e-Newsletter - Volume 4, Number 75
How to Write for Web Pages -
A Tutorial for Developing Better Content-Creation Skills for Church Websites - Part 2
by Bill Anderton

Today, the Online Ministries Special-Interest Community continues with the second installment of our multi-part comprehensive series on teaching volunteers to write for websites.

Click here to read the second installment. (login required)

Click here to read the first installment. (login required)

In the first installment of this series, the concept was put forth that websites are indeed publications of churches (albeit online publications) and should be operated as journalistic enterprises. Such websites should be operated very similarly to the ways newspapers and magazines are operated.

In the second installment, we'll discuss an overall editorial approach to provide guidance for your writers and editors.

The development of content for journalistic-style websites should be directed by over-arching editorial strategies and tactics that mirror similar policies used by newspapers and magazines. In all journalistic endeavors, content isn’t developed randomly; it is developed intentionally along the lines of pre-defined strategies and tactics. You need a well-thought-out editorial approach to guide your writing efforts when developing content. Editorial approaches will not only provide guidance about WHAT to write about, but also HOW to write your stories.

This overall series is dedicated to teaching how to write for websites, but your writing and that of your volunteers should be directed by an intentional editorial approach. In this installment of this series, we will discuss the basic components of an editorial approach. This installment of the series will provide a generalized prescriptive architecture for an editorial approach suitable for a church or ministry. Within the presented generalized architecture, there are plenty of places where you can customize the suggested approach so it best fits your church or ministry.

Additional Featured Content In the Community

Rookie Blog – Community Curator Bill Anderton is in the middle of a series on “Cat Herding” about how to recruit, train and lead volunteers to work on your church's website and social media efforts.

Goolge’s Webmaster Tutorial Videos – We’re now carrying Matt Cutts’ ongoing videos that teach basic concepts and techniques for getting the best results from search engines.

Moz’s Whiteboard Friday Videos – For the more advanced webmaster, Moz continues its very innovative and instructive Friday lectures on search engine optimization and inbound marketing that build traffic to your website.

Webmaster News - Always current, our Webmaster News feed aggregates news from dozens of sources from around the country.