Communications Plan: Blog-Focused Strategy for “Stories Through the Lens”
Introduction
To support the success of Stories Through the Lens, a photo exhibit about Little Burgundy’s community life and history, the Little Burgundy Heritage Collective will launch a blog campaign. This blog will be hosted on the Collective’s official website and will serve as a way to build a stronger connection with the public, especially with past and present residents, teachers, students, artists, and supporters of local Black history and culture. The blog will focus on real stories, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from the exhibit, helping people feel more connected to the project.
The goal is to create content that is honest, relatable, and easy to understand. Through this blog, we hope to highlight the values behind the exhibit—community, memory, and resilience—while also encouraging conversation and reflection about Little Burgundy’s legacy and future.
Relevant Spokespeople and Content Ideas
To make the blog personal and engaging, there will be feature a mix of voices, including:
• Elisa Gauthier, the community coordinator and exhibit organizer.
• Jean Paul King, a retired teacher and lifelong resident of Little Burgundy.
• Maya Antoine, a young local photographer and volunteer.
• Amira Jones, a representative from the Montreal Black History Association.
• Students from a nearby high school who are visiting the exhibit as part of their social studies class.
Here are five blog post ideas that align with the goals of the exhibit and the mission of the Little Burgundy Heritage Collective:
1. “Why Little Burgundy Matters: A Look at Our Exhibit’s Roots”
• A personal blog post from Elisa Gauthier explaining why the exhibit was created and how the community helped shape it.
2. “Back Then and Now: A Local Teacher’s Memories of Little Burgundy”
• An interview with Jean Paul King, who talks about growing up in the neighborhood and what he hopes young people learn from the exhibit.
3. “Through My Eyes: A Young Photographer Reflects on Little Burgundy”
• A blog by Maya Antoine sharing her experience taking photos for the exhibit and why telling stories through pictures is powerful.
4. “5 Things You Might Not Know About Little Burgundy”
• A fun and educational list-style post featuring interesting facts about the area’s history, especially its role in Montreal’s Black heritage.
5. “How Students Are Learning from the Past”
• A collection of short quotes and reflections from visiting high school students on what the exhibit taught them about their city and community involvement.
Content Calendar
All five blog posts will be published weekly on the Collective’s website starting one week before the exhibit opens. Posts will go live every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., which was chosen because it allows time for the posts to be shared throughout the day by community partners, teachers, and media.
• April 29, 2025 – “Why Little Burgundy Matters: A Look at Our Exhibit’s Roots”
• May 6, 2025 – “Back Then and Now: A Local Teacher’s Memories of Little Burgundy”
• May 13, 2025 – “Through My Eyes: A Young Photographer Reflects on Little Burgundy”
• May 20, 2025 – “5 Things You Might Not Know About Little Burgundy”
• May 27, 2025 – “How Students Are Learning from the Past”
This schedule supports the overall campaign by keeping the public engaged throughout the exhibit’s run, encouraging repeat visits, and inviting readers to share their own stories.
Audience Feedback and Engagement
To keep the blog interactive and community-centered, we will:
• Enable blog comments so readers can share their thoughts and ask questions.
• Add a short feedback form after each post asking what readers liked or what they’d like to learn more about.
• Track blog analytics such as page views, shares, and reading time using free tools like Google Analytics.
• Run small polls on Instagram to ask simple questions like “Which story moved you the most?”
This feedback will help us understand what topics people care about most. For example, if one post gets lots of comments or shares, we can follow up with a related blog later. It will also help us shape future storytelling projects by showing what kinds of stories spark interest and emotion.
Justification: Why This Blog Strategy Matters
A blog is more than just a promotional tool—it’s a way to have a conversation with the community. The Little Burgundy Heritage Collective values openness, inclusion, and storytelling, and a blog lets us live out those values online. It also builds trust because it shows who we are behind the scenes. Readers get to see real people, read real memories, and learn how the exhibit came together with love and care.
Using a blog lets us give a voice to different generations—from elders who remember the past to youth who are shaping the future. This kind of intergenerational storytelling brings people together and shows that the work of preserving Little Burgundy’s history is still alive.
Transparency also plays a big role in building trust. By sharing how the photos were chosen, who was involved, and what feedback we’re hearing, we show that this is a community-driven project, not just a museum display.
Finally, the blog helps build a positive public image for the Collective. It shows we care about education, inclusion, and collaboration. It invites media outlets, schools, and local leaders to take us seriously as a source of cultural knowledge and community insight.
