Need to know

Q. What are the best online platforms for arts organisations to use and why?
 

A. Well, there are just so many out there. Still, a weblog (blog) is a great place to start. A blog is basically a space online where you can talk about what you are doing as an organisation. Think of it as a public diary where people can cross a virtual threshold and understand your offerings better. This could be some backstage interviews with the cast of your new production or even some stills from rehearsals etc – not using words to tell your story has more impact. There are loads of options to choose from, such as Blogger, Wordpress and Tumblr, although it is better to incorporate the blog into your main site for two reasons: the branding and look of the blog is the same, and you’re not sending people away from your main site.
Having a blog is more than just a news section on your site where you put all your press releases: it’s about creating conversations, and engaging your audiences in the process rather than the product in a transparent and engaging way. If people are interested in the story behind what you are creating they are more likely to purchase/attend/support it. The fun thing about these platforms is that they can usually be set up to receive posts from email or your phone. This makes blogging something you can do on the fly, and not something you have to create specific time for in your calendar. To start with, create a private blog, keeping it offline so that you can make all your mistakes there. More importantly, when you finally have the courage to make it live, you will be launching with a history of posts (much better than “welcome to our blog, we’ll be blogging more soon blah blah blah”).
Remember, it has to be updated regularly – at least once a week – but the more you do it the more likely it is to receive comments and create an impact. Oh, and don’t forget to tell your network about it in your literature and other events. Good luck.