For bloggers, nothing says success more than readers, and readers are drawn to bloggers that have valid and relevant information. This relationship can be hard to maintain and sometimes feel like a tug of war on certain days. Still, a blogger that allows themselves to lose the fight will find themselves alone, their message not getting to a single person except for the occasional web surfer that might find their site.
So how do you tackle this? What are some ideas that make viewers want to come to you as the source for information? I hope to answer these questions for you by explaining the tools and techniques of live blogging.
What is live blogging?
For the uninitiated, live blogging is a technique where a writer will share with readers live, on the scene information, typical of a standard journalist covering a story. Unlike a journalist who will take their story back to the newsroom, and begin to form their article, you, the blogger, will do this on the fly as the information is being shared. Live blogging may not be Pulitzer Prize writing, but if you’re looking to share information as quickly as possible, and direct people to your blog, then live blogging will be the best thing you can do for your readers.
Not just anyone can live blog though. If you’re a finger-typer (you know one…letter…at…a…time…), vaya con Dios, live blogging may not be up your alley. If you’ve got suitable typing skills then start live blogging right now!
What do I live blog?
Just about anything can be live blogged though I wouldn’t recommend you live blog your eating habits, laundry list, or the event occurring while you wait for the doctor. Rather, think of the conferences and meetings you go to. Whether it’s a big national event like BlogWorld, Gnomedex, or any other professional conference, or perhaps a small event like a city council meeting, hometown political rally or even a sporting event.
Taking the time to capture your observations and perhaps some photos can do your blog a lot of credit, and users who are interested will be drawn to your updates. Because it’s live, they know to refresh the page often or keep their RSS Feed reader open because updates will be coming fast and furious. If they can’t make it, or they can’t watch it, they will be happy that someone is providing for them, and that kind of satisfaction can go a long way for you.
I personally have live blogged the numerous camps I’ve been a part of; Barcamp Houston & San Antonio, Social Media Camp Austin, and the upcoming Freelance Camp and Green Camp. I even blogged an entire event from my Twitter Account that went straight to my blog. My thumbs were very very sore that day, and I was extremely limited by the 140 character limit, but when my laptop went down, I had only my cell phone to rely on.
Tools for live blogging!
For starters a laptop with an Internet connection is a good start. I use Firefox as my browser of choice and I’ve installed TwitKit to keep in constant contact with other attending the conference or meeting that I am covering. Twitkit will install and display as a sidebar on your Firefox browser, updating every 5 seconds.
I’ve also installed ScribeFire, which is a blogging tool that integrates right into your Firefox browser window without having to open a tab or leave a page to log into. ScribeFire will post to almost any existing blog, and with all the tools at your fingers tips, only taking half the screen (adjustable), it’s hard to beat.
Finally I take with me a small digital camera that I can instantly upload pics with, if you have a camera that takes pics and sends them wirelessly to your online storage site of choice, that would work even better. Still, with plug in camera I’m able to do quick work of ensuring pics are good quality, uploaded and re-sized quickly thanks to Pixenate.
All of these tools together allow me to live blog fairly quickly and keep people informed. Live blogging keeps your content fresh and up to the minute and by advertising your efforts prior to the event, you’re sure to get people on board with your blog site.
Let me know if you’re a live blogger and what tools you use!
Photo Credit Sue Richards, Mexicanwave
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This is really informative – another spin to what or how to blog.
Thanks for sharing this.
xgenesis007, happy you enjoyed the post. Blogs are amazing in their versatility, you just got to get creative with it.
Great post. I haven’t really thought about utilizing methods of live blogging on my blog. This gives me a whole new outlook on methods of connecting with my readers. Thanks for posting!
Live Blogging is awesome, and a lot of fun to do. I hope you enjoy this new outlook and make it a part of your blogging routine, it’s a nice way to change up the norm.
This is a totally new perspective of blogging for me but I find it rather interesting and excited about applying it to some exclusive event in the future. Thanks for the post.