Live Blogging Events: 3 Easy Methods

Sharing Experiences: Beyond Traditional Live Blogging

Individuals attending conferences, participating in events, or enjoying sporting competitions often seek methods to disseminate their observations, opinions, and visual content. While Twitter has gained widespread recognition as a platform for real-time updates, alternative solutions exist for those desiring a more comprehensive live blogging experience.

The Benefits of Dedicated Live Blogging Platforms

Employing a service like Twitter for live blogging offers the advantage of connecting with others covering the same event. This allows for easy monitoring of concurrent commentary and perspectives. Utilizing hashtags provides immediate access to a large volume of related posts.

However, continuously posting live updates to Twitter can potentially overwhelm followers who may not share your specific interests. To avoid disrupting your existing Twitter feed, consider utilizing dedicated live blogging services.

Exploring Alternative Services

For users seeking a focused environment to document events in detail, three free services have been developed specifically for live blogging purposes. These platforms offer features tailored to extended commentary and content sharing.

These alternatives allow you to thoroughly document an event without impacting the experience of your broader Twitter audience. They provide a dedicated space for in-depth reporting and interaction.

Wordfaire: A New Platform for Live Blogging

Wordfaire represents an emerging service with the capacity to become a comprehensive hub for live blogging, contingent upon the addition of further functionalities. Currently, users gain access by authenticating through their existing Twitter, Facebook, or Google accounts.

Following login, the platform allows for the creation of an unlimited number of liveblogs.

Creating a Liveblog

Initiating a new liveblog is a straightforward process. Users simply define a custom URL, a descriptive title, and their preferred timezone.

The platform then provides a space for continuous updates, incorporating both textual content and images.

Real-time Updates and Display

As new updates are generated, the liveblog page automatically refreshes, ensuring viewers always have access to the latest information.

This dynamic updating feature enhances the real-time nature of the live blogging experience.

Commenting and Embedding Options

Disqus powers the commenting system, applying to the entire liveblog rather than being specific to individual updates.

• Wordfaire liveblogs can be seamlessly integrated into existing websites.
• This is achieved by copying and pasting the provided embed code.
• Free embed usage is currently capped at 1,000 updates, a limit subject to potential adjustments.

The platform’s visually appealing and minimalist design isn’t solely suited for live blogging; it also positions Wordfaire as a streamlined and engaging alternative to platforms like Tumblr and Posterous.

Utilizing the Live Blogging WordPress Plugin

The Live Blogging WordPress plugin provides a straightforward solution for bloggers wishing to integrate real-time coverage into their websites. Installation and activation of the plugin on your WordPress blog are the initial steps. Following this, create a new post, mirroring the standard post creation process.

After composing the introductory text for your live blog entry, it’s crucial to include the shortcode [liveblog] at the post's conclusion.

Setting Up a Live Blog Post

Alongside the shortcode, ensure you check the Enable live blogging on this post option. This activates the live blogging functionality for the specific post.

Adding Updates to Your Live Blog

To contribute updates to the ongoing blog post, navigate to the Live Blogging panel. This panel is accessible through the sidebar on the left-hand side of the WordPress admin area.

Within the panel, click Add new under the Live Blog Entries section to initiate the update process.

Updating the Blog

A window will appear, allowing you to select the blog post you previously created. From there, you can begin adding your real-time updates.

Features of Live Blog Posts

Live blog posts automatically display a timestamp for each entry. The page dynamically updates as new content is added, eliminating the need for manual refreshes by your audience.

All standard WordPress content types – including images, videos, and links – can be seamlessly incorporated into your live blog.

Ease of Use

The Live Blogging plugin is remarkably user-friendly. It integrates smoothly with the existing WordPress environment, offering a natural and intuitive experience.

CoveritLive

CoveritLive stands out as a comprehensive live blogging platform, notably available without cost. While the complimentary account does have certain restrictions, its feature set remains remarkably extensive. Users with basic accounts are allocated a monthly live readership capacity of 5000.

Prior to commencing your live event, ensure all necessary settings are configured within your CoveritLive account.