1. A REMINDER OF OUR OBJECTIVES1. Continue to get to knowThe Big 3 (Facebook, Twitter & Blogging)2. Learn how to use each one, what demographics are on each network, and what is the best network for you (personally) and your ministry (professionally)3. Well learn how to sustain your social media reach.4. Well give opportunities for growth5. Have fun!

2. TODAYS GOALS1. Learn about Blogging2. Learn about RSS feeds3. Learn how to use an RSS feed reader. 3. WHAT IS A BLOG? (THE 101 ANSWER) 4. THE BIG 3 - BLOGGINGBlog (a blend of the term web log) can be a noun or a verb.A blog is a type of website or a part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time.Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.Entries are displayed in reverse-chronological order.Most good quality blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments. This interactivity distinguishes them from other static websites.Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject. 5. TYPES OF BLOGSAlthough most blogs are textual, some focus on different topics: Art (art blog) Sketches (sketchblog) Links (linklog) Photographs (photoblog) Videos (vlogging or video blogging) Music (mp3 blog) Audio (podcasting) Spam (splog) Microblogging very short posts Mixed media types (tumblelog) 6. BLOGGING PLATFORMSWhich platform is right for me? (all free, of course!) Wordpress - a free hosting solution that has the powerfulwordpress software behind it. (WTBDO, Thunderettes, LIFE) Blogger - The features of WordPress but with more controlover design. Tumblr (a tumblelog platform) - A hybrid between Twittersmicro-blogging sensibilities combined with the full, entry-based approach of a traditional blog. No expertise needed!(Fosters, LCD, Chris MCE) 7. THE NEW BLOGGING RULESTHE OLD RULE THE NEW RULE Good bloggers post every day. Blog when you have something toGood bloggers keep posts short. say.Good bloggers dont link too Size doesnt matter, content does.often. Link and link often. Page Views=Success! Overlapping satellite Good Bloggers have all thecommunities=Success! answers.The community likes imperfection. 8. BLOGGING HOW TO GET STARTED1. Choose your platform!2. Name your blog & dermine your voice3. Connect it with other social networks (send your posts to facebook, tweet your posts, and feed your tweets to your blog)4. Tell the world about your blog!5. Get writing. Integrate it into your daily routine.6. Subscribe to other relevant blogs, and share content readily. 9. BLOGGING DOS!1. Pictures! Include pictures in your blog posts theyre a great way to enhance your writing and tell your story, but they also serve as a great way to break up your posts making them easier to read.2. Content The most important do is to have good content! This is what will keep people reading, and bring people back. Be yourself, be friendly, and just write!3. Vision & Mission Blogs without a vision are like boats sailing in a river without a rudder. Achieving blogging goals should be your priority! 10. BLOGGERS CODE OF CONDUCT1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on your blog.2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.4. Ignore the trolls.5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.7. Dont say anything online that you wouldnt say in person. 11. RSS FEEDS THE PULSE OF BLOGGING. 12. RSS FEEDS EXPLAINEDWhat is RSS?RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-relatedsites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.Why RSS? Benefits and Reasons for using RSSRSS solves a problem for people who regularly use the web. It allows you to easily stay informed byretrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in. You save time by not needing to visiteach site individually. You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each sites email newsletter. Thenumber of sites offering RSS feeds is growing rapidly and includes big names like Yahoo News.What do I need to do to read an RSS Feed? RSS Feed Readers and News AggregatorsFeed Reader or News Aggregator software allow you to grab the RSS feeds from various sites and displaythem for you to read and use.A variety of RSS Readers are available for different platforms. Some popular feed readers include Amphetadesk (Windows, Linux, Mac), FeedReader (Windows), and NewsGator (Windows - integrates with Outlook). There are also a number of web-based feed readers available. My Yahoo, Bloglines, and Google Reader are popular web-based feed readers.Once you have your Feed Reader, it is a matter of finding sites that syndicate content and adding their RSSfeed to the list of feeds your Feed Reader checks. Many sites display a small icon with the acronymsRSS, XML, or RDF to let you know a feed is available. 13. YOUR NEW BEST (SOCIAL MEDIA) FRIENDScheduling Programs like HootSuite and TweetDeck allow you towrite your updates for a week in one sitting. 14. CONNECTING TWITTER & FACEBOOK1. Send Twitter Tweets to Facebook Profile. Go to twitter.com/about/resources/widgets/facebook2. Send Facebook profile posts to Twitter. Go to facebook.com/twitter3. Send Facebook fan page posts to Twitter. Go to facebook.com/twitter4. Send Twitter Tweets to Facebook Page. Not easy. VERY challenging. Contact Liz and let her do it for you. 15. BE LIKE GOLDILOCKS Start with what you can, and STAY ACTIVE! Make Social Media a part of yourdaily or weekly routine, just as youcheck emails, do weekly chores. Remember not to start theconversation and walk away! Sign up for Hootsuite and pre-program them all! 16. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR THE END!Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo, L ive Streaming, LinkedInFourSquare, Hotlist, Goo gle+ and more!