Or just play paparazzi on the internet. If you can use a smartphone, you can publish engaging content people will read. Get started with our newbie-friendly seminar, “BLOGGING FOR BEGINNERS” this January 15 & 16.
“Home publishing” has come a lonnnnnng way in recent years, thanks to free websites that offer plug & play templates you can easily fill with text, photos, graphics, videos — all kinds of stuff that other free websites help you create.
We should know — we’ve tried ’em all, practically. Since we published our first blog post ever on EastFallsHouse.com (April 9, 2014), we’ve been through a half-dozen site overhauls and created a printed version that has looked almost completely different every time we’ve published.
Along the way, we’ve found some truly awesome programs, but downloaded lots that weren’t worth the uninstall hassles (CNET‘s reviews can’t always be trusted, sigh). We’ve road-tested recording equipment of all kinds, and learned neat little short cuts that streamline otherwise tedious tasks. We’ve embraced the Cloud and are all the better for it.
We’ve accrued over 1,500 Facebook fans, and enjoy double that number in likes, comments and shares per day. This here little dot-com gets 3,300+ hits per month, and our pictures? Wow they’re all over the internet. If you google #EastFalls it’s like we’re the only ones here, practically. When you see how fun & easy it is to make some social media noise, you’re gonna be hooked!
Seriously — new digital technologies make editing and designing as easy as email and surfing the internet. Expert tutorials on sites like YouTube and Lynda demonstrate step-by-step how to accomplish tasks from simple set-up to advanced layout.
Don’t let anyone tell you you “need” anything to reach an audience these days except three things: words, images, and internet. We’ve built our blog from the barest bones possible — with no professional training — and we can teach you how to do it too.
Who me? YES, YOU!
If you like to take pictures… you can do this!
If you enjoy talking to people… totally up your alley!
If you’re good at explaining and describing things….you’re a natural!
If you’re curious to the point off being nosy, and constantly veering into TMI territory.. YOU MUST WRITE FOR US NOW!
Blogging opens up whole new worlds: since starting EastFallsLocal in October 2014, we’ve interviewed judges and councilmen, we got PhillyU president to ride a bike on camera, we danced on the Falls bridge in a mass of hundreds, and quietly documented an historic old church now slated for condos. We helped put a house back together with other neighbors!
Blogging provides countless opportunities to reach out to and interact with your community, and maybe make a difference. You meet people, you learn stuff, you showcase your talents.
Blogging’s a great hobby, a satisfying volunteer endeavor, and can even become a career. Blogging can generate content East Falls could use to populate another community newspaper, even.
Blogging can change the world.
Let’s get started. This list might sound like a lot but we’ll break it all down into simple steps, and provide all the links you need to move forward as fast as your motivation can take you.
You’ll learn:
FRIDAY (Jan 15):
What’s blogging? What does it have to do with newspapers?
Types of blogs and newspapers
Basic blog post composition
Content management
Choosing a domain name
Web-hosting, WordPress, Plug-Ins, etc. (overview with optional homework links)
SATURDAY (Jan 16):
Refresher on blogging & printed media
Facebook
Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.
Guidelines for posting, tagging and sharing content
Images: how to take them, how to fix them up (overview with optional homework links)
Plus equipment suggestions, promotional tips, and plenty of cheerleading in both classes!
90-minute classes held at Street and Curb on Conrad from 10:00 am to noon.
NOTE: No special computer skills beyond basic smartphone familiarity required.
Although Saturday’s class builds on Friday’s, either class can stand alone as a great starting point for learning to write and report for modern media.
$75 per class, both for $145.
Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for our latest publication, a 2015 retrospective featuring coupons from local businesses you can use this Holiday season! Available FREE from only the coolest bars, cafes, and businesses in East Falls (plus our awesome library).
**SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE HOME DELIVERY HERE**
Questions about classes or our publication? Email editor@EastFallsLocal.com.
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