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This blog post is part of a series of blog posts focused 0n how to blog more effectively.
Some are born to blog – or so it seems, while others though can blog, are not so prolific with doing it. To the second group of people, inspiration to blog only comes occasionally. They have the skills and materials, but do not feel compelled to blog often.
It is always best to have a regular blogging schedule. You can choose to blog daily, weekly or fortnightly. In reality, it is difficult for a blogger who has a regular job to maintain a daily blogging routine. Other activities always come in the way. Also, some people function better in a group than as individuals. At such times, it is critical to consider group blogging.
Group blogging has more merits than demerits, in my view. After all, two (or more) good heads are better than one. This method of collaborative blogging simply entails that a blog being authored by two or more bloggers who share common interests. It comes in different shapes and shades:
- a married couple sharing their travel experiences (like the infamous Canadian couple who were blogging their not-so-complimentary opinion of Ghana whilst they lectured at Cape Coast university).
- a couple of friends who have a strong interest around a subject matter can start a blog together and share their knowledge with the world. Example: adventuresfrom.com
- a more professional approach is where a blog is managed by a company or organization and where bloggers are hired to contribute or paid per post. This is the best approach as there would be guidelines and contracts to keep things very professional. An organization can also commission its staff to blog regularly, in a bid to share more information about their activities. Example: globalvoicesonline.org
Group blogging brings about:
- synergy: two or more bloggers can even contribute to a blog post. This can make the blog post full of substance when it is done right and offers a richer experience to the readers.
- checks & balances: depending on the structure of the group, the post of a blogger can be reviewed by another blogger or an editor, before it is published. This ensures that any inaccuracies can be identified and eliminated.
- regular schedule: when a blogging group has a proper structure, blog posts can be planned in advance with bloggers assigned to subject matters and specific time frames. This makes a daily blogging routine easier to achieve as there are more people contributing content.
- easier promotion: when the blog authors are encouraged to share the blog posts via social media or their personal blogs, it is easier to drive more traffic to the group blog as a combination of the friends/followers of all blog authors would generate a large traffic.
Group blogging is not without its own sets of demerits:
- Instances where a particular blogger is more intelligent & more prolific than the others, he/she can take the shine away from the rest. Maintaining a balanced blogging schedule can counter this effect to some extent but care must be taken not to stifle innovation.
- One blogger’s indiscretion can adversely affect the other bloggers. An effective editorial policy can nip this in the bud.
Group blogging is built into the fibre of the leading blogging platforms. It is thus easy to create multiple authors, include their respective bio data, and even have a way to display posts from a specific author or share their respective posts via RSS feeds.
Before implementing group blogging though, it is critical for you to identify all potential flash points as personal egos are bound to clash in future. Having a clearly spelt-out agreement and signed contracted can save all involved from any misunderstandings.
In conclusion, this blog post does not seek to undermine personal blogging (where there is only a single author doing the blogging) but only seeks to offer reasons why group blogging should be considered. Are you a blogging alone already? You do not have to close your personal blog but should find group blogs you can join as your quality posts on those larger platforms would earn you even more exposure and experience. Collaboration is always more effective.
Are you part of a blogging group right now? Share your experiences. Have you been touched by this blog post? Share your thoughts by commenting.
Related posts:
- Effective Blogging: How to be a better blogger
- Effective Blogging: Blogging is beyond just writing
- Effective Blogging: Why Do You Want To Blog?
- Effective Blogging: How to generate links to your blog from other websites
- Effective Blogging: The Importance of Blog Traffic Statistics
- Effective Blogging: How to receive more comments on your blog posts
- Effective Blogging: Blog Statistics Programs
- Blog Day 2008: My Personal Blog Nominated
- BarCamp Ghana 2009: GhanaBlogging.com Break-out Session
- Paid-for Blogs versus Free Blogs
Interesting – I’ve never thought about group blogging but will keep the idea in mind …
Unfortunately I can only blog in ’spurts’ because I’m often in a place where I have an unreliable and very slow internet connection …
I would tackle the issue of blogging over low-bandwidths some day. So stay tuned.
Yeah, I actually belong to and am signed up to a few group blogs. Problem is, my own blog takes so much time away from me that I have no time or very little time for group blogs. If and when I do get time I try to catch up on my Guest post promises.
Yes they are great, if you have the extra time and extra post.
One thing tho, not on subject but indirectly related is blog collaboration. This is where a group of bloggers get together and collaborate with each other, writing guest posts, swapping posts, promoting each others post through Twitter etc. I’ll be writing a post on this in The next day or two.
I’m not a fan of group blogging for one reason alone: voice.
It’s hard for two people to be equally passionate about a topic, and i’d like to avoid having a fluctuating voice but maybe i shd have more faith.
Esi, truely it is difficult for two people to share a passion on a topic but then when your group blog revolves around a subject matter, each of you can identify what drives your passion and stick to it. Example, let’s say your blog is about mobile phones. Esi can blog about Apple iPhones if she fancies iPhones while Donald can blog about Windows-driven mobiles if that is what drives his fancy. Either way, the blog is about mobiles and the aim of group blogging is met through the variety offered.
Interesting post! Like u said, its somehow dificult 4 u 2 maintain a blog especially if u av another job taking ur time. Group blogging will b okay when u have people of like minds.
The first group blog I signed up to started to die slowly right from the onset.
There are always people that have a passion more than others. Granted this was back in 2003/4 when blogger was just about finding it’s feet but chasing people for posts effectively meant the blog was only a few people posting regularly.
Group blogging as a job works much better where I suppose contracts etc are involved
Dave,
More peopleshould consider group blogging. While I have a personal blog, I am a contributor on another blog – Mobility Nigeria, where a group of us contribute.
Yes; it has its pros and cons, but it can be done.
Cheers.
The most difficult thins I think is finding a common topic or issue to blog about and finding someone who sees that issue to be worthy of a blog. 2 problems in 1, if you asked me!
I disagree with you Edward. Could you read the merits of group blogging I listed and then tell me you still think that way?
Essentially, group blogging is easy when structures are in place.
I belong to a group blog (the flirt files) which for long periods looks a sole blog because the other contributors may not post often. Secondly, some people put posts up because they are funny although there is no flirting in the lines. So I agree that group blogging can bring chaos if not watched.
I definitely am for personal blogging. Imagine suddenly having a very different philosophy of what blogging should be if differs markedly from other bloggers you are in with.
Besides, I think personal blogging is more fulfilling