Why blogs?

Why Blog?

Blogs make it easy to regularly update a site with stories, to report
local news and conduct a local campaign in a global space. They are
also a great way to engage your online audience in adding their own
comments, thoughts, experiences and resources via the comments section.

Blogs aid in the general work of documenting and sharing information
amongst a constituency. They can also be used as part of a focused
strategy for changing perceptions and myths about people and issues.

One of the reasons stand-alone blogs or a blog within a website is
becoming so popular is to do with the way Google and other search
engines rank pages. Content that changes regularly, like a blog, is
ranked more highly. Blog entries often include many outgoing and
incoming links between other websites. This also gives a higher
ranking.

This process is called Search Engine Optimisation or SEO, which is covered in more detail here. It's an important factor to look at, depending on your audience and strategy.

[LIBBY TO EDIT FROM HERE DOWN in light of recent debate re: blogs/websites] 

Here are some characteristics that make a blog different from a website:

• Minimal technical skills are required — A blog can be easily maintained and set up. WordPress allows you to set up your blog in 15 minutes with no cost. However, if you have never used the Internet before you may need some help with setting up your blog and some help initially maintaining it.
• Posts are published chronologically — A blog automatically arranges everything you post in date order, with the latest addition appearing at the top. It allows you to organise your posts by using categories and keywords that make it easy for you and your readers to find material on your blog. You can use as many categories and keywords for each post as you wish.
• Posts are automatically archived — Every post you make is automatically stored as an archived entry by date — and, if you choose, by category. Again this makes finding material for both you and your readers simple.
• A blog can be “interactive” — Readers can engage with you, the writer. This can be done in many different ways. For example, readers can leave comments on your blog and you can leave comments on other people’s blogs. You can make links in your blog posts to other blogs. Other blogs can also link to you.
• Content is easy to publicize — Because of the way it is designed, a blog allows you to easily distribute and publicise your content throughout the Internet.
• Posts are searchable — Because individual blog posts are easily distributed and publicised on the Internet, searching for individual blogs and posts are much easier than with a website.
• You can update them remotely — Blogs are created and stored online. This means posts can be made from any location where there is an Internet connection. Everyone in an organisation can contribute; all they need is a username and a password.