Well, dear readers, it's been a while. . .

My absence from blogging has got me thinking about some of the core issues with Web communications and, for that matter, social media communication outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

Making time.

A while back in a lively Communications Advisory Board discussion, Joe Connell used a term that resonates with me to this day - "The tyranny of the urgent."

In the rush of the day to day, it can be hard to make communications a top priority.  Even when you're a communicator by trade.  For the last few weeks I've been guilty of pushing TOW to the bottom of my to-do list.  Not because I don't think I need to post, but other urgent items get in the way.

Having something to say.

My idea of having a blog that contains worthwhile content seems to be at odds with what electronic communications experts advise as the rate of post.  I just can't be useful 3 times a day - or 3 times a week for that matter.  I think that's why tweeting and blogging can get a bad rap - and people joke that the content is of the "what I had for lunch" variety.

I envisioned this blog as having useful, thoughtful content.  And that can be hard to crank out with great frequency (at least for me.)

Do these issues resonate with you?

Some strategies

Shared content is the easiest and why ANR blogs like the Food Blog and Latino Briefs Digest work.  The job of posting is spread out among many authors.

Aggregate.  Sometimes just passing along an outside item of interest is enough.  Remember - the Web is all about pointing.

Serialize. Breaking a long post down into several parts gives you more content and makes your blog easier for busy people to read.

Pay yourself first. Financial experts advise that paying yourself first is the surest way to save.  Fitness experts advise working out first thing in the morning so you have no excuses later in the day.  Notice I'm posting on Monday?

Create a backlog. Write multiple posts when you've got the time or you're feeling inspired.  Keep a file of post ideas.

Have you got a favorite strategy?  Pass it along!

Ever wondered about these graphics?

Mike Poe has written an excellent post on QR codes in the Communication Tools for ANR blog.

In more fallout from the JC Penney SEO saga, The New York Times reports on actions taken by Google on Thursday to change it's algorithm, an action seen as directed at content farms.

Fascinating article in the New York Times about JC Penney's efforts to maximize SEO during the recent holiday season, and how their "black hat" tactics have resulted in punitive measures from Google.

Yesterday, Facebook announced changes to how "pages" look and work.

Generally when Facebook announces it is changing how things work — whether layout, privacy or other functions — users are reminded how much control Facebook actually has over the content they are providing. And usually, that reminder is met with grumbles.

But the changes to Facebook pages announced yesterday, so far seem to be met with open arms by many users.

If you already have a Facebook page: When you login to your Facebook page, you'll see the option to preview the changes. The preview includes a tour — and at the end, you are offered the ability to "switch back." You can play with your options for now, but Facebook will automatically switch your page on March 10, if you haven't already.

If you don't already have a Facebook page: Some businesses and organizations use a personal account on Facebook, instead of a page, because they prefered how the personal profile worked. Some of yesterday's changes address the most common complaints about how pages work.

One of the most important changes allows page administrators to "Use Facebook as Page."

This means you, acting as your page, can now:

• comment on your page's wall and on posts from other pages that like your page
• receive notifications when fans like, comment or post to your wall
• view a news feed from the pages that your page likes

Basically, a page gets to act a little bit more like a person in Facebook when interacting with other pages.

Other changes to Facebook pages make the page's photos more prominent and change the filter options on the page's wall. Mashable has a helpful article today about "What the New Facebook Pages Mean For Users & Owners."

Now is a great time to reconsider how you use (or don't use) Facebook for your program or organization. From my perspective, it looks like these changes encourage pages to interact with each other more, to interact with their fans more and to upload more photos. How can your program make better use of Facebook's tools?

Related WCTOW post: Do I need a Facebook page?