Your animal organization has a website, a Facebook page, Petfinder or Adopt-a-Pet accounts, and maybe a few other social profiles. Does it also need a blog?

Maybe and maybe not. “The main benefit of a blog over all those other options is the ability to immediately get information posted in a way that itself can be shared across social platforms, and be picked up by Google search at the same time,” said communications consultant Christie Keith. “Blogs are ideal for those purposes.”

The reality is, though, not every organization has the people-power to keep a blog current. Additionally, while there are lots of options for free blogging, there are still challenges associated with getting a blog up and running.

Here are Keith’s tips:

If possible, use a blog platform, such as WordPress, that can be embedded in your organization’s website. “The last thing you want is to maintain a completely separate URL for your blog, as it will hurt you in terms of search engine optimization,” she said. “Google likes websites that refresh their content regularly, and you lose that benefit of a blog if it’s not housed on your primary domain.”

Post at least once a week, daily if possible. “A blog is at its most powerful when you use it to tell stories about your organization and the work you do,” Keith said. “But every post doesn’t have to be a work of art. Ask for donations, volunteers, foster homes or adopters. Post news about your organization, or even just a great photo and a one-sentence caption, then share it to your social media, and you’ve created value for your organization.”

Consider disabling comments. “Having comments enabled on a blog is a good way to get your community involved, but it also requires time for someone to moderate those comments, answer questions and deal with problems,” she pointed out. “If your team has better things to do, disable comments. People can always share their thoughts on social media.”

Be mobile and social friendly. “Be 100 percent sure when you choose a blog platform that it has a responsive design in place that will display equally well on mobile and desktop browsers,” Keith said. “Similarly, make sure there are easy to use social media sharing buttons on every post. These simple tools will help make sure people find your posts and your organization’s pets!”

Which platform is right for you? Check out this overview from Social Media for Nonprofits!