The polls are closed and the votes are in. No, I am not talking about Super Tuesday. I am talking about a poll on the future of The Kampalan, a fledgling Ugandan blog written by a group of contributors. The voting has been going on for about a month following a brief debate about the future of this blog.
The Kampalan has been struggling through some challenges since its inception. The blog was supposed to reflect the character of the city. But that has not really happened. In spite of having a great collection of well-read bloggers few have bothered to post consistently on the blog, and when they have done so, most of what they have to say has little to do with the city itself.
Also, its founding contributor has moved back to the U.S., and while she continues to be involved she cannot be expected to shoulder the responsibility for crafting the vision for this blog.
Well, the votes are in and those who care have spoken.
Sort of.
Out of the 33 votes that were cast, 18 (54.5 percent) were in favour of a blog that focuses more on entertainment. This result is not that surprising. Entertainment is a popular section on all of Uganda's online news sites. What I find surprising though is the fact that entertainment was included as an option in the poll.
Uganda already has a couple of sites that focus on entertainmnet. UGPulse, which started out as a news site—and still clings to those roots—has in recent months demonstrated a strong focus on entertainment, particularly in the diaspora. Music Uganda also offers insider information on Uganda's entertainment scene and collaborates regularly with UGPulse.
So if this poll proves anything, it is that the last thing we need is what we want. Kampala's residents and visitors do not need another entertainment blog. We need a blog that showcases those out-of-the-way spots that are great for a beer and hanging out with friends on a Friday night. Tell us where the next rugby game is happening. Tell us about where to go for the best bargain haircut and who has the best selection of textiles at the best prices. Show us that new underground spot where the live music is as good as the food. Share. And for goodness sakes leave the "insider" rumor-mongering to the less creative types.
This may all seem easier said than done, so here are a few suggestions:
1) Get an editor: Having a person whose responsibility it is to recruit contributors and craft a writing style will help give the blog an identity.
2) Create content categories: Arts, Music, Fashion, Film, Restaurants and Events. (I lifted these from BlogTo)
3) Dump blogspot and get a real domain name: Blogspot is free, and while that is great, it does not work so well when it comes to creating a brand (which this blog should be). Talk to the guys at Nodesix about this. They love bloggers and they have style and decent rates.
4) Find some photographers: Great images make a good blog better. And if they ask what is in it for them, the answer is simple. Exposure.
5) Create a revenue model: Some sort of advertising revenue will pay the cost of hosting (if the traffic is high enough) and may even bring in enough to make compensation feasible. No one should expect to get wealthy this way, but they can collectively build value together and enhance their individual reputations, whic could lead to more work. For a good ad model, stay away from Google ad words and try something like The Deck.
I hope that this year The Kampalan will really begin to grow into its own. Hopefully the people behind it can pull together and recognize that they are sitting on top of a great opportunity to create something that the city desperately needs.
If they do not, someone else will.
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