This year RESOLVE – the National Infertility Association is taking on a new spin to their National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) event schedule. They are enlisting bloggers from all over the world to participate! The theme – Resolve to know more…
This is very exciting as it allows for people who have walked the infertility road to help enlighten and educate others with their own experiences and wisdom. Bloggers will have an opportunity to share their own words and also to amplify the writings of others who participate. At the conclusion of the NIAW initiative, one blogger will be given the HOPE award.
Why share your experiences via a blog?
Writing ones’ thoughts has often been considered cathartic. Psychologists tend to recommend journal writing to patients and now advise private blogs as one way to help work through emotional issues, chronicle the events that are making an impact on relationships and self-esteem and demonstrate change.
Blogging also has been considered for many years an acceptable teaching tool. Sharing of like experiences via blogging is now replacing or being used in conjunction to in-person support sessions. Frequently bloggers will act as teachers as their pearls of wisdom will resonate with their “students”. Women and men who blog about infertility have seen an upswing in popularity with their online blogs. Experts note that the more people that blog about infertility, the less “stigma” is attached to infertility treatments. Mainstream press and online news, including the Huffington Post, have featured many articles regarding fertility issues from IVF to surrogacy. Some credit the celebrity factor- such as when Jimmy Fallon announced becoming a father due to surrogacy. Making infertility “public” increases the numbers of people who seek information, help and perhaps treatment. Infertility in the mainstream due to the help of bloggers has been considered a great catalyst for many!
How to blog?
RESOLVE has written a brief set of guidelines for their NIAW blogroll campaign/ contest. You can find them here. To help anyone wishing to share their thoughts via a blog consider these simple steps:
- If you don’t have a blog consider signing up for a free template, such as on WORDPRESS or Google’s Blogger.
- Connect your blog to any online social media platforms that you participate in such as TWITTER, FACEBOOK or LinkedIN. This will help amplify your message.
- Use tags that will help people searching for information about infertility find you! Hashtags may be #Infertility #NIAW or #SameSexFertility, as an example. The NIAW campaign also will have tags for you to use. (You also can tag us at #HRCPasadena so we can comment and repost your link!)
- Use video or photography to add “pop” to your blog! Many social media experts note that blogs with video and/or photography will be easier to find on search engines and add interest to a blog, overall!
We would love for you to have a voice in our community, which is why we invite you to share your blog links with us! Remember to simply use these hashtags for us to find you #NIAW #HRCPasadena.
Happy Blogging!