1. 2005 ICMA Annual Conference Local Government Blogs
Presented by Scott Neal, City Manager
September 26, 2005
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

2. Definitions
Blog – “Web Log”
Post
Host
RSS

3. Facts about my blog “Blog from City Hall” Started March 2003
469 Individual posts as of September 22, 2005
Blogger.com
3,000 subscribers; readers in 70 different countries on 6 or 7 continents

4. Facts about my blog
Profiled in Public Management, Governing and Public CIO magazines; newspapers in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Atlanta; Indianapolis; Charleston, SC; Nattick, MA; and Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, UK; and a BBC special report on the future of e-democracy in Great Britain.

5. Why do I blog?
Educate
Promote
Enhance
Praise
Empathy
Personalize

6. Why do I blog?
Educate – City Services

7. Why do I blog?
Educate – Public Policy (national)

8. Why do I blog?
Educate – Public Policy (state)

9. Why do I blog?
Educate – Public Policy (city)

10. Why do I blog?
Promote – Community Organizations

11. Why do I blog?
Promote – Businesses

12. Why do I blog?
Promote – City of Eden Prairie

13. Why do I blog?
Promote – Blog

14. Why do I blog?
Enhance – Citizen’s understanding of local government

15. Why do I blog?
Praise – Employees

16. Why do I blog?
Praise – Employees

17. Why do I blog?
Praise – Elected Officials

18. Why do I blog?
Praise – Local Citizens

19. Why do I blog?
Empathy – For local government, elected officials, and appointed officials

20. Why do I blog?
Empathy – For local government, elected officials, and appointed officials

21. Why do I blog?
Personalize – “Putting the face on the faceless bureaucrat”

22. Why do I blog?
Personalize – “Putting the face on the faceless bureaucrat”

23. Why do I blog?
Personalize – “Putting the face on the faceless bureaucrat”

24. Why do I blog?
Personalize – “Putting the face on the faceless bureaucrat”

25. Benefits of the blog
Additional element to your organization’s communication strategy
Personal touch
Adds transparency – internally and externally
Leverages my time
Connects employees with City government
Adds acclaim for our organization

26. What do you need to do a blog?
Computer and internet service
Observation skills
Writing skills
Personality
Motivation
Time
Digital camera

27. Issues to consider Who will blog within your organization?
Who owns the blog?
Will you allow open comments from readers?
Will you share personal information?
How will you promote the blog?
Will you change posts? Will you archive?

28. My insights Biggest surprises . . . Biggest disappointment . . .
Most common comments . . .
Most common questions . . .

29. Scott’s Seven Iron Laws of Blogging
Have the right motivation
If your motivations are pure, the politics of the blog are good
Write what you know
Citizens are interested in the little things
Be honest
You may have to eat those words someday
Be authentic
Keep professional communications experts away from your blog
Look for topics
They are all around you
Use photographs
They really are worth 1,000 words
Think with the end in mind

30. Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA
Thank you!
Scott H. Neal
City Manager
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA