Now that spring quarter at the University of Oregon has come to a close, I want to share with you a term-long project my students worked on: their blogs. For most of them, this was the first time they blogged at all, so I was especially impressed with the quality of their work.
I gave them some latitude to discuss passion projects of theirs in their blogs, so you will find topics ranging from sustainability to travel to the Kardashians!
Rather than just sharing with you a bullet point list of hyperlinked blogs, I thought you’d enjoy reading some of my favorite posts of theirs. Each blog has at least ten posts, so please take some time to scroll and click through their work.
They did a nice job of asking thought-provoking questions at the end of each of their blog posts. So if you have a few moments, it would be WONDERFUL if you’d comment on some of their posts.
If you’re a PR professor who has students blogging, what are your thoughts on ending posts with “thought-provoking questions,” those designed to promote interactivity with readers?
Image Credit: Image created by Barbara Nixon using Adobe Firefly.
In the context of blogging, categories and tags are organizational tools used to structure and classify blog content. They serve different purposes and play important roles in enhancing user experience and optimizing blog navigation.
Here’s a breakdown of what they are and why they are important:
Blog Categories
Blog categories are broad topics or themes that group together related content. They provide a high-level organization and help readers easily locate and browse specific topics of interest. For example, a travel blog may have categories like “Destinations,” “Travel Tips,” “Budget Travel,” and “Adventure Activities.” Categories are usually displayed on a blog’s main menu or sidebar, allowing visitors to explore content based on their preferences.
Importance of Categories
User-Friendly Navigation: Categories offer a structured hierarchy, making it easier for visitors to find content relevant to their interests. They save time and effort by narrowing down the scope of information.
Enhanced User Experience: Proper categorization enhances user experience by presenting information in a logical and intuitive manner. Visitors can quickly identify and access the content they desire, increasing engagement and satisfaction.
SEO Benefits: Categories can contribute to search engine optimization (SEO) efforts by providing clear topical signals to search engines. Well-organized categories with relevant keywords can improve the discoverability and visibility of a blog’s content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Blog Tags
Blog tags are specific keywords or phrases assigned to individual blog posts to describe their content in more detail. Unlike categories, tags are more granular and focus on specific aspects or topics within a post. For instance, a blog post about “10 Essential Packing Tips for Backpacking” may have tags like “packing tips,” “backpacking,” “travel essentials,” and “travel gear.”
Importance of Tags
Content Organization: Tags allow for precise content labeling and enable visitors to explore related posts across different categories. Clicking on a tag filters the blog to display all posts associated with that particular tag, creating connections between similar content pieces.
Content Discovery: Tags facilitate content discovery by offering alternative paths to related posts beyond the main categories. Visitors interested in a specific topic can click on a relevant tag to find additional posts on the same subject matter.
SEO Benefits: Similar to categories, tags can contribute to SEO efforts by adding relevant keywords to individual posts. They help search engines understand the context and topic of the content, potentially improving its visibility in search results.
Both categories and tags contribute to a well-organized and user-friendly blog structure. They improve navigation, enhance user experience, and assist in content discovery, ultimately leading to higher reader engagement and improved search engine visibility.
When you see a blog with posts that show as “Uncategorized,” what is your reaction? When I see “Uncategorized,” my first reaction is “Junk Drawer.”
Image Credit: Image created by Barbara Nixon using Adobe Firefly.
Disclaimer: This blog post was generated with the assistance of an AI language model, ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI. While the content was composed by ChatGPT, it is important to note that the ideas and information provided are based on its training on a diverse range of data. The post was reviewed and edited by Barbara Nixon for clarity and coherence.
As I was about to write a blog post from scratch for my college public relations students on how to come up with ideas for topics for their blogs, I thought to myself, “Self, is there a quicker way to get started than staring at my monitor?” After a moment or two of staring at my computer monitor, Self said to me, “why not try generative AI?”
ChatGPT
In ChatGPT, I provided the prompt “Helpful Tips To Come Up With Topic Ideas For Blog Posts,” and here’s what it generated:
Consider your audience: Think about who you’re writing for and what topics would interest them. What are their needs, pain points, and questions? What are they passionate about?
Research keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify popular and relevant keywords in your niche. Look for long-tail keywords that are specific and have low competition.
Look for inspiration in your daily life: Pay attention to your experiences, conversations, and observations. What topics have come up in your recent conversations with friends and family? What problems have you encountered and solved recently?
Explore social media: Check out popular hashtags in your niche on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Look for trending topics, discussions, and questions people are asking. Join relevant Facebook groups and follow industry leaders on LinkedIn to get more insights and ideas.
Analyze your competitors: Take a look at what your competitors are writing about. Identify gaps in their content and come up with unique angles to cover the same topics. Don’t copy their ideas but use them as a source of inspiration.
Use brainstorming techniques: Write down as many topic ideas as possible without editing or judging them. Use mind maps, lists, or random word generators to spark your creativity.
Repurpose your old content: Look at your previous blog posts and see if you can update or expand on them. Turn a blog post into a video, podcast, or infographic. Use feedback from your readers to come up with new ideas for your content.
Remember, the key is to be creative, relevant, and engaging. Keep your audience in mind, use data-driven insights, and have fun with your content.
Bard
Then in Bard, I asked provided a similar prompt: “5 unique ways to generate blog post topics.”
Here are five unique ways to generate blog post topics:
Write about your own experiences. What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? What have you experienced that you think others would find interesting? Sharing your own stories and experiences is a great way to connect with your readers and make your blog more personal.
Interview experts. If you’re writing about a topic that you don’t have a lot of personal experience with, consider interviewing an expert on the subject. This can be a great way to get new insights and perspectives, and it can also help you build relationships with other people in your industry.
Write about current events. If you want to keep your blog fresh and relevant, write about current events that are related to your niche. This is a great way to stay top-of-mind with your readers and show them that you’re up-to-date on the latest trends.
Write about controversial topics. If you want to generate some buzz around your blog, write about controversial topics. This can be a great way to get people talking and sharing your content. Just be sure to do your research and present both sides of the argument fairly.
Write about things that make you laugh. If you want to lighten the mood and make your readers smile, write about things that make you laugh. This can be a great way to connect with your readers on a personal level and make your blog more memorable.
So . . .
You may be wondering if it’s ethical to use generative AI to help you come up with ideas for posts. Yes, it’s perfectly fine for inspiration for posts — however, your posts in your blog need to be written by YOU, not AI. Your readers will appreciate it, I promise you.
Image Credit: "Why Aren't You Blogging?" by Mike Licht
Students in mySocial Media for PR & Journalism class at Southeastern University have started adding content to their blogs for the semester. Please take a look and see what they’re up to. And drop a comment or two! They’d love to hear from you.
Image Credit: "Keep up and blog on" by Alexander Baxevanis
Students in my Writing for PR and Advertising class at Southeastern University have started adding content to their blogs for the semester. Please take a look and see what they’re up to. And drop a comment or two! They’d love to hear from you.
Image Credit: "Scania R500 Wrecker" by RiceCracker
In our PR Writing class, we’ll all blog about the same topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longer should be posted by Sunday at midnight at the end of each week, unless otherwise notified in class. (Posts that appear past the deadline may not earn any credit, so be sure to stay on top of your blogging deadlines.)
Be sure to check to see if you receive any comments on your posts, and respond to your commenters as appropriate.
If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:
What did you learn?
What surprised you?
What do you want to know more about?
WEEK ONE
Which types of social media do you currently participate in (such as blogging, podcasting, social networking, etc.), which platforms you use, and why/what for? [NOTE: Since you are creating your blog after after Week One, you will go back and add this post in.]
WEEK TWO
Why are comments such an integral part of blogs? What advice would you offer on writing effective blog comments? Be sure to link to at least three sources.
WEEK THREE
Visit Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl’s website. Either read three of her blog posts or listen to three of her podcasts on areas of grammar that are troublesome to you. Write about what you learned (using the three-pronged approach above.) Remember to link back to Grammar Girl’s site.
WEEK FOUR
What is Associated Press Style and why is it so important for public relations writers? Also, what are some of the trickier parts of using AP Style for you?
WEEK FIVE
Imagine you are working in public relations for an organization, and you discover that someone has scraped/copied content from your organization’s blog. What approach would you take to remedy this situation?
WEEK SIX
In our class, we use News University courses from Poynter quite frequently. But NewsU is not all that the Poynter Institute has to offer public relations practitioners and journalists. How can Poynter’s resources aid you as you begin your career? Describe and link to at least three beneficial areas in the Poynter website.
WEEK SEVEN
Participate in a public relations or social media Twitter chat. Petya Georgieva provides a list of 13 possibilities at her Higher & Higher blog. (I highly recommend #PRStudChat, but you are free to chose from any of the 13 options.) Before you participate in the chat, be sure to read Shonali Burke’s tips for how to make the most of a Twitter chat. After the chat, briefly describe the purpose and intended audience of your chosen chat. React to your own participation in the chat using the three-pronged approach (discussed earlier in this blog post).
WEEK EIGHT
Using the three-pronged approach described above, describe your reactions to one of the News University courses you have completed. Remember to include a hyperlink to the course, too.
WEEK NINE
This week’s topic was inspired by Adam Vincenzini’s Be My Guest month: post something by a guest blogger. Connect with another blogger (it can, but doesn’t have to, be someone in your class) and exchange blog posts for the week. (You don’t have to write something new for the other blogger . . . share your favorite post you’ve written this semester.) In your own blog, make it really clear that the post is written by another person, and link to your guest’s blog.
WEEK TEN
Peter Shankman started a service called HARO: Help A Reporter Out. Briefly describe (and link) to this service. As a PR practitioner, how can you and your client(s) benefit from HARO?
WEEK ELEVEN
Address several of the following questions about infographics. What are they? How could one be useful in a story for your client? How do you go about creating one? Create one if you can, and embed it in your blog post this week.
When individuals are asked to be guest speakers, they often must provide their own introductions, written so that someone else can introduce them to the audience. So how do you write an engaging introduction? (TIP: Lisa B. Marshall, The Public Speaker, may have some advice for you on her website.)
WEEK 14
What advice would you offer PR students who are new to blogging? Come up with your own Top 10 list.
Public relations practitioners are increasingly called upon to be well-versed in social media. This semester, you will blog as about one-third of your grade in our class. You will add content to your blog weekly throughout the semester. Feel free to continue to use an existing blog of yours, unless you feel compelled to start fresh with a new blog for this course.
My WordPress 101 post will help you get started with your blog.
To make it easier for your readers to find what they are seeking at your blog, it’s important to use Categories. Please add a category for each type (listed below), and make sure each post is categorized appropriately. Each post for this class must have the category of “COMM 4333” along with at least one additional category.
1. TOW: Topic of the Week – Each week this semester, we will have a specific topic that all students will blog about. You should have at least 13 of these before the end of the semester. At times, you will watch a video, listen to a podcast, or read a specific blog post, and provide your thoughtful reactions. These posts must be a minimum of 300 words. We’ll keep our running list of TOWs for your class here at my blog.
2. PR Connections – Provide commentary, reflections and opinions about PR issues/examples that were not addressed in class. These can be responses to other PR blogs you read, links to interesting posts or articles, embedded YouTube videos, etc. Some students like to choose a theme (such as entertainment or sports PR) and have each PR Connection be related to the theme. Though these don’t have a minimum word length, you will need to adequately discuss your subject in the post, rather than simply embedding a video with no commentary of your own. You should write at least 10 of these during the semester.
3. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to a blog post (that you have created for this purpose) that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. Do this only for PR-related blogs. You should have a minimum of 12 comments by your Blog Checkpoint #2 and at least 20 (total) before the end of the semester. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information.
You may add other categories and sub-categories of your choice. Please keep in mind that when I evaluate your blog I will pay special attention to the categories listed above, but I will not ignore other posts. I will perform a holistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:
frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two graded blog checkpoints during the semester. (See your syllabus for the specific Blog Checkpoint dates.)
linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Diigo bookmarks as starting points) and link to them. Respond to others’ posts. Become a part of the blogosphere. Blogging should not be lonely.
readability: brief & concise writing style, use of white space, bold characters, images, bullet points
proper credit and use of images in all Topics of the Week and PR Connections. (Use Compfight to find your images; be sure they are licensed for Creative Commons use. I’ll show you how to do this in class.)
SUPER-IMPORTANT: In order for you to get credit for your blog, I need to know where it is. Tell me your blog address by completing this Google Form; I will provide time in class during Week 3 for you to do this.
Questions? Just let me know.
NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class; Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.
Image Credit: "Historic Route 101" by Leo Reynolds
Students in most of my classes have blogging as a component of their grades. Many of them have rarely even read blogs, no less written one of their own. In this post, I am combining many posts I’ve previously written to help them get started in WordPress.
1
Review the slides in my “Getting Started in WordPress” presentation below. In this presentation, you’ll learn
Blogging Do’s & No-No’s
Signing Up for Your WordPress Account
Setting Up Your Account
Writing Posts & Pages
How to Display Your Blog Comments (that you write on others’ blogs)
Watch some of the many FAQ screencasts provided by WordPress to help you with the step-by-step instructions. (Though some of the videos are for previous versions of WordPress, most of the functionality remains the same.) Here are a few of the best ones to help you get started on the right foot:
3-5-3 :: Blog Feedback for #PRCA2330 and #PRCA3330 (written for my students this past summer; the links in the post may take you to pages I wrote for other classes, but the content of the post is valuable)
4
And though you may have a good handle on the technical aspects of blogging, remember that the technical side is only part of the blogging equation. Corinne Weisgerber, a professor at St. Edward’s University and fellow PROpenMic member, created this presentation for her Social Media for PR class. The emphasis? How blogging can help you create your personal brand online. Take a look. It’s worth the time.
In COMM 4633 (Social Media for PR), we’ll all blog about the same topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs should be posted by Sunday midnight at the end of each week.
Some weeks have more than one topic listed; choose one of the available topics on those weeks.
If you have a topic to suggest, please add it as a comment to this blog post.
If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:
What did you learn?
What surprised you?
What do you want to know more about?
WEEK ONE
Which types of social media you currently participate in (such as blogging, podcasting, social networking, etc.), which platforms you use, and why? Which platforms have you considered, but haven’t yet tried?
WEEK TWO
Why is it important to include images in blog posts? What are some approaches to choosing effective images and ensuring that you have the right to use them in a post?
WEEK THREE
Is social media monitoring ethical? Provide commentary and discussion on both sides of the issue, and offer your personal viewpoint.
WEEK FOUR
Write a post related to your assigned chapter in Groundswell. Provide links to several of the examples mentioned in your chapter, or to new sites that relate to the chapter. See if you can find a YouTube video or SlideShare presentation and embed it in your post. (Remember to link to the book, either at Amazon.com or at the publisher’s website/blog.)
WEEK FIVE
Which Super Bowl ad was either your favorite OR least favorite? Embed the ad in your blog. And in your discussion of the ad, be sure to discuss the publics that were targeted in the ad. (Be sure your readers can tell if you liked or disliked the ad.)
OR
Adam Vincenzini asked on Twitter and on his blog for people to share their definitions of “social media” with him, in 140 characters or fewer. Read through the list of definitions that were shared with Adam. Pick a few that resonate with you and discuss why these definitions “work” for you. Develop your OWN 140-character definition of social media. Tweet your definition, and embed the tweet in your blog.
WEEK SIX
“Social Media: Friend or Foe?” :: Listen to Shel Holtz, Mark Ragan and others discuss “concerns and objections around the adoption of social media communication channel.” React to it using the three-pronged approach, discussed earlier in this blog post. (NOTE: Mark Ragan is playing the role of an executive who is unsure if social media is right for his organization.)
WEEK SEVEN
Participate in a public relations or social media Twitter chat. Petya Georgieva provides a list of 13 possibilities at her Higher & Higher blog. (I highly recommend #PRStudChat, which meets on January 18 and February 15, but you are free to chose from any of the 13 options.) Before you participate in the chat, be sure to read Shonali Burke’s tips for how to make the most of a Twitter chat. After the chat, briefly describe the purpose and intended audience of your chosen chat. React to your own participation in the chat using the three-pronged approach (discussed earlier in this blog post).
WEEK EIGHT
Since our focus for this week is podcasting, write this week’s TOW on something related to podcasting. Potential areas for discussion include: what would drive an organization to choose a podcast as a way of connecting with its internal or external publics, the importance of shownotes, technology you can use for podcasting or how PR majors can benefit from listening to PR podcasts.
WEEK NINE
This week’s topic was inspired by Adam Vincenzini’s Be My Guest month: post something by a guest blogger. Connect with another blogger (it can, but doesn’t have to, be someone in your class) and exchange blog posts for the week. (You don’t have to write something new . . . share your favorite post you’ve written this semester.) In your own blog, make it really clear that the post is written by another person, and link to your guest’s blog.
WEEK TEN
What is this Foursquare thing that we keep seeing in our Twitterstreams? How can companies benefit from it? And what are some of the potential dangers of using Foursquare (and other location-based services) for individual participants?
OR
Pinterest has taken the Internet by storm in the past few months. What is it, and how can (some) companies or organizations benefit from using Pinterest?
WEEK ELEVEN
Set up an account at Diigo, a social bookmarking site. Create social bookmarks to at least 20 sites; these could include classmates’ blogs, PR blogs, your university, your favorite musical artist or actor, etc. In your Topic of the Week, share a link to your Diigo account. Discuss how college students (especially those working in groups) could benefit from social bookmarks. Be sure to include a link to your Diigo bookmarks in your blog post. Optional: how could an association, like the Florida Public Relations Association or the International Listening Association, use social bookmarks to benefit its members?
WEEK 12
One of this week’s readings concerned widgets and badges. After briefly describing the difference between a widget and a badge, offer suggestions on how one specific organization you are a part of (or wish to become a part of) could benefit from using widgets or badges.
WEEK 13
Just what is it that makes a simple little video like “David After Dentist” become a Viral Video? Also, embed at least two of your favorite videos that went viral and explain why you chose them.
WEEK 14
Of all the professional and peer blogs you read (and commented on) this semester, which ones are your favorites? Pick at least one from each category (professional and peer), and explain why you chose them.
