BlogHer offers 30 FREE minutes of Blog Training

Many of you know that I've been on a tear to get more women trained on how to use/read/comment on blogs. Today BlogHer is helping women get over that first friction point of learning. Not only do you get help from a seasoned blogger, but one who has interests the same as yours. Unlike phones, many blog platforms are free, such as Blogger and Vox so go for it.

Go here and read Britt Bravo's summary.

Why Blog? It's the Queen of Communication Tools.

In our emerging world where anyone can question everything that’s said, those who are not afraid of putting their personalities forward will be the ones most trusted. Who do you trust more, the neighbor locked inside their house or the one in the front yard chatting with you?

A blog is a phone, fax, answering machine, letter – AND news column, brochure, book, newspaper, AND broadcast email, website, focus group, AND permanent address, self help tool, social organizer plus public voice. A blog’s inherent transparency puts a new level of trust back into a world that would use more. And if someone gets out of line, peer pressure will bring them back. Today's feeds offer a Golden Rule of Blogging... which comes down to Play Nice or other's won't want to play with you.

To put it another way:
1. Robert’s Rules of Order are out  -  Rules of Social Interaction are in.
2. Waiting for permission to be heard is out - Self publishing is in.
3. Putting up a front is out  - Putting up yourself is in.

On a personal level blogging is a way:
-  To exchange “the dailies” with friends and family, just like you would if you still lived close by.
- To be creative and write that book you always wanted to write, using blog platform to help you structure it.
- To be proactive and “vote” by ranting or raving about politics between elections (what’s said on a blog is compiled and tallied every minute…Technorati and Neilson-BuzzMetrics is checking to see what’s on the population’s mind.
- To be part of a group of like minded people for hobbies or support.
- To learn what you stand for after being franchised into what your boss, spouse, kids, job description… wants you to think.

On a professional level blogging is a way:
-  To introduce yourself, so that others are comfortable doing business with you.
-  To keep publication expenses down.
- To use as an alternative to a website
-  To use as a way to keep your website highly ranked on search engines.

On a corporate level blogging is a way:
-  To do all of the above, but as a corporate personality.
-  To keep communication open between clients, customers, and the company.
-  To answer questions quickly and publicly.
-  To be transparent and open all the time and encourage investors.

On an organizational level blogging is a way:
-  To do all of the above, PLUS
   o  Act as an organizational tool to bring virtual groups together.
   o  Friends = committees
   o  Friends and Family = larger groups
   o  Neighbors = the whole organization

We have a lot of serious work to do in the next few years and it will need everyone's voice and everyone's talents. The more you know how the tools work, the more you can bring your experience to the solutions.