Who would’ve guessed the Republican National Convention in Tampa would be the place to look for hot trends in fresh and youthful blog writing? The GOP has a reputation for a lot of things, but young and hip ain’t exactly one of them. Nevertheless, the party looks to rebrand itself for new generations of voters and a pair of highly-talked-about, up-and-coming bloggers might help them do exactly that.
17-year-old Virginia resident Evan Draim holds the distinction of being the youngest delegate in attendance at the RNC. Politico, Seventeen magazine, Education Week and the Washington Examiner are just a few of the media outlets to run with Draim’s fascinating story. After all, for a party perceived as being out of touch from Draim’s generation — usually pegged as extremely liberal — this is an oddity for sure. So Patch.com scored big time when they enlisted Draim as their blogger of all things RNC. His posts give readers an inside look at one of the most talked about political events of the year through the eyes of a teenager.
Mostly of the “Gee whiz! Look what’s happening!” flavor, his blogs are definitely naive — but that’s really the point. Eager for a younger perspective of its own, The Boston Herald turned to 20-year-old Corey Lainer to blog from the convention. Lainer is a student of University of Massachusetts Lowell who is braving the wild weather and moments of boredom to cover the event. A little more cynical and slyly observational than his 17-year-old counterpart, Lainer’s posts are filled with behind the scenes details about the RNC and even some interviews with GOP big shots.
Blogging an event like the RNC may be old hat, but using fresh voices is a great way to keep the coverage interesting. And this new point of view isn’t just reserved for “the kids.” Corporate blogs of any variety should feel inspired by these two whippersnappers and recruit new contributors of all ages. Seek out guest posts from loyal customers, new employees and enthusiastic fans of your brand. These new voices won’t only refresh your content, they might also bring in new readers, too. Guest bloggers, as both the Herald and Patch have discovered are simple way to put a spring in your blog’s step.
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