UKOLN is supported by:

Introduction To Blogs And Social Networks For Heritage Organisations:

Why Have A Blog?Brian Kelly

UKOLN

University of Bath

Bath, UK

B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/events/blogs-social-networks-2008-11/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/events/blogs-social-networks-2008-11/

This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

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AcknowledgementsThis presentation is based on slides produced by Mike Ellis, Eduserv for a join workshop given at the MW 2008 conference

AcknowledgementsThis presentation is based on slides produced by Mike Ellis, Eduserv for a join workshop given at the MW 2008 conference

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Contents

Introduction

Case Study

Reasons For Having a Blog• Why have a blog? • What have a heritage blog?• Examples

Beyond Blogs

What are the Issues?

Addressing the Issues

Sharing Best Practices

What Next?

Intr

od

uct

ion

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Why Have a Blog?

Some questions to consider:• How is blogging different to “the web site”? • What motivates anyone to have a blog? • Why a museum blog? • What makes a good blog? • How can we learn from examples of

different uses?

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The Blog vs the “Web Site”

Typically “the Web site” is:• “Official”• Formal• Marketing-driven and branded• Impersonal

Typically “the blog” is:• “Un-official”• Informal• Away from brand pressures• Personal

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Sadly

It is also the case that:• “the Web site is hard to change so I set up

a blog”• “I don’t need to ask the IT department”• “Our blog is ‘under the radar’ ”• “We control it and can change what we

want”These aren’t good reasons for having a blog... ...but they are often the reality!which is why some people use blogging software as a CMS...

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Why Have A Blog At All?

Some reasons:• Circumvent problems with:

IT Services Our corporate CMS Our internal bureaucracy

• We want to communicate• We have something to say• We have things we want to discuss

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Why Have a Heritage Blog?

For museums and heritage organisations:• Blogs are great at the niche or long tail• Museums are great at the niche or long tail...• There is a compelling mystique about

museums: “why do they collect that and not this?” “what made them choose that exhibition?” “why is this particular object special?” “how do they make their money?”

• Museums want to connect with audiences..• ..and blogs allow you to communicate with your

most loyal and enthusiastic visitors

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So What Makes A Good Blog?

Some tips on how to create an effective blog:• Blog with passion and because you want to!• Have a personality, a defined tone of voice• Find a niche (or at least well-defined) area of

interest• Build your community: two-way engagement • Create well written, intelligent posts• Don’t just regurgitate, but find a new angle• Link a lot, and read the links you lunk to

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Example 1: Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/):

• Embracing the audience• Crossing barriers between real and virtual• Entwined with everything they do:

“community” is a part of the whole• Personal: the director’s apartment!

(http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/now-screening-brooklyn-views-the-home-of-arnold-lehman/)

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Example 2: Fresh and new(er)

Fresh and new(er) – Seb Chan / Powerhouse:(http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/)

• Technology focussed..• A way of showcasing and “launching”• A “sounding board” for discussion• Strikes a good balance between institutional

and personal

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Example 3: English Cut

English Cut (not a museum, but a great blog!) (http://www.englishcut.com/archives/000125.html)

• It’s about a tailor!• It’s “behind the scenes” – all the things

you wanted to know but never asked• Personal, engaging, different• ... and has caused considerable stir, not to

mention traffic (and hence business...!)

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Example 4: Bowers Museum

Bowers Museum (http://bowersmuseum.blogspot.com/)

• A way of showcasing the “object of the week”

• Gives focus to posts• ... and a defined “check back in X days”• ... but not enough commenting or linking!

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Conclusions

To conclude:• Varieties of different approaches illustrated• Personal aspect is what makes these tick• ..finding out about the people behind the formality• Perhaps that is what people want from museums?!

For further information of the Issues mentioned in this talk are given in the UKOLN briefing documents:

• “Use of Blogs in Museums”, no. 4, <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/documents/briefing-4/>

For further information of the Issues mentioned in this talk are given in the UKOLN briefing documents:

• “Use of Blogs in Museums”, no. 4, <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/documents/briefing-4/>