Blogging and twitter
CIH South West Nov 2013
Jules Birch
@jules_birch
What?
Old meaning….new meaning
Why?
A typical blogger
Blogging is the future…
…at least it was in 2005
Drudge + Popbitch = Guido Fawkes
www.drudgereport.com www.popbitch.com www.order-order.com
Science, food and economics
www.badscience.net http://agirlcalledjack.com http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com
Who?
www.insidehousing.co.uk http://julesbirch.wordpress.com
Blogs about housing
http://redbrickblog.wordpress.com
www.alexsarchives.org
http://speye.wordpress.com
http://brickonomics.building.co.uk
www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog
http://blog.shelter.org.uk
http://nickatkin.wordpress.com
www.peabody.org.uk
http://thtblog-matthew.blogspot.co.uk
http://socialhousingcomms.blogspot.co.uk
http://paulbromford.wordpress.com
http://rentergirl.blogspot.co.uk
http://westkengibbsgreen.wordpress.com
http://hackneyrenters.org
Tenants strike back
Inspiration?
http://hmolandlady.wordpress.com
http://notsobigsociety.wordpress.com
http://cwmbranlife.wordpress.com
How?
Technical
• Free hosted
• Self-hosted (£ own domain name)
• Wordpress
• Blogspot
• Typepad
• Posterous
• Tumblr
Wordpress
Writing
• Keep it short
• Blog regularly
• Simple language
• Use pictures
• Link to everything
• Get a conversation going
• But….
• Break the rules
Top tips
• Choose a name carefully… • Be professional • Post regularly… • Stick to one point… • Don’t underestimate the time it takes • Think about your audience… • You don’t have to be a trained journalist or writer • Be yourself… write what matters to you… • Think about your timing • Build an audience gradually • Link to sources • Link with and credit other bloggers • Twitter is part of blogging • Break the rules
• If anyone tells you what blogging will be like in five years’ time, don’t believe them
Blogging and twitter
• Twitter 40%
• Search engines 35%
• Other blogs 15%
• Mainstream media 7%
• Facebook 2%
Fame at last
Why use twitter?
• Conversation with the world – get inspired, learn, network • Conversations happening with or without you • Connecting with people you wouldn’t otherwise meet • Develop relationships • Access to info – platform you’d never have had • Event ‘listening’ • Stay ahead of the curve – share good practice • News – mainstream or otherwise - brevity • Events as they happen - speed • Friend recommendations • Stuck for an answer? Someone will know • Funny, serious, sad, informative… boring
Why use twitter 2
• Get to link up with busy people, share views, comments
• ‘Hopefully demonstrate 'Tenants' are you and I, they're no different!’
• All of the above… plus • Get involved and make a difference • Quicker and easier customer service • Local news • Campaigning • The ‘Bat Phone’ to decision makers
Twitter extras
• #HousingDay
• Lists
• Topsy
• Unfollows
• Commun.it
• Storify
• Tweetdeck… custom timelines
• Vine
Blogging and twitter
CIH South West Nov 2013
Jules Birch
@jules_birch
julesbirch.wordpress.com