Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter is a consultant, author, influencer. virtual trainer & nonprofit innovator in digital transformation & workplace wellbeing.

Welcome to Beth's Blog for the Next Decade

Filed Under: Personal Reflections Tagged With: , ,


Dawn Near the Bay of Bengal by Joisey Showaa
Welcome to the new and improved Beth’s Blog!  After almost a decade of blogging and most of it at the same place,  I’m starting over with a new platform and look thanks to Allyson Kapin and Jared Seltzer of Rad Campaign .
Moving to this new blog put me in a reflective mood. I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for almost a decade and seven years over at Beth’s Blog. According to the stats in Typepad, my blog has had:

  • 1206701:  Lifetime Pageviews
  • 3129:  Total Posts
  • 7641:  Total Comments

My very first blog was about my trip to Cambodia to bring my son Harry home in February, 2000.    I hand coded the html myself!  A year later, I launched my first professional blog  on the software that eventually became Google’s blogger.   I wrote about nonprofits, technology, and training.
In those early days, I lacked the discipline and inspiration to keep blogging on a regular basis.   I had a couple of false starts.   In April, 2003, I  started blogging on my http://beth.typepad.com in April, 2003 soon after Six Apart launched its TypePad hosting service.
My very first blog post was called “Blogspiration” and I shared my goal of blogging regularly.   I revisited some of my first posts and, ironically, my early blog posts were very short, some only a few sentences, a pre-shadowing of micro-blogging that would come into its own a few years later.
I did not form the blogging daily habit until January, 2004 because we had just added to our family.   That post was magical because it was the first comment I had received and that comment was from a Cambodian Bloggher, Tharum.   His comment inspired me to start a personal blog on Cambodian culture and connect with other Cambodian bloggers.
I had outgrown my information design as well as my blogging platform a couple years ago.   It had become increasingly difficult to find older posts because I have too many categories and an idiosyncratic way of organizing them. If it was hard for me to find content, than I can’t imagine how what it is like for you, the readers.   Allison Fine once joked that my blog was like entering the portal in Being John Malkovich.
I really needed a professional web/blog designer!  In April, I hired Allyson Kapin and Jared Seltzer of Rad Campaign who lead me through a blog redesign process and set me up on the Word Press platform.   They did a fantastic job and I highly recommend them!
They created a cleaner version of Beth’s Blog with less clutter, but still retains my personality.   They listened to me about my important goals for the look and feel: authenticity, conversation, generosity, and fun!  (One feature is that my photo in the side bar will change according to different themes, so stay tuned)
I will keep the old Beth’s Blog as an archive, so I can start fresh over here. As I enter this new journey in blogging, I’m inspired to work on improving my writing so that my blog is more effective at helping networked nonprofits use social media to power change.
What do you think of my new blog?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wow. It’s like you’ve now a third child:).
    This just feels huge Beth. Did Harry and Sara help Allyson and Jared? I have to think they gave the thumbs up. 🙂
    Grateful to learn from you daily. And thrilled for this expanded sharing of your knowledge. Just a huge hug. So happy for you.

  2. Always inspiring and always walk away learning more – thanks for asking and answering the same questions I have in trying to maintain a dialog. Congrats on the new format and look, looking forward to the next decade!

  4. Hi Beth,
    Congratulations on the new blog–the design is really nice, and i LOVE that photo of you! I will look forward to many more years of your fabulous content, now presented in equally fabulous fashion! Congrats!
    When you get a chance, please check out our newly renovated website/blog- also done on wordpress! We are still adding all the films….

  5. Beth – First of all congratulations on the redesign. I’ll have to poke around and see if I can find my way to the 13.5th floor. Looks great so far.
    Second, I love reading your personal blogging history. I didn’t even know about Blogspiration and I consider myself an advanced Bethologist.
    Keep up the great work and thanks again for EVERYTHING.

  8. I love it! Clean and organized.
    One little tip on the organization: even though it’s hard to plan, have you thought through what your categories might be? I don’t think tags are enough – the key to helping people find stuff is to create and refine categories (yeah, I’m a librarian). So, for instance, this first post shouldn’t be “uncategorized”! Even if you just call it “Blog Housekeeping” “Miscellaneous” “General” it still is a bucket that has more meaning than “uncategorized”. Just my .02
    Here’s to another inspired decade of Beth blogging – keep it up!

  10. Nice work on this Beth (and Rad Campaign). I’m excited to see you get a face-lift … it’s such a valuable place for nonprofits so making it simpler to find content and use will absolutely help those visiting. Well done.
    – frank
    http://twitter.com/franswaa

  12. Congratulations Beth! Looks great – excited to continue to follow your sage advice and learnings for nonprofits! You are an invaluable resources to the entire sector!

  14. Congrats Beth. I know I’m biased but I can’t resist chiming in. We loved working with you on the redesign. Can’t wait to read all the great articles you are going to fill it with.

  18. Thanks everyone for cheers! This was easy yet hard thing to do – easy because Allyson/Rad was so wonderful to work with – hard because it is change …

  19. Lovely! But I wouldn’t expect anything less from Rad Campaign. And they did a great job of making it comfortable yet professional at the same time. – K

  22. I love the new design! Thanks for the recommendation of Rad Campaign. I have a couple of sites that need an overhaul and you have given me the inspiration to get started!

  26. Very nice, Beth, been hoping to see a new look for a while now. That image you chose to kick off your new journey is just marvelous.
    Glad you’ll still be blogging for next 10 years when others are peeling away to do less substantive things …

  28. Congrats on the new blog, Beth! I like! I’m getting a MS in information management, so like Laura, I’m curious about the information design of your site. What are your 15 other categories besides housekeeping? What went into the decision to dedicate the real estate on the right column to Recent Comments instead of, say, your Twitter feed? As a user I personally, get a lot out of seeing someone’s tweetstream on their blog.
    A couple more ideas to consider. Of course, take them or leave’em :).
    1) Contact page. I’d list at least your Twitter handle and other ways of reaching you like Facebook, Linked In, etc. Yes, you have the buttons on your homepage, but some people don’t “see” graphics even when they’re right there. If they did a Ctrl F search for “Twitter” to try and find your Twitter contact info, they wouldn’t be able to find it. Plus it’s good to have a number of different ways for readers to get the same information. They’ll have a number of access/entry points to your blog, and often users think they’ll find all contact information under Contact.
    2)About page
    a) hyperlink “Beth is the CEO of Zoetica” and direct users to your “Work with Beth” page.
    b) Add the word “Contact” and hyperlink it to your Contact page. (Many users expect to find contact information under the About page.)
    c) I’d nix the “Full Bio” link because the exact same bio text appears in the link you provide.
    d) I’d provide a link to the old blog in this sentence “Beth is the author of Beth’s Blog (see the ‘old blog’ here).”
    3) Best of Beth page.
    a) I’d give a heading to this page in a similar way that you’ve given a heading to your About, Speaking, Work With Beth, etc pages. Otherwise it’s a bit confusing because in your sentences describing the page you don’t use the phrase “best of.”
    b) Perhaps move “Top Ten blog posts” up to the top because people who click on “Best of Beth” are probably expecting to see your top posts.
    c) I like how Dan Meyer presents his “best of” content. He has a “People’s Choice” page: http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?page_id=836 and also an “Author’s Choice” page: http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?page_id=836 .Now you probably don’t want two separate pages, but it’s one way to think about organizing the information.
    That’s all for now. Congrats again on your redesign. And thank you for all that you do. I, and countless others, benefit from your mind and writing.
    Best,
    Emily
    @emahlee

  29. It’s almost tweetable 🙂 Beth’s Blog is no longer typepad! I do agree with Allison’s assessment of the portal – but it was also a treasure hunt and every time I came back out I had new morsels of previously undiscovered gems.
    In Hebrew there is a saying “titchadesh” which is what you say when someone buys something new. It means, “that’s new! that’s nice! Congratulations!” Titchadesh to you!
    Congrats on the new blog redesign. Looking forward to reading about your journey for the next ten years on this beautiful blog in its new home.

  32. Beautiful, Beth. Love the photo — dawn on the Bay of Bengal and dawn for Beth’s new blogging.
    I appreciate you and all you do for non-profits!
    Diana

  33. A great new beginning, Beth. It looks wonderful and is a great fit for your current situation and influence. Congratulations!

  34. Nice, clean, refreshed look! Very easy to navigate, and helps solidify you as the nonprofit social media guru!
    Well done, good and faithful soldier!

  36. Hi Emily:
    Thank you so much for your great advice. The information design flowed out my goals/objectives which included:
    -Purchase the book
    -Highlight opportunities to work with me
    -Encourage conversation in the comments
    The categories show up once there is a blog post assigned to them. I reviewed my category list from my blog – almost 200 categories – and narrowed it down to 15-20 categories which will show up once I have blog posts on those topics. I hope to keep the categories broad and evergreen, but use the tags/keywords in posts to get more specific and show things can be found via search.

  42. Congratulations on the newly designed blog. It’s very fresh, interactive, and inviting. As a small, federal government operating unit trying to engage in social media and blogging, I really appreciate your posts and insights.

  43. Here’s to the next decade Beth – love the new site, but even more important, I know that the content will continue to inspire and teach us all!

  45. Congrats, Beth. The new site looks great! No doubt that it will provide you an even better platform for the outstanding content you’ve been sharing for so many years.

  50. Beth- a great, clean design, enhancing your always accessible and useful information sharing! Congratulations. We have been working to update our blog presence as well and just launched our new blog last week too! Work in progress but its now at http://blog.witness.org. As always appreciate your feedback/ insights if you have any to share re our blog.

  51. Beth,
    Congrats on the move! There is always something exciting about moving into a new space-whether it be a physical facility or online real estate. I have been following your posts for a while now. I am the Social Media Liaison for the Tulane University Center for Public Service AmeriCorps VISTA program. We (the AmeriCorps VISTA) team have started a blog to house our monthly Field Reports. As VISTAs, through the Tulane program in New Orleans, we dedicate one year to service working with various nonprofit agencies in the community helping to build sustainability and capacity. Check out our blog to read about some of our VISTA’s experience in the field. VISTAs serve at different issue based organizations ranging from education to enviroment and all in between. Check it out and let me know what you think – Blog: http://tulanevista.wordpress.com.
    Keep up the good work!
    Thanks,
    Dominica

  52. Congratulations on the beautiful new blog design! You’ve been an inspiration to so many – including us! – and your daily updates and insights on the non-profit social media landscape have been invaluable.
    Congrats and blog on 🙂

  53. Being in a blog coma for many moons myself, your insightful and prolific posts are an inspiration to ramp back up, and I would read anything you write whether on Typepad, WordPress, or the back of a used napkin. Keep up the great work – lookin’ good!

  54. Wonderful redesign Beth, I love it! Just what you needed. This is a much more modern and cleaner look which presents your incredible content in the best way possible. Well done.
    Cheers!
    @tomjd

  56. What are your recommendations for setting up a new blog? We have just added a WordPress blog to CausesCalendar.com and welcome suggestions.

  57. Thanks Beth for your ongoing efforts. I wonder how much money actually passes through the administration filters at all these big fundraising comglomerations.

  58. I was facebooking a former colleague about online fundraising and mentioned your success using twitter. When I went to your blog to find some posts to link to, I discovered your move! Cool new blog – both in looks and architecture. Looking forward to your forthcoming posts and continuing to benefit from your experience!
    Laura Lee

  60. I love the new platform, Beth. Particularly the photo of you in a cowboy hat! Thank you for this blog. I am a communications consultant for nonprofits and am based in Milwaukee. Your blog is very very insightful.

  61. Congratulations, Beth! It looks great. I’ve been debating how to update my 6 year old blog on Blogger myself, wondering how I would move over. I like the appeal of calling it the “archive” and just starting fresh with a new one. Quite inspiring.
    Well done!
    Connie

  63. Hello, Beth and friends,
    I’m right this minute in a training with our journalism faculty at Madison College in Madison, Wis.
    Our faculty would like to find shareware that they can give students so they can create their own websites as part of their coursework. Our teacher is saying he uses iweb.
    I remember that one of your posts talked about “free” websites that are very simple but pre-templated. Can you help the class by telling us where those sites might be??
    Best, Ellen

  64. Beth,
    A huge congratulations on the move but more so on the inspiration you have provided over the last decade. Your work are one of the reasons I shifted my focus from the private sector to the social change space. So do know that you are changing lives directly and indirectly.
    Best,
    Simon Mainwaring

  65. Congratulations on your new site. I found out about you from a Tom’s of Maine campaign.
    One of my pet peeves that no one will be able to remedy is the use of the word “blog.” Maybe a contest out there in the, ugh, “blogosphere” to devise a new, more melodious word is in order!
    Good luck and I look forward to reading more on your site.

  70. Congrats! It looks awesome! I tried migrating my own blog from blogger to WordPress and, after about 10 hours of struggling with it, moved it to Posterous instead. The next time I migrate a blog I’ll be going the way of hiring someone to do it! 😉
    Here’s to 10 more years of successful blogging here on your new site!
    –Maggie

  71. Hi Beth,
    Love the new blog. Lovely, fresh clean layout. Been reading your articles and gives me great inspiration.
    We also relaunched our http://www.onedifference.org website a few weeks ago. We’re getting great comments and it will help build the awareness of our projects in developing countries.
    John

  72. Hey Beth! Great to see your new blog 🙂
    We’ve been following you for some time now…
    Check out our interview with Sanjukta Basu (the online program co-ordinator for Bell Bajao–which won Cannes Lions this year) on the role of Social Media for nonprofits http://ow.ly/2uoa3 in India.
    Best wishes…

  75. Hi Beth,
    I just came across your blog, and think you have a lot of great ideas and experiences that I would love to talk to you about. I am the communications specialist at Bright Beginnings, a nonprofit in DC that offers a bright start for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers of homeless families. We serve about 186 children annually whose families live in transitional housing and are working towards a more stable home for themselves and their children. Please visit our website, and let me know if you have any ideas as to how we might be able to work together to get our name out in the area and raise awareness of homelessness in the greater Washington, DC area.
    Thanks and keep on writing! I will keep reading!
    Heidi

  78. Love the new design of your blog – was introduced to your work thorugh the Networked Nonprofit, a terrific book. Thanks!
    Gretchen

  80. Hi Beth,
    I think I need your help. I am doing my thesis about non-profit organizations and the use of social media. How social media can help draw new members.
    I hope you can help me finding theories or models about this subject? Perhaps you have a great tip or website or you know a great model or theory?
    Hope you can help me.
    Best Regards,
    Eveline Oudshoorn from Vancouver

  81. Hi Beth,
    I just learned your name from a 2007 elluminate session by George Seimans called Curatorial Teaching. It’s interesting that you are reminiscing about your blogging beginnings.
    Nice to meet you…
    Mary

Trackbacks

  26. […] We spend a lot of time talking about the potential for charities to use social media to engage with their audiences and nurture giving, about online donations and social widgets to enhance grass roots fundraising and, this week, we have come across an impressive example of how social media has enabled ‘free agent’ fundraising (a term coined by Beth Kanter). […]