A credit union executive called me after reading yesterday’s blog post and asked for some advice on starting and maintaining a blog.
Since I’m convinced that when one person has a question and takes the time to ask it, there are probably many others with the same question who didn’t take the time to ask it, here are 7 simple steps any credit union can use to get their blog started:
Step One…Select the Platform. Three of the most commonly used platforms are Blogger, Typepad, and WordPress. Each offers a free option that you can quickly set up and begin using in a matter of minutes. As you get into the rhythm of posting regularly you can add features to enhance your blog and to make your work easier. But to get started, just pick a basic platform, set it up so you can post information, and start posting!
Step Two…Assign the Posting Responsibility. Decide who will be responsible for posting information to the blog. This may or may not be the person who writes or creates the information, but it will be the person who loads the information into the blogging platform that you chose in step one. This person will need at least some basic computer/word processor knowledge, but they will not have to be an IT expert or even have any experience with blogging.
Step Three…Assign the Content Creation Responsibility. Identify the person or persons who will create the content for the blog. These folks should be fairly good at writing (or recording video if you choose to post videos on your blog) and they should be comfortable communicating ideas in a person-on-the-street format, i.e., in terms that members will understand. You may opt to rotate this responsibility and have the person assigned to posting in step two keep things on track, or you may opt to have a single person be the voice of the credit union on the blog and do all of the writing and content creation.
Step Four…Define the Frequency. Set a target for the number of posts per week or per month. Two to three posts per week is probably a good target when you are just starting out, but if you have a lot of content you want to get out quickly, you can post more often. Try to keep the posts in the range of 300-500 words…if you need more, break it up using a series of posts… You can target specific days of the week for new posts, or just plan to put out a certain number per week and no worry about when they appear.
Step Five…Brainstorm a Topic List. To be effective over time you will need to have topics at the ready…nothing is more frustrating than knowing you need to post something and not having any ideas at the ready. Consider creating a list of areas in which you will post content and then come up with specific topics for posts in each area. For example, you might have main topics such as Member Success Stories, Financial Management Tips, Products and Services for Members…then have a list of things you want to share in each of those areas that you will post over time. Keep your list handy and add ideas to it every day so you always have choices when it is time to write the next post!
Step Six…Write the Blog Posts. Since a blog is viewed as a conversation, the style of writing is somewhat informal and should have a personal feel. Focus on what the reader (i.e., your members) need to know about the subject and write from the perspective of sharing information with them that can help them. Don’t hesitate to be personal and share your experiences and insights in your writing. Think about each post as a one-to-one conversation with someone who has come to you asking for help…you are posting your response to the questions they would ask if you were speaking face-to-face!
Step Seven…Share Your Blog. Nothing is less fulfilling than putting time and energy into something that no one knows about, cares about, or even sees. Once you start posting information on a blog, you need to tell people about it and invite them into the conversation. If you used a free service to set up your blog you have a personalized web-link to it that can be put in your e-mail signature, on your business card, and linked to from your website. You might also consider putting an article in your newsletter and on your website announcing the blog to your members, or perhaps having postcard with the address available at the teller windows. Let the people you are writing for know that you are writing and make it easy for them to read it and share their thoughts in the comments area…its a great way to build stronger relationships with your members and learn more about what’s really on their minds.
Advanced Steps. Once you’ve mastered the process of using one of the blog platforms and developed the discipline of regularly posting information, you may want to move on to some more advanced approaches, such as scheduling blog posts to appear at futures dates, using social network tools to announce posts and to have your posts appear on your pages on those sites, adding graphics to your posts, inviting comments to your posts, linking to other blogs that have information of interest to your readers, including links in your posts to connect readers to more information, and inviting guest bloggers to post their articles on your blog.
ACTION ADVICE: Follow these simple steps to start your credit union’s blog today, and please come back here and share the link to your blog in the comments section so that your fellow credit union bloggers can see they great stuff you are posting. And as you gain more experience, tackle some of the advanced steps to make your blog easier to produce and more interesting to read. Don’t wait any longer…start your CU blog today!
SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS…If you already have a blog or have some advice that would help credit unions who are interested in starting a blog, please share it in the comments section below. Be sure to include a link to your blog so that our readers can take a look and see what you are doing and how it is working!
