Creating a Heritage Blog

1. Creating a Heritage Blog Kayla Jonas Ontario Heritage Conference June 4, 2011

2. What is a blog? • Type of online journal • Differ from a website as entries are displayed by date • Blog can be part of a website

3. How do I start a blog? • Blogger www.blogger.com • Wordpress www.wordpress.com

4. Organizational or Personal Organizational Example: Heritage Resources Centre Blog www.heritageresourcescentre.blogspot.com • Used by an organization to promote their activities • Can be written by multiple people in the organization • Professional Feel

6. Personal Example: Adventures in Heritage www.adventuresinheritage.com • Used to promote a person, or keep a record of their activities • Usually written by one person • Can be less formal, written from a personal view point

8. Other Examples Organizational • Annapolis Royal Heritage, Nova Scotia http://annapolisroyalheritage.blogspot.com • National Trust for Historic Preservation, United States http://blog.preservationnation.org Personal • History to the People http://historytothepeople.ca • Historical Reminiscents http://krista-mccracken.blogspot.com

9. Secrets to Success #1 – Have a purpose #2 – Be Consistent #3 – Create a Series of Posts #4 – Complement Other Social Media

10. # 1 – Have a Purpose • Know what you want to get out of having a blog, this will drive your content and measures of success • Heritage Resources Centre Blog Goals: • Promote the Work of the Centre • Support Centre’s mission of education about the heritage field • Content – posts about projects being undertaken, post about heritage event • Success: participation in quizzes, HRC name recognized

11. #1 – Have a Purpose (cont) • Adventures in Heritage Goals: • Chronicle my experiences • Create Connections • Content – posts about events I attend, links to great articles and projects by others, interviews with professionals • Measures of Success: connections (twitter chat, writing for other publications)

12. # 2 – Be Consistent • Post items on a regular basis • Heritage Resources Centre • Daily Monday – Friday • Adventures in Heritage • Monday/ Wednesday/ Friday

13. #3 – Create a Series of Posts • Series Creates interest and repeat visitors • Heritage Resources Centre – Architectural Styles Quiz

14. #3 – Create a Series of Posts (cont) • Adventures in Heritage – 52 Weeks of Hamilton Buildings

15. # 4 – Complement other Social Media • Your blog should complement other social media your are using, not duplicate it • Heritage Resources Centre Workshop: • Blog – 4-5 pictures with captions as an overview of the workshop, posted the day after the workshop • Twitter – quotes or observations during the workshop • Facebook – Full album of pictures from the workshop (link provided on blog)

16. Notes on Logistics • Use a verity of types of post (e.g pictures, lists, event listings, links) • Under 500 words • Can schedule posts ahead of time • Ask questions to encourage comments • Social media (including blogs) are meant to be social!

17. Contact Information Kayla Jonas kajonas@uwaterloo.ca 519-888-4567 ext. 36921 Twitter – HRC : @HRCHeritage Twitter – Personal: @jonaskayla