Blogging is one of those Internet options that has exploded in popularity and is still finding its limitations and potential. At its heart it's a simple concept: an online journal or diary, available to the public, with the capacity to offer text, audio and video and allow site visitors to reply (see the Wikipedia entry for "blog").
Like so much on the Web, blogs range wildly in value, from egotistical rants to arcane musings to truly useful commentaries or sources of information. They offer many different perspectives and personal experiences, and are increasingly used by the media as research sources. Volunteering is already a subject in the "blogosphere." Go to any of the blog search engines, such as Technorati, and do some exploring. The keyword "volunteering" found 12,433 results for me just now. Clearly someone is busy typing!
There are several ways you might use blogging to help in volunteer recruitment, recognition, general visibility, and professional exchange.
- Ask whether any of your current volunteers already has a blog (you may be surprised!). Suggest that s/he include thoughts about her or his volunteer experiences in your organization in this existing blog. Since blog text can be hyperlinked, whenever a volunteer mentions your organization's name, it can allow the reader to click through to a page on your Web site that talks about volunteering. (Keep this in mind whenever volunteers receive special recognition or reach a milestone of service; remind them to include mention of this in their blogs.)
- Start your own blog -- personally or by recruiting a volunteer to do so -- either on your organization's Web site or on an independent site. (There are many sites that allow you to start a blog for free, such as Google's Blogger.) Make the theme of the blog volunteering at your organization. Post announcements of public events, new volunteer position vacancies, volunteer training, winners of awards, etc.
- Invite current volunteers, clients, and staff to be guest writers. Encourage them to share things such as:
- Testimonials about volunteering and feelings of accomplishment
- Interesting or funny volunteering experiences
- Reflections on the meaning of their volunteering
This therefore not only attracts the potential of prospective new volunteers, but it serves to recognize, appreciate and celebrate current volunteers.
- Raise a "question of the month" and encourage everyone in your organization to respond.
You may worry about opening the door to unsolicited and unwanted postings. You have the choice of screening postings before they appear online or of letting everything go live but monitoring the site carefully and removing anything offensive. This is another good reason for assigning a volunteer as Blog Editor.