- 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog
- #31WBGB: Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog
- #31WBGB: My Elevator Pitch
- #31WBGB: Make List Posts Work for Your Genealogy Blog
- #31WBGB: Promote a Blog Post
- #31WBGB: Analyze a Top Genealogy Blog
- #31WBGB: Contact a Reader
- #31WBGB: 27 Must-Read Tips for Genealogy Bloggers
- #31WBGB: Write a Link Post
- #31WBGB: Interlink Your Old Blog Posts
- #31WBGB: Participate in an Online Genealogy Group
- #31WBGB: Set Up Monitoring Alerts
- #31WBGB: Come Up With 10 Post Ideas
- #31WBGB: Develop an Editorial Calendar
- #31WBGB: Update a Key Page
- #31WBGB: Find a Blog Buddy
- #31WBGB: Solve a Problem
Welcome to Week 9 of 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog!
Our topic this week is participating in online genealogy groups. These could be forums, mailing lists, message boards, facebook groups, etc.
Why Should We Participate in Online Genealogy Groups?
There are three main reasons to participate in online communities:
- Profile Building – if you put consistent time into an online group, you can build a significant profile in the genealogy community. Keep in mind the “What’s In It For Me” perspective of the other group members. If you are able to provide value in the form of information, advice, or support, you are more likely to develop fans among the other members.
- Driving Traffic — when you provide value and become a resource to others in the forum, they will want to know more about you and will be more likely to click over to your blog.
- Understanding the genealogy niche – Not only will you learn about the genealogy niche that the forum pertains to, but also you’ll get a lot of ideas for topics to write about on your blog. Keep your eyes open for questions being asked repeatedly and then write posts to answer them.
Finding Online Groups
There are plenty of groups around that you could participate in. Some categories include:
- Groups related to being or becoming a professional genealogist
- Surname or locality groups
- Genealogy software groups
Take a look at Ancestry’s message boards, Genforum’s forums, RootsWeb mailing lists, and GenealogyWise groups. Also search Facebook for “genealogy groups.” And don’t forget about Google – a search for “Genealogy Forums” will turn up other possibilities.
Action Items
- Join an online genealogy group that is geared toward one of your interests. If you are already a member of one or more groups, then:
- Spend 10-15 minutes participating. Notice the bold font. Don’t just lurk. Get in there and join the conversation.
- Tell us about your experience in the comments section: a) what group(s) did you join (or what groups are you already a member of)? b) did you come out of lurkdom in any groups this week?
If you are just joining us, then “welcome.” You can read the kick-off post about 31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog here. Feel free to start with this week’s reading and action items – you are not behind!
Giveaway
The giveaway this week is a Legacy webinar (affiliate link) titled Backing Up Your Data (something we all need to do regularly). The description of this webinar from the Legacy site says:
Have you ever experienced a data loss when it comes to your genealogy research? Not yet? Well if not, have you prepared for what might happen if your hard drive fails? What if your laptop is lost or stolen? Learn the basics of backing up all your genealogy data including identifying data, common backup methods and how to use free online programs to help you make sure your data will always be available! Participants will learn various methods for backing up their genealogy data including many free online programs such as DropBox, Google Docs, Picasa and more! Join webinar host, Geoff Rasmussen, and Google for Genealogists’ presenter, Thomas MacEntee for this 91-minute session.
To enter for a chance to win this CD, leave a comment below with your answers to the questions in Action Item #3 (above). One winner will be selected randomly. Giveaway ends at 11:59 Eastern time on Saturday, September 3, 2011.
