet door-to-door in a small community. But if you're good, word of mouth within a community will work well, too.

6. Great Posts

Even if you promote well, no one will return unless there's something in it for them. You need great content that's appropriate and well written. Keep it local, keep it relevant and keep it timely. If you can, get in before something breaks, not afterwards, by fostering community contacts. It goes without saying that if you chose to cover national or international topics, they need a local focus or twist.

7. Social Media

A little late for me but social media links are more important than you may realise. I bet your community has a Facebook page. Use Facebook links to promote your blog and seek "likes". Tweet as you post but recognise that a 160-character tweet will never replace a well-executed post.

8. Visitors

Recognise that the number of visitors you will get depends upon the size of your community. If you have a catchment of only a few thousand adults, you’ll not receive millions of page hits so don't be disappointed. Be realistic.

9. Sources

It’s easy in a small community to gather views from the streets, bars & cafés. Get out there. Keep an eye on official press releases and local media, including websites and public notices. Rather than use these verbatim, weave them into your own ideas & thoughts.

10. Balance

Why is the BBC so respected throughout the world? Because it generally displays a lack of bias. Writing on local issues is no different. You should always strive for balance & to represent the whole community. The occasional well researched more controversial post will also be welcomed. Just make it clear that you are deliberately being provocative.

11. Design

I wish I realised this when I started. Design isn't everything but is important. Chose and personalise a design that reflects your community and resist the temptation to keep changing it (and that explains why I have stuck with my original theme, however sombre). You may need to pay a few quid for the right design (say, using the town's colours). A professional logo based on the community, its geography or town- or land-scape might be a good investment.

12. Images

Try to accompany your posts with an appropriate image. This need not necessarily be a photograph but relevant photos are easier to get if the blog is about a small community so there's no excuse. Without images, a page full of unbroken text can be off-putting and unwelcoming.

Search elsewhere for general pointers like choosing the best platform, a web domain name, analytics, the frequency of posting, proof reading, and so on… you'll find answers to all these readily available. Then, sit back and watch your community blog grow.