How to use Blogging to Improve Communications and Establish a Stronger Sense of Community

1. How to use Blogging to Improve Communications and Establish a Stronger Sense of Community Mayor Bill Gentes Round Lake, ILwww.eroundlake.com/blog

2. About Me • Senior Manager in the Non-Profit World • International Marketing • CEO for 8 years of various organizations • 14 years of Elected Leadership (6 as Mayor)

3. About Round Lake • High Growth 5,400 to 18,000+ in 6 years. • Long-term projections put us at 30-35,000 people by the year 2020. • 27 to 83 employees in 6 years. • 72% of residents are new! • Growth segments are white collar and foreign.

4. Business Focus • Changing the Organizational Culture • Professionalizing • Building a Community • Communication was and is key.

5. My History of Blogging • Private political blog during my 2005 re-election. • Cathartic • Effective • Issue defining • Galvanized my supporters • Landslide! • Why a blog for the Mayor?

6. My Initial Goals for the Blog • From the first post • I thought that this venue would allow me the greatest freedom to reach the greatest number of Round Lake residents quickly and efficiently.So on this blog I am going to try to address issues that are affecting our community and my feelings on various issues in the community and in the area… Since I have a sense of humor, my guess is I will have some humorous stories as well thrown into the mix. Posted April 26th, 2005

7. My Blogging Rules • Anonymous Commenting • Un-moderated • No family stuff • No swearing • No Libel

8. The 7 Points I Use Or my attempt to clarify a chaotic blog to my audience.

9. Point 1– The Truth • To hear the story of what's going on, straight from the horses mouth (the Mayor) so rumors and half truths can be addressed immediately. • Prairie Pointe • Police Chief • Commentary Series

10. Point 2-- Ideas • To solicit comments that could result in good ideas for the community. • Baseball • Stop Signs • Transportation Comments

11. Point 3-- Community • To develop a sense of community, from the disparate variety of communities and residents in the Village. • Run/Walk • Local Events • Get more people involved

12. Point 4-- Me • To humanize the face of elected officials and let citizens know where they stand and what they intend to do. • Humanize • Scheduling • National Butter Reserves

13. Point 5-- Discussion • To increase public involvement, staff involvement and outside involvement through readership. • Comments • Staff reads it • Set the agenda and tone • Emails easierto answer

14. Point 6– Issue Leadership • To promote yourself, create issue leadership on a broader scale then you would ordinarily get from your relative status. • 120 Bypass • Transportation • Get your point across

15. Point 7– Big Picture • To talk about big projects and what they mean to the Village. • Hospital • Downtown Development

16. Results Unintended • Unintended • Readership Levels (400-500 unique a day) • Newspapers reading the blog and then writing articles on the post topic. • County and Statewide leadership on issues • More Mayoral blogs and mentoring(international, national and local)

17. Results Intended • Intended • Increased Communication • Community Building • Approachability • Email answering

18. Thoughts on Blogging • Be Genuine • Write Regularly • Use Pictures • Use Links • Promote your blog

19. Questions www.eroundlake.com/blog