How EMS Agencies Should Effectively Be Using Blogs

Posted by David at 3 June, 2009, 9:00 am

While the buzz and popularity of blogs has to a certain degree leveled off, their utility and presence on the internet continues as a dominant force in social media despite those who would cry out, “Blogging is dead!”

Why Blogs Remain Atop The Social Media Pile

: Image via Wikipedia

Twitter – Blogs allow for communication in more than 140 characters, the display of images, easier to browse archives, and search engine rankings
Facebook – Blogs allow for communication beyond your “circle” of friends/fans, allows for the customization of information formatting, optional open comments, and search engine rankings
MySpace – The exact same reasons as Facebook
Flickr – Blogs allow for communication in text only if desired, archiving by categories, optional open comments, and search engine rankings

As you can see from the lists above, the ability to customize and their ability to attain search engine rankings keep blogs as the most versatile of the social media options.

Wake EMS based in Raleigh, North Carolina has the “Unofficial Wake EMS Blog“. Posts include responder alerts and news items for both responders and the general public. Unfortunately because of the blog’s “Unofficial” status, the authenticity of the message can easily be called into question.

All Your EMS Are Belong To Us

When the World Wide Web first gained popularity it was dominated by individual web pages that, when collected in number, would comprise a website. These were usually static pages that were hand coded for the desired layout and colors within the context of the content. With the evolution to Web 2.0 the static pages were replaced with dynamic elements whose format could be changed without touching the content. It seemed that the dynamic content that blogs offered replaced the static nature of websites forever… or at least until now.

As the web continues to evolve, the more it seems that we need to take steps back. Social media applications are spread throughout the web. To truly gain efficient use of them, the trick is to tie them in to one place. While sites like Facebook and MySpace offer a way to integrate SOME of these other applications, the best place to do so is to be at your own website where your customizing options are limitless. Your website, and its integrated blog, should be for all intense purposes your “central base” for all of your social media activities.

PrideStar EMS serving the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts has both a news section and a Director’s Blog section of their website. The idea of basing a blog within the larger website is right on target, but if they were able to integrate an actual blogging platform in the design with RSS Feeds, a Comment Section, and E-mail Subscriptions it would be, easier to update, distribute the content, and foster conversation. Still, they have the right idea of making the website their base on the Internet.

5 Types Of Blog Posts For EMS Agencies

News – Share the latest news from inside your organization as well as current trending issues in the EMS industry
Promotional – Promote a new or long standing service, safety program, or event
Preparational – Prepare both the residents and responders of your community for potential disasters through blog posts on a seasonal cycle
Alerts – Alert your responders and community to impending disasters, such as budget cutting legislation that will severely affect service delivery
Linking – Share links to news items, protocol updates, important information

In conclusion, a solid website with a blog companion providing dynamic compelling content is a win win for both the agency that creates it and the people served by it.