Alright, so, truth be told, the fact is this post isn't going to actually be as comprehensive as the title suggests. But I do think there's going to be some useful stuff in here for you. For example, one of the many tips and ideas you'll get by checking out some of the links and resources that I'm going to post for you here is to make a title engaging enough to be worthy enough of a click. I'll let you be the judge of the example I put above.
No, this post won't list everything you'll ever need, nor is it even exactly all oriented to social media and blogging. Some of this has more to do with how to stay in touch with today's constantly shifting cultural landscape than it does with specific things bloggers and such need to know. But I do think it'll be worthwhile, not to mention the fact that this will give you an idea of where I go for inspiration and, at times, deeper understanding of the world around me.
Okay, so my Five Must Haves:
1. An RSS Aggregator
So I started using Google Reader as my RSS aggregator a few years back, and I've been pretty pleased with what it's been giving me. Basically, if you don't already know, what an RSS aggregator does is it takes the URLs of different blogs and news sites that you give it and it compiles them all into one list. That way you don't have to open up a bunch of different tabs or go spending hours visiting site after site. It also lets you skip over sites that don't have anything good that day. In other words, it's very similar to a blog dashboard which puts together everyone you're following into one place, but it isn't limited to your particular .com (tumblr, blogger, etc).
Another cool thing about RSS aggregators is they also usually have a list of "suggested" sites, meaning you get content that you wouldn't normally have heard about otherwise. This is key to getting out of your own network and seeing what other people are seeing.
Finally, I've synced up reader.google.com with an app on my phone (the one I use is NewsRob) so that I can check these articles and blogs wherever I am, whenever I feel like. This makes for a nice 5 minute break that informs and sometimes even entertains. It adds something to my day without consuming a large block of time.
All of this helps build your next must have which is...
2. Your "A-List"
RSS Aggregators really help you keep track of people who you think have interesting things to say. In order to use this great feature, however, you've got to take note of when someone says something interesting! Using something like Google Reader, all you have to do is grab the URL of whoever impressed you, input it under "Add Subscription", and, presto, you've got yourself a constant feed of whatever they publish.
Yes, you may get tired of what they have to say after awhile, at which point it is more than easy to drop them from your list. But, in the meantime, you'll fresh, updated content from them, which means fresh, updated ideas and insights if you've picked someone good, all without lifting a finger.
Also, when you find someone good, share them with your readers! I've found most of the people on my "A-List" because of other people who put a link to them on their blog/website. Share the wealth.
My next must-have is an example of someone I've started learning from in this way...
3. Seth Godin
Okay, so there's way too much to say about this guy that you can find out for yourself if you're interested. For here all I'm going to say is that Seth is really on top of what social media is all about and how to use and understand it. And, by the way, what he says is true across a wide variety of disciplines, although what he says is generally directed towards business execs.
As a pastor, I find what he's saying useful because he not only shares good insights about both technology and leadership, he also has a knack for seeing broader truths that apply to a wide swath of people. What's more, he's also really good at breaking down the process of turning ideas into reality, especially the part about what to do when you're finding yourself losing motivation and/or productivity.
I actually found out about Seth from a guy that I'm following on my RSS aggregator named Matt Perman. He has a blog called whatsbestnext.com and he does a great job of looking at technology, leadership, and productivity from the perspective of a Christ-follower. I think any pastor or Christian in business ought to check him out.
4. A Desire to Improve
There is a lot of good advice out there, and people are learning new things every day (not to mention that's how fast the technological landscape changes). Don't let making "the perfect blog" (there isn't such a thing) get in the way of what you're actually called to write, but do lift your head up now and then to see what's working for others and why.
Here's one great post that really hits the spot...for today. Check it out, get what helpful principles you can from it, and keep track of what the author's up to so that you can keep learning from him. By the way, I can't remember if it was that link or another that helped me realize the role of a good post title in making your post visible to people who haven't visited it before, but you have them (whoever they were) to thank for my post's title today.
5. The Ability to Read
Now this is an example of something that might not be totally useful to bloggers and social media types out there. My apologies. I could have mentioned something like "create synergy by syncing tumblr, blogger, twitter, facebook, etc", or I could have talked about which sites offered the best tools depending on what you're trying to do, but the post I've linked to as my Fifth Must Have is something that has really stuck with me ever since I read it.
So if you're reading this, you obviously know how to read.
Or do you...?
I've linked to the above post (which was written by an old professor of mine at Swarthmore College) both because the author, Timothy Burke, has a really great point to make about something we all kind of take for granted, and also because this demonstrates one of the really great uses of the blog format. It's the kind of essay that might've been passed around after being xeroxed a million times a few years back (I have a few of those as well), but is now available for you whenever you are. All you have to do is google something like "how to read in college" or have it passed on to you by someone who thinks you might have a use for it, and your life is changed. Let that be an inspiration to you as you write your next post.
Along these lines let me put a link here to a post about why every pastor should blog. This post is another one of those that has stuck with me for awhile. For you pastors and church leaders out there, I encourage you to check it out.
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