TechCrunch, one of my fav spots to hang out, recently passed the 10,000 post count with a classic post by Founder Mike Arrington. The last 10,000 posts have spanned the wide spectrum of the interwebs and have ranged in quality and content-type and focus.
I can only hope that perhaps, one day, ChurchCrunch will also be able to boast (modestly though) about breaking such a very cool milestone.
But reality always sets in quickly after the visioncasting for me and here are 5 things (of many) that will be absolutely necessary if I’m going to break the 10,000 mark before I pass on to the other side:
1. More discipline in regards to my posts. As “legalistic” as I am (some may call it) I am a staunch believer in the power of Grace. It actually wins out much more, which is a good thing.
2. More accountability with my posts. This can take the form of both “silent” and “vocal” engagement. I’ll take some time to expand on this on another post. The bottom line is that if you want to be a “on mission” with your blogging, get some help. I posted a little while back about getting a “Blogging Buddy“… yup.
3. Be more daring. As creative as I’d like to consider myself I still can “open the kimono” a bit more and get out there. There are a couple things I want to try… so hang on tight.
4. Authors. I need to begin developing, guiding, discipling and mentoring passionate technoevangelists who will help add additional content. I’m super stoked about this.
5. Expand content reach and depth. There are so many areas of technology still not covered wholesale here, but those areas are valuable to the community. I’ll need a bit more of #4 please.
I’m excited. It’s going to be a wild ride. For those that stick it out, my prayer is that it’ll be worth it. I think it will be.
Got any more suggestions? How are you reaching your blogging goals?
Did you really just say "open the kimono"? *shudder*
did i scare you? sorry… but not really. teehee!
LOL Chris. With you on that one.
Can we say rebrand? Yes we can. Change the name to something a little less Arrington.
ChurchCrunch wants to be a beautiful, unique snowflake. I will probably never play "praise guitar" and I would think twice before going to Starburks Coffee. To me the name suggestions you are an imitation of the real thing when most people strongly prefer the real thing, especially if it costs exactly the same as the imitation.
Fortunately, you are a blog maniac and the content you have brought to ChurchCrunch is phenomenal. If you keep up the quality and quantity of posts, like you (and guest posters) have… it will succeed regardless. Still… since you asked the question, branding is at the top of my list.
peace|dewde
ugh. you again. go away. *shoo*
I actually like the name ChurchCrunch. It does play on the TechCrunch name, but that is why I know what this site is all about.
hehe. that's one thing i considered when i used it. i wanted a groundswell from the association… i had a particular roadmap in order to manage it and then work off it.
A fine balance between sticking to the mission of the blog and expanding its reach and creativity. It will be fun to watch you work it out.
thanks leo. it's like working out your salvation sometimes… sheesh!
Oh, and I am very interested to see how you balance the dynamic tension between "where I'm from" and "where I'm going" with churchcrunch. If anyone can pull it off, you can…
bleh. i need help. badly.
Got to go with @dewde on the brand name thing. You can be yourself while still having a similar, but ministry-focused, mission to Arrington. Some quote about creating culture instead of mimicking it is rolling around in my head.
Key point: Hit it with YOUR brand. And be careful with that kimono…
Peace.
here's a good thought to ponder… how many readers really have that connection between techcrunch and this?
or are we just using our own knowledge to set "the rule"? i've been thinking about this nonstop…. because i think a lot of the readers have no idea about techcrunch… and many of the people i'm trying to reach have no idea.
some thoughts.
I think you might be right regarding the initial impression. I think many of the readers will make the connection at some point if they stay around here long. Not that you are making a techcrunch doppleganger here, but people get curious and want to know where the name came from, etc.
I think you have something that has similarity to techcrunch but is really its own deal: i.e. you can stand on your own with or without the connection.
gosh darn it scbubba… you're feeding @dewde!
good points here. trust me, it's on my roadmap. i started thinking about it day 1. more to come…
teehee… what fun.
I am here because of the association with TechCrunch. When I saw this site I thought "This is great, a site dedicated to helping the Church use technology for ministry." Now I have this site in my RSS reader. I don't know if I am the odd ball though.
i don't think you are…
I imagine probably very few put the connection together. Aside from the name and the URL are you really mimicking TechCrunch?
Another thing to consider. You have just spent countless hours over the span of many months to create a brand that is ChurchCrunch.How would changing it now affect your audience at this point?
in the beginning the connection was deeper… but now, i think it's distancing itself fast.
the question of content is namely the biggest deal.
and… YOU TELL ME marketing and branding expert… what would happen if i ditched it?
I have thought about this question a lot. At what point are you unable to change your brand? Or is it always possible? Cingular is now part of AT&T, but for some reason I still call it Cingular. Can IBM just pack up and change their brand?
it takes a lot of energy and buy in at all levels… and then a reasonable understanding of cost, loss, and sacrifice…
again. YOU TELL ME.