At a recent blogging and social media training in Kilifi County, participants were enlightened and encourage on the said industry. The quorum was of participants coming from different backgrounds ranging from university students, business people, bloggers, and digital marketers from Kilifi town, Mombasa town, Watamu and Malindi as well.
Rayhab Gachango of potentash.com and Abel Muhatia of biznews.co.ke were the facilitators of the day long training taking them through the following topics: an introduction to blogging, writing good social issues content and niche content, social media skills, blogging ethics, understanding copyright and social and health content.
The training kicked off with the first part of the session being overseen by Rayhab. She talked about creating shareable content by first analysing the target audience and understanding their needs. She also pointed out that is not enough to have good content, is very important to be able to engage with your target audience. Another tip she gave was using infographics to make it easier for readers to understand the content.
Having a content creation plan is also very crucial when blogging, citing this as the core element in the blogging journey. This is because this will enable bloggers to always remain focused and assists them in being consistent which is paramount to being a successful blogger. Bloggers should, as well, provide convenient sharing options for people to share their content easily. Writing and expecting people to find your blog will eventually not encourage traffic to your site. She also talked about the dos and don’ts of social media and why we should be ethical when using online platforms. The use eye of catchy images in blog posts was also highlighted.
The topics covered by Abel included ethics and issues of copyright in blogging where he listed the need to create original content and avoid plagiarizing if one was to become a credible and successful blogger. He also cautioned participants to be careful about what they put online. He explained some of the implications of using blogging and social media platforms irresponsibly, cautioning participants against retweeting and sharing of posts irresponsibly. This act, he explained, could make you liable in a court of law.
Issues of copyright on plagiarism and the copy and paste phenomenon became a unanimous topic of discussion. The difference between plagiarism and defamation were highlighted and well explained. This was more so when writing on social and health issues as well as women and girls empowerment. Participants were well advised to always check the facts and to always give credit to the individual with the information as well as invest in a plagiarism checker. Bloggers should also not use other people’s information during interviews as their own opinion. Bloggers were also advised, when dealing with sensitive issues, such as is in the case of women and children, they should avoid writing in a way that will embarrass or defame the person sharing their story.
The training sessions were a success, the participants showed great zeal to the lessons learnt and knowledge acquired. Our BAKE training on blogging and social media seek to answer the question of how to start a blog and eventually make money from blogging. If you are interested in blogging and social media, stay in the loop through our social media platforms for a training near you. Entry to the event is always free; all you need is your laptop. The training was in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.