This last couple of weeks of blogging for me have been really fulfilling. There is such a tight-knit group of really smart, passionate people that are so intent on ensuring a bright future for credit unions.
As a graphic designer turned marketer turned blogger turned cheerleader, I have been increasingly fascinated with the social web.
My post Who's in charge of this stuff on Open Source CU was an attempt to articulate this nagging feeling that the credit union industry was letting the social web pass it by. The interest and comments blew me away.
I then posed the question, If your credit union won't start a blog for the love, how about the money? on the Currency blog.
What transpired from there really solidified the wisdom of crowds for me. Ron Shevlin took me to task with his post Getting the boss to blog (or at least let you start one). We battled it out in the comments and he finished it with this Twitter gem.
Morriss Partee from Everything CU, then composed his ALL CAPS call to arms, How many CUs should be blogging?
Gene Blishen added to the conversation on his Tinfoiling blog with a great post,
How many CUs should be blogging or how many angels can dance on a head of a pin?
All the while, my Twitter feed has been going crazy.
In the meantime, Lisa Hochgraf has been exploring the question, Are blogs really so different? with her posts on the CUES Nexus Connection.
So what's the conclusion? If you are considering a blog for your credit union, the answers lie in these posts and, especially, in the comments. Explore these links—they are golden.
My take away is if your credit union is considering blogging, do it well and do it often. Dedicate resources and make it part of your marketing and communication DNA. You can't do it properly off the side of someone's desk.
Blogging infrequently without a plan and a consistent, compelling voice is like peeing in a dark suit. It may make you feel warm, but nobody is going to notice what you are doing. (You can quote me on that one Shevlin).
I sure hope Terrell from Verity Credit Union isn't right when she says, "Blogs are overhyped. There is a disconnect between bloggers (us) and the people we are trying to communicate with. Not everyone reads blogs."
What I do know, is that as all of this conversation has been going on, a powerful piece of social media delivered by a new voice in the credit union blog-o-sphere enlightened my computer screen (no it wasn't you, Mr. Skeptic) and proved the credit union difference using social media. Serendipity?
Thanks for participating everyone. I really need to move onto a new subject now!
Tim