This document provides tips for student organizations to start and maintain blogs. It suggests choosing between WordPress or Tumblr as blogging platforms, with WordPress best for longer text posts and creating an online hub, while Tumblr emphasizes social engagement and visual content. The document outlines setting up the blog with a name, theme, and about page. It recommends posting member blogs to establish expertise, event recaps and promotions, and calls to action to get people involved. Posts should be short and the blog updated regularly. Proper content, hashtags, and responding to comments can help engage readers.

1. Led by: Rebecca Dvorin and Kaitlyn Zurcher

2. Overview
ž Organizations
that utilize blogs can see
higher engagement and give people
insight into the inner workings of a club.
ž Learn tips to promote your organization
by starting conversations, sharing
stories, and engaging individual
members.

3. Why Have a Blog?
Blogs are good for student
organizations because they
can help communicate with
the world in an organized
and informational way.

4. Choosing a Platform: WordPress
ž
WordPress
— Started in 2003
— 1 in every 6 websites runs on
WordPress, the most popular blogging
platform in the world
ž
Pros
— Flexible: themes, widgets, customization
ž
Cons
— One-sided (difficult to make it social)
— Complex: more effort to set up and maintain
ž
Best for
— Longer text posts
— Creating a hub for all online presence

5. University of Texas
longhornhsa.wordpress.com

6. Choosing a Platform: Tumblr
ž
Tumblr
— Started in 2007
— Currently: 147 million blogs, 67 billion posts
ž
Pros
— Interactive: emphasis on social engagement through tags,
reblogging
— Easy to post, great for mobile
ž
Cons
— Informal
— Not as flexible
ž
Best for
— High-frequency posters
— Visual/multimedia elements
— Interacting with audience

7. University of Alberta
uofa-vasa.tumblr.com

9. Setting Up
ž
ž
ž
ž
Choose a name: think simple, SEO
Pick a theme: nothing too crazy; you want content to
stand out
Set up an “About” page with mission statement/
vision, contact info, meeting times/location
Tips:
— Think about what you would want out of an org’s blog,
both as a prospective and current member.
— Make it so that handing over control of the blog to future
members will be seamless (easy to keep consistent look
and feel).
— Consider having both a WordPress and Tumblr – different
purposes, content opportunities.

10. THON Blog- use your own pictures

11. Keep your blog fun and organized
Also, always link to other social media
platforms!

12. Find your focus and target
audience
Example from Saint
Michael’s College

13. Show your personality
From Harvard College Student Blog

14. Update Frequently
Pillar, a THON
organization, updates
often

15. Also….
ž Use
links in your posts
ž Respond to blog comments
ž Join conversations
ž Utilize hashtags

16. Don’t…
ž Make
grammar mistakes
ž Be negative or bash other sites/
organizations
ž Plagiarize/steal photos
ž Use profanity

17. Content: What to Post
1. Blogs from members, especially leaders, to
establish themselves as experts on a subject.
— Examples:
○ Professional org blogging about internship
experiences, tips for younger members
○ THON org blogging about what they learned on a
trip to Hershey Medical
— Why?
○ To give unique insight on a topic
○ To tell interesting, entertaining stories
○ To humanize the organization as a whole

18. Content: What to Post
2. Recaps of past events and promotions
for future events
— Why?
○ To show that your org is active
○ An exciting recap/promo might make people
more inclined to go to future events

19. Content: What to Post
3. Calls to action
— Get people to participate (fundraise, donate,
volunteer, etc.)
— Tell why people should get excited to help out
○ Go beyond a simple, “This is happening, please
help out.”
— Why?
○ People will feel more involved if they are able to
read about where the money goes or how other
org members have benefited from doing
something similar in the past.

20. Posts
ž Length
— Relatively short; long posts lose interest
ž Frequency
— Make a consistent schedule
○ Must be manageable (be realistic)
○ Be active
○ Try to post on the same day – i.e., if you post
once a week, schedule it for every Monday

21. Unique Tips
ž Use
to optimization (not too much)
ž Pick one keyword topic per post
ž Turn readers into viewers/members
ž Come up with realistic schedule for
yourself
ž Make as easy as possible to understand
ž Make it worth sharing
— Culture surrounding organization
— Who is going to read it? What topics/issues
do they care about?

22. Thank You
ž Please
ask us any questions you have
ž Rebecca Dvorin: rdvorin18@gmail.com
ž Kaitlyn Zurcher: kaitlynzurcher@gmail.com