Why Blog?

Imagine standing on an old wooden crate on one of busiest corners of town and shouting out your distinct point of view. People walking by will probably give you a very wide berth, and if anything, you may notice that they are walking faster to get by you. Say you begin to do this every day at the same time. Those who walk the corner with regularity may begin to tilt their head and give an ear to what you have to say, perhaps even noticing others lingering by your soapbox, as they pass by. And yes, over time if you have something to say that is new, a fresh perspective, the promise of more to come, a few more may even stop and listen. Welcome to blogging, a modern form of the soapbox, where millions of people are expressing, sharing, selling and informing those who will stop to listen.

So what can your synagogue, or more specifically, your rabbi, expect from jumping into this chaos? And why do it???

• Synagogue connections. A synagogue has a ready-built audience that is actively searching for Jewish connectedness. Reach out and make positive connections with the congregation on subjects that matter to your community. Talk and Listen.
  
  
• Rabbi engagement. Increase engagement with a regular blog from the rabbi. Encourage your rabbi to share his/her particular point of view, and to stimulate discussion in your immediate community and beyond.
  
  
• Reputation building. A synagogue is a volunteer membership organization that needs to create value for membership. Blogging is a good opportunity to continue to build on the reputation of the synagogue by establishing the voice of the rabbi or other leadership, and creates an engagement opportunity.
  
  
• Differentiate your synagogue. A blog in itself says the synagogue values outreach.
  
  
• Set yourself up as a resource. Let others get to know you, and that you are there to assist and engage.
  
  
• A teaching touch point. The type of content that the rabbi may be blogging about could be very diverse and deep. Create discussion pockets for learners on varying topics. Follow up on discussions, debate, comments, and make the most out of each post. Share highlights in your e-newsletters and bulletins.
  
  
• Promote and embed. This is a great opportunity to link to other blogs whose content will both support and enrich your blog. Also spend time each day to find forums and other outlets for communication and collaboration that correspond with your niche. Comment on others’ blogs and link back to your blog, enticing the community to hear what you have to say.
  
  

Blogging can feel like shouting on an empty street corner, but give it time and listen to your community. What questions are they asking? What concerns do they have? How can you position yourself today as the resource you want to be? You will see the numbers of blog visitors increase, the quality of the comments improve and you will feel the rush of the community surrounding you.