INTRODUCTION

TO
B LOGGI NG

www.pamelaagar.com
 WELCOME
AND
INTRODUCTIONS
Head of Digital and Creative Media
Imperial College London
2 x institutional website redesigns
Revamped news channel Digital Project Manager
Student blogging The Francis Crick Institute
Web, social, video, brand, editorial strategy Digital transformation project

Managing Director Director, Pamela Agar Projects Ltd

Pickle Jar Communications St George’s, University of London
Students’ Union UCL St Paul’s Cathedral
St George’s, University of London University of Aberdeen
University of Stirling Guildhall School of Music & Drama
University of York
SOAS
WWW.PAMELAAGAR.COM
MY BLOGGING
EXPERIENCE
OUR About blogging
Definitions, characteristics and benefits 01
AGENDA Content planning
What is your blog actually for? 02
Platform practicalities
What are your options? 03
Extending your reach
How to get readers 04
Coping with challenges
Pitfalls and how to handle them 05
 PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
HOW WE’LL RUN A balance of both

TODAY’S SESSION
SHARING SLIDES
Slides, worksheets and resources
shared online

ASK QUESTIONS
Raise your hand or ask in Chat

MOVEMENT BREAK
We’ll take a break half-way through
ABOUT
YOU
Quick poll
 HOPES FOR
TODAY?

What were you hoping to achieve today?

ABOUT BLOGGING

Definitions, characteristics and

benefits.
WHAT IS A
BLOG?

A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a

discussion or informational website
published on the web consisting of discrete,
often informal diary-style text entries
(posts).

Posts are typically displayed in reverse

chronological order, so that the most recent
post appears first, at the top of the web
page.

- wikipedia
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
BLOGS AND WEBSITES

BLOG WEBSITE

ü Regularly updated ü Static

ü Interactive, community building ü One-way

ü Commentary and insight ü Transactional information or news

ü More informal ü Often formal and official

ü Easy to publish new content ü Dedicated CMS usually needed

ü Easy to do at low cost ü Quality = cost

‘Communicating your research with social media’ – Amy Mollet, Cheryl Brumley, Chris Gilson & Sierra Williams
 ANY BLOG
FAVOURITES?
Any blogs you regularly read?

What makes them successful?

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

Single-author blogging Multi-author blogging

Micro-blogging Vlogging
SINGLE-AUTHOR
BLOGGING
ü Complete editorial control ✘ Personal load for regular posting
ü Author defines tone and topic ✘ Promotion can be challenging
ü Can develop over time ✘ Can become too inward-looking
ü Build personal brand
https://drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/
http://occamstypewriter.org/scurry/
https://thechemistryofaphd.com/
https://thepoetryofscience.scienceblog.com/
https://thepoetryofscience.scienceblog.com/
MULTI-AUTHOR
BLOGGING
ü Posting load shared ✘ Harder to build personal reputation
ü Dissemination and reach extended ✘ Can lose ‘voice’ and consistency
ü Can survive longer ✘ Can become one-sided
https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior
MICRO
BLOGGING
ü Less time consuming ✘ Less opportunity to expand ideas
ü Very direct ✘ Greater regularity needed
ü On channels where audiences are
MICROBLOGGING
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/
damien_kempf/

Senior Lecturer in Medieval

History, University of
Liverpool

107,000 followers

http://www.picklejarcommunications.com/2020/02/19/how-academics-can-make-an-impact-on-instagram/
MICROBLOGGING
INSTAGRAM
“The majority of my exchanges
on social media are with non-
academics, which I find
particularly rewarding given
that my aim in posting medieval
images on Twitter and
Instagram is precisely to reach
out to people who are not
specialists and would not
otherwise encounter these
images.”
MICROBLOGGING
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/
thexraydoctor

University Hospitals of
Leicester NHS Trust
59,800 followers

“My learners come from a

variety of professional
backgrounds and
countries, often with poor
access to formal
education”
http://www.picklejarcommunications.com/2020/02/19/how-academics-can-make-an-impact-on-instagram/
MICROBLOGGING
INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/
tomrocksmaths/

University of Oxford
mathematician

3,000 followers

- Challenging
stereotypes
- Championing others

http://www.picklejarcommunications.com/2020/02/19/how-academics-can-make-an-impact-on-instagram/
VLOGGING

ü Build personal brand ✘ Time consuming

ü Less time consuming than writing? ✘ Need to consider equipment
ü YouTube – second biggest search ✘ Heavier technical load
engine
https://www.youtube.com/c/PhDandProductivity/
https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePhDiaries/
https://www.youtube.com/c/bitescized/
 WHY ARE YOU
CONSIDERING
IT?
What do you hope to achieve
through blogging?
BENEFITS
Develop your Think out loud Curate your
OF writing practice and hone your professional
BLOGGING ideas identity

Connect with Engage with the Increase exposure

your peers public and impact
 ü It gets you writing in a free way
Develop your ü You can experiment with different writing voices and styles
own writing
ü Establish writing as a routine - can draft and publish quickly
ü Build confidence
ü Can be refreshing after writing long, detailed academic
pieces
 ü Explore ideas and work through new thoughts

Think out loud ü Explore topics tangentially related to your primary research
and hone your ü Seek feedback
ideas
ü Learn to talk about one thing clearly and succinctly
ü Blog posts can evolve into conference papers or articles

“I have to start writing in order to really figure

out what I want to say. The process
of writing about a primary text that I may
have read a dozen times always reveals
something new as I try to articulate a point. So
I write and I blog in order to think!”
- https://drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/
 ü Bring together different aspects of your work

Curate your ü Enables you to take ownership of your academic

professional identity, outside the constraints of your
identity
institution
ü You have control

“It gives me a voice beyond my publications

and my university.”
- https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior/
 ü Part of a programme of dissemination and
collaboration
Connect with
your peers ü Event amplification or reporting

“Sometimes I have ideas about research or

academia for which there is no academic
venue. A blog post allows me to share that
idea immediately and learn from people’s
feedback. Sometimes people even cite them in
their research papers.”
- https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior/
 ü Connect and share your work
ü Find content that helps you find your voice for
Engage with the
public public engagement
ü Build trust and understanding of universities and
research
ü Increase relevance to society
ü Seek participation

“Academic blogging gets your work and research

out to a potentially massive audience at very,
very low cost and relative amount of effort.”
- https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences
 ü Can very quickly comment on current issues
ü Can expand reach of journal articles – blog
Increase exposure
and impact posts which summarize papers can boost
readership of those papers themselves

“You can include information in a blog post

that might not be in the paper itself. It can be
nice to reflect on the research process and
journey beyond the context of that formal
write-up.”
- https://medium.com/@cfiesler
CONTENT PLANNING
What is your blog actually for?
BEFORE YOU WRITE A
WORD…

ü What is your blog’s purpose?

ü What do you want to achieve?
ü Who is it for?
ü What do you want it to do for them?
TIPS FOR
NAMES
Bits and Behaviour
Occum’s Typewriter
ü Keep it short and memorable The Thesis Whisperer
ü Keep it simple – not too technical Beyond the Doctorate
From PhD to life
ü Do some homework – what are similar Work in progress
blogs called? Don’t copy someone else’s The PhDiaries
ü Test it out on friends/colleagues
The X-Ray Doctor

ü Your name?
 PROMPTS FOR CONTENT

REFLECTIVE ACADEMIC LIFE YOUR RESEARCH

ü Your experiences as a researcher ü Events/conferences you attend ü Your work –

ü outputs
ü Personal achievements / ü Behind the scenes details ü work in progress
ü progress updates
milestones ü Useful resources
ü Topical / news
ü What you’re reading
ü Anniversaries / special interest days
ü Things you’ve learned
 OVER TO
YOU

Activity 1
• In one sentence, outline what its focus is
• Describe who are you writing for?
• Think of a name for your blog
 OVER TO
YOU
Activity 2

Begin a content plan

• Think of next 3-4 months
• Sketch out topics for posts
• What kind of content is realistic for you?
EXAMPLE
CONTENT PLAN
Example content Key dates / activities Potential blog post ideas
June 2021 Blogging training course • Experiences training online – top tips and
lessons learned
• Summary of key points from training itself

Attending content strategy conference • Round up of session highlights

• Top 10 things I learned

July 2021 My company is 2.5 years old • Reflections on my experiences in business –

what would I tell myself 2.5 years ago
• Reflections on ideal projects / dream client
• Case studies on projects completed

August 2021 A level results • Collation of interesting content approaches for

attracting prospective students
P L AT F O R M P R A C T I C A L I T I E S
What are your options?
YOUR
OPTIONS

Single-author blogging Multi-author blogging

Micro-blogging Vlogging
PLATFORM
OPTIONS
• World’s largest blogging platform
• Let’s you have your own website for free
60% • Huge flexibility of design, plugins and themes
• Suitable for a wide range of content types
• Can purchase own domain

• For long form opinion pieces

• Story-telling
• Minimal design flexibility – good for social
sharing
• Building your content on someone else’s
brand
• In-built community of readers
• Small cost
http://blog.soton.ac.uk/
https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/createnew/
 UNDER THE
BONNET

• Let’s look at WordPress

SUPPORTING
CONTENT
About you
• About me page / short biography?
• About my research page?
• Link to websites and social channels

Curated pages
• Gather posts on a particular topic
• Share your favourite books / conferences / websites / other
bloggers

Make sure your pictures are professional

• Use free tools to crop pictures, create collages or develop
simple infographics e.g. https://www.canva.com/
• Describe graphs and figures
EXTENDING YOUR REACH
How to get readers
FIVE THINGS TO
CONSIDER

1. Provide useful and usable content

2. Write really well
3. Optimise for search
4. Actively promote your content
5. Look for opportunities
 CONSIDER YOUR CONTENT

PRODUCE USEFUL AND WRITE REALLY WELL

USABLE CONTENT
ü What does your audience need? ü Catchy headlines

ü Can you meet that need? ü Get to the point quickly

ü Adapt your tone to match your ü Use clear and simple language

audience ü Make your content scannable

ü Be honest and relatable ü Make it visual

ü Ask questions of your audience ü Proof-read, edit and be critical

 1. WRITE A CATCHY
WRITE
HEADLINE
REALLY
WELL üKeep it short and simple – easy to understand
üGrab attention – but don’t oversell
üReveal your theme – tell a story
üUse keywords
üTake your time (do it last?)
ü8–12 words
 2. GET TO THE POINT
WRITE
QUICKLY
REALLY
WELL üFirst paragraph – highlights/overview
üImagine your reader doesn’t get any further – can they get
the overall point of your post?
 3. USE CLEAR AND SIMPLE
WRITE
LANGUAGE
REALLY
WELL üKeep your sentences and paragraphs short
üAvoid buzz words, jargon and technical language
üExplain specialist terms

Find out more?

https://readabilityguidelines.co.uk/
 4. MAKE YOUR CONTENT
WRITE
SCANNABLE
REALLY
WELL üReaders scan when they read online
üOne point per paragraph
üUse sub headings, lists, links
 5. MAKE IT
WRITE
VISUAL
REALLY
WELL üImages/graphs/video can help readers relate to your writing
üBreaks up your content
üIllustrate a point
üCan be entire focus of post
üRemember to include descriptions of your images (alt-text)
 6. PROOF-READ, EDIT AND
WRITE
BE CRITICAL
REALLY
WELL üGet someone else to read it before publishing
üAsk a non-specialist if they understand it
üLess is more
 7. INCLUDE A
WRITE
CALL TO ACTION
REALLY
WELL üPose a question
üInvite a comment
üSign post a next step – sign up for an event, follow the blog,
read more information
OPTIMISE FOR
SEARCH

üWrite really well!

üLink, link, link – within your site, to external
references and to your site
üKeywords – front load title and URL with
keyword
üTagging and categorisation
ACTIVELY Encourage sign up
PROMOTE on blog itself

YOUR BLOG
ACTIVELY Encourage sign up Include a link in
PROMOTE on blog itself your email
signature / biogs
YOUR BLOG
ACTIVELY Encourage sign up Include a link in Include a link
PROMOTE on blog itself your email from your online
signature web profile / dept
YOUR BLOG website
ACTIVELY Encourage sign up Include a link in Include a link
PROMOTE on blog itself your email from your online
signature web profile / dept
YOUR BLOG website

Include a feed on
your profile /
website
ACTIVELY
PROMOTE
YOUR BLOG

Share on social
media
ACTIVELY
PROMOTE
YOUR BLOG

Look for hashtags

/ accounts to
include on social
ACTIVELY Encourage sign up Include a link in Include a link
PROMOTE on blog itself your email from your online
signature web profile / dept
YOUR BLOG website

Include a feed on Share on social Look for hashtags

your profile / media / accounts to
website include on social
LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES
ü Special interest days
• Volunteers Week
• Pride Month
• Diabetes Week
• Clean Air Day
• World Ocean Day
• Record Store Day
• International Women in Engineering Day
ü Particular events
ü News
ü Hashtags

Tell the Press Office / social media team

 OVER TO
YOU
Activity 3
Plan a draft post (or two)
• Choose a writing prompt in your content plan
• Think of a blog post title
• 3 key points you’d like to make
• Suggest a visual you could include
• Categories and keywords
COPING WITH CHALLENGES
Pitfalls and how to handle them
 OVER TO
YOU

What worries do you have about

launching a blog?
DEALING WITH
COMMENTS

ü Remember you don’t have to enable

comments
ü But if you do – always moderate them
before publishing
ü Often just SPAM
 HANDLING NEGATIVE COMMENTS

SHOULD YOU PUBLISH CONSIDER A POLICY

AND RESPOND?
✘ Illegal or offensive? ü Language and manners

✘ From a troller/rager? ü No personal attack comments

ü Is the comment factually incorrect? ü Comments must add to the

conversation

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocial
sciences/comments-policy/
DEALING WITH
WRITERS’ BLOCK
1. Use a content plan so you know what to
focus on next
2. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
3. Try a different approach
• A picture post?
• Share someone else’s post?
• Something you’ve read this week
4. Do something else and try again later
5. Remember – it doesn’t have to be perfect
TO CLOSE
Top tips and further reading
TOP 10
TIPS
1. Make it work for you - don’t feel
pressured into it
2. Take time to develop your own voice
3. Take it seriously - stay professional
4. Consider a content plan
5. Look for content opportunities
6. Take care over your writing - clear,
focused, structured
7. Think about your audience
8. Link link link
9. Promote it proactively
10. Moderate comments
FURTHER
READING

www.pamelaagar.com/scdtp-blogging
[password: scdtp]
www.pamelaagar.com | @pamelaagar