Philly Net Tuesday this week, on Blogging for Nonprofits, was interesting. My fellow panelists were terrific (Judah Ferst of Buzzing 4 Change, Daniel Pantano of The Academy of Vocal Arts, and Andrew Schwalm of First Person Arts and Malcolm X Park), and it was especially fascinating to hear Larry Blumenthal from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation talk about blogging.
The foundation hoped that entering the blogosphere would both humanize and demystify the institution, which has always been perceived as an ivory tower. As Larry explained, the aim is to learn how the public really sees their programs, even if that means weathering some negative comments.
Brave, right?
But they couldn’t get people to comment with genuine feedback or constructive criticism, presumably because of fear of putting funding in jeopardy.
It’s the reverse of what keeps most arts and other nonprofit organizations from blogging or participating in any kind of social media. The majority of cultural staffers that I talk to would rather not hear negative opinions in so public a venue. But as one of the panelists pointed out (Judah, I think), for every one person who publicly complains, there are probably scores who feel the same and say nothing.
Wouldn’t you want to know?
For arts organizations that are presenting controversial work, it’s an even more delicate situation. An exhibition about Proposition 8, for example, might bring out not just people with strong opinions on both sides of the issue, but trolls who could quickly drag down a provocative discussion. Many organizations veto enabling comments for exactly this reason.
But blogging without comments is more like putting your newsletter online than having a conversation, and conversation is something people expect when they read your blog. Why not just subject comments to review before publishing, and spell out your policy so everyone knows the rules?
It takes time to review and approve comments. But if you’ve committed to blogging, a dialog with your visitors is implicit, and not allowing them to voice their opinions makes your organization seem ambivalent at best.
If you blog, you’ll spend time not only researching and writing, but doing mundane tasks like preparing your post in WordPress or whatever publishing platform you use. Reviewing comments can be part of that process. Besides, even on wildly popular blogs, only a tiny fraction of the readers take the time to comment, so checking what they’ve written shouldn’t seem onerous.
Does your cultural blog invite comments?
More on blogging:
Image by Mike Licht on flickr. Some rights reserved.
I have just recently started a blog for my organization, and this is my biggest complaint. I really enjoy the casual, up-to-the-minute feeling of updating the blog, but I don't feel that it's a conversation yet. How do I encourage commenting without seeming desperate? I truly am seeking dialogue and trying to create transparency. Is it a matter of driving more traffic to the blog?
Posted by: Bettina | January 08, 2009 at 01:57 PM
Bettina, that's really frustrating, I feel for you. I'd love to have more comments on this blog!
Since you just started the blog, is it possible that you aren't yet generating enough repeat traffic or subscribers for a critical mass?
I also think there's nothing wrong with being frank with your visitors, letting them know you'd welcome their point of view. Who wouldn't like to hear that? You can get this message out through other means, too. If you have a print or email newsletter, for example, you could include a little blurb about your goals for the blog and invite people to participate.
How about the content? Are you talking about issues that might inspire discussion?
There are a lot of aspects to consider. Good luck, and don't give up!
Posted by: Maryann Devine | January 08, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Oh! Bettina, I just realized that your blog is copper! I had been trying to find a contact address to thank you for including my blog in your blogroll, but I couldn't find one.
So, thank you!
Posted by: Maryann Devine | January 08, 2009 at 09:20 PM