Weblogs As Online Community Management Tools
Aside from participation in discussions, a community manager often needs a consistent and accessible place to have an independent voice to relate community news and information. Common Craft discusses how a weblog may be used to fill this need.
Some of the conclusions:
Inside an online community, a weblog is a better fit than a message board topic (i.e. Announcements) for relating information to the community.
With the community manager having complete control of the weblog, they can use it to develop a stronger voice in the community without interfering with the discussions.
With a different format, locus of control, voice, etc. it adds something completely new to the mix.
As communities are forming, the manager?s weblog can be a cultural touchstone by telling the story of the community as it happens.
The manager?s weblog can become a place to find a snapshot of the most interesting discussions, news and events.
In times when member participation is slow or non-existent, the manager can still provide content to members through the weblog.
