Looking at the Ameri-Blog

As an individual who has now devoted 2 years of my life to national service I find it interesting to learn what other branches of AmeriCorps are doing. NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps, does a great job of making their activities known to the public through their 'Ameri-Blog.'

For a blog to be successful it has to target a particular audience and then deliver information that will be relevant to that group. With their Ameri-Blog, NCCC Teams are able to share their stories with other AmeriCorps members across the country, as well as any other individuals who are interested in service on a larger scale.

They alternate between teams sharing their experience so readers can have a better understanding of all the types of projects NCCC works on. From fighting fires to building shelters, the teams are always doing something interesting, which is another key aspect to blogging. Writers need to find what interests their audience and then consistently deliver; in order to have a strong audience base you need to prove that you are dependable and consistently have new stories to share.

Another aspect for successful blogging is reliability and trustworthiness. As a branch of AmeriCorps that works to better communities through direct service, NCCC teams are a dependable source for information on volunteering. They not only tell people about their service, though, they also provide pictures to actually show what they are accomplishing. Having both images to show their work as well as being a well-known organization gives the Ameri-Blog more credibility.

The Ameri-Blog is also successful in another way- using language that appeals to their audience. Since it is members of NCCC teams writing each entry the blog posts feel real and are phrased in a way that are easy for large audiences to understand and relate to. Relating to an audience is key in maintaining a successful blog, and the easiest way to lose an audience is through using the wrong tone or structure.

Overall the NCCC blog is very successful because it targets an audience that is interested in community service and then delivers information that those people would be interested in. They keep the stories updated frequently so that people will continue to check back, and they use language that works for their audience. By focusing on maintaining a successful blog, NCCC is able to spread awareness about their program and engage people who may be interested in getting involved in national service. 

Check out NCCC's latest adventures here: http://ncccblog.americorps.gov