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10 Tips for Polishing Up Your Blogs, Fall 2010 Edition

Alternative Furniture Polish
Image Credit: "Alternative Furniture Polish" by Annie B. Bond

As I started reviewing blogs for my Fall 2010 classes, a few things came to mind. Rather than just sharing them with individual students, I’ve chosen to write this post, so even more new bloggers can learn from these tips.

NOTE: Many of these tips apply to blogs in general, not just to blogs for my PR classes.

  1. Every post needs to be categorized. If you have had me for a course before, or if you have me for more than one course this semester, please rename your Fall 2010 blog categories to append your course name. For example, instead of “Reading Notes,” edit the category name to “Reading Notes COMM 4333.” For directions on how to rename your categories, see WordPress Support on Category Management.
  2. If your blog post titles are generic, edit your posts and change the titles to make them more descriptive. For example, instead of “TOW #2,” title the post with the actual topic you are discussing. Better titles will make your blog more reader-friendly. For directions on how to retitle your blog posts, see WordPress Support on Post Title and URL.
  3. Review the directions for Tracking Your Blog Comments. There should be just ONE post, and you will keep editing & adding to this post as the semester progresses. (Once you are done with this class, you’ll have no need to continue tracking your comments — this is simply to make it easier for your professor to read the comments you have written without lots of clicks.)
  4. Create a descriptive or interesting site title for your blog, different from the default of “Username’s Blog.” For directions, see WordPress Support on Settings >> General Settings.
  5. Remember the old commercial where we were admonished “never let them see you sweat”? The same goes for website addresses, or URLs. Never let your readers see a URL. Simply hyperlink from the relevant words in your post. And it’s best if your hyperlink opens a new window, so that your blog will remain open in the browser. For directions, see WordPress Support on Links.
  6. Make sure that your posts are thorough and “long enough.” Topics of the Week need to be a minimum of 300 words, and Blog Comments need to be 100 words each. Use your discretion on the PR Connections and Reading Notes. See Blogging Guidelines for more details.
  7. Always (ALWAYS) provide a citation of some kind when you are using content from another source. Not doing so is plagiarism, plain and simple. If the source is available online, hyperlink to it.
  8. Buddy up with another student blogger — either at your own university or at another — and proofread each other’s posts. Typos are never acceptable.
  9. Beef up your About page to provide your readers with a robust and professional profile of you, so they can know more about who you are. (Use common sense, though. No need to include e-mail, cell phone, residence address, etc.)
  10. To be sure your blog is easily readable by readers “of a certain age,” ask a professor from another class or another person over 35 to quickly review your blog. Some of the free WordPress themes are really difficult to read, especially the following:
  • Motion (pixellated white text on medium blue background)
  • ChaoticSoul (tiny white text on dark background)
  • Sweet Blossoms (extremely narrow column of text)

    • So, those are 10 of my tips as we start our Fall Semester. What other tips would you offer?

    Posted on

    Blogging Guidelines for COMM 4363

    Image Credit: "WordPress Schwag" by Peregrino Will Reign

    This post explains the types of content I expect you to write about in your blog for COMM 4363: Corporate Public Relations. (For information on how to start your blog, see Getting Started with WordPress.) This blog counts as a quarter of of your grade in the class, and it does require frequent “care and feeding.” Use your Blog Editorial Calendar, available in BlackBoard, to help keep you on track for which posts are due when.

    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 4363 along with at least one additional category. (If you do not categorize your posts with the name of the class, it will be much more difficult for me to find them, and you cannot earn full credit.)

    1. Reading Notes – Create brief notes or key ideas from the reading assigned for that week’s class. Jot down 3-5 ideas that you believe are the most important & wish to remember. Be very brief, but write enough so someone who can’t read your mind understands what you mean and I am convinced that you actually did the readings. Remember to cite your source(s) when you paraphrase or quote materials from the readings; use a hyperlink to the book (either at the publisher’s site or at a bookseller like Amazon.com). Though these weekly assignments are due Saturday at 11:59pm, many students prefer to do their Reading Notes before they take their weekly RATS (Readiness Assessment Tests), which are due on Mondays.

    2. Topic of the Week – You will have a specific topic related to public relations writing to write about. You will have about 15 of these before the end of the semester. See our TOW list for your class. Along with the Reading Notes, the Topics of the Week are due Saturdays by 11:59pm.

    3. PR Connections – 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. Ragan’s PR Daily is a great place to go for inspiration for PR Connections posts. You will write at least ten of these during the semester.

    4. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. You will need 25 comments during summer semester. Do this only for PR-related blogs. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information, including specifics on the formatting.

    5. Personal – optional category. Use it for any posts not related to public relations.

    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 wholistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

    • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
    • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two blog checkpoints during the semester.
    • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Delicious 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

    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; do this no later than the end Week Two of class.

    Questions? Just let me know.

    barbara_is_listening

    NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

    Posted on

    Topics of the Week for COMM 4363

    Need A Tow ? by XOZ.

    In our Corporate PR class at Southeastern University, we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longer are due (should be posted on your own blog) by Saturday at midnight at the end of each week.

    Every time you refer to a website or another blog, be sure to hyperlink to the post. And consider inserting graphics or videos to add visual interest for your readers.

    WEEK ONE

    • Describe which types of social media you currently participate in (such as blogging, podcasting, social networking, etc.), which platforms you use, and why. [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? [NOTE: Since you are creating your blog after after Week Two, you will go back and add this post in.]

    WEEK THREE

    • Which Fortune 500 or Inc. 500 company have you chosen for your Final Project for this class? Why? Be sure to provide hyperlinks to the company’s website, blog, and other places it can be found online in your post.

    WEEK FOUR

    • “Social Media: Friend or Foe?” :: Listen to Shel Holtz, Mark Ragan and others discuss “concerns and objections around the adoption of social media communication channels.” Discuss the key objections a CEO might have to social media and how these objections might be overcome, based on what you learn in the podcast.

    WEEK FIVE

    • One Week of Twitter [Note: You will do the One Week of Twitter assignment during Week Four, and then write about it before the end of Week Five.]

    WEEK SIX

    • Provide a recap of your Interview with a Corporate Public Relations practitioner.

    WEEK SEVEN

    • Read at least a dozen posts at a public relations blog. Briefly review the blog and explain how public relations students or new practitioners can benefit from reading blogs. (Remember to link to the blog.)

    WEEK EIGHT

    WEEK NINE

    • Crisis Communication (Specific topic TBA)

    WEEK TEN

    • Corporate Responsibility (Specific topic TBA)

    WEEK ELEVEN

    • Public relations practitioners should become accomplished public speakers. Create a Top Ten list of presentation skills tips. You should include at least a few tips that are specific to using PowerPoint or other types of slide shows.

    WEEK 12

    • In WordPress, go into your Dashboard and take a look at your stats. What kinds of things does the Site Stats page tell you? How would PR practitioners benefit for monitoring their own or their company’s blog?

    WEEK 13

    • 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 14

    • [Optional] Embed a YouTube video into your blog and explain why you chose this specific video.

    WEEK 15

    • What are the top 10 things you learned about corporate public relations this semester? (Be sure to provide some commentary about each item on your list.) NOTE: This post is due before midnight on Thursday, rather than Saturday.


    Posted on

    Blogging Guidelines for COMM 2322

    Image Credit: "WordPress Schwag" by Peregrino Will Reign

    This post explains the types of content I expect you to write about in your blog for COMM 2322: Public Relations Applications. (For information on how to start your blog, see Getting Started with WordPress.) This blog counts as about a third of your grade in the class, and it does require frequent “care and feeding.” Use your Blog Editorial Calendar, available in BlackBoard, to help keep you on track for which posts are due when.

    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 2322 along with at least one additional category. (If you do not categorize your posts with the name of the class, it will be much more difficult for me to find them, and you cannot earn full credit.)

    1. Reading Notes – Create brief notes or key ideas from the reading assigned for that week’s class. Jot down 3-5 ideas that you believe are the most important & wish to remember. Be very brief, but write enough so someone who can’t read your mind understands what you mean and I am convinced that you actually did the readings. Remember to cite your source(s) when you paraphrase or quote materials from the readings; use a hyperlink to the book (either at the publisher’s site or at a bookseller like Amazon.com). Though these weekly assignments are due Saturday at 11:59pm, many students prefer to do their Reading Notes before they take their weekly RATS (Readiness Assessment Tests), which are due on Mondays.

    2. Topic of the Week – You will have a specific topic related to public relations writing to write about. You will have about 15 of these before the end of the semester. See our TOW list for your class. Along with the Reading Notes, the Topics of the Week are due Saturdays by 11:59pm.

    3. PR Connections – 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. Ragan’s PR Daily is a great place to go for inspiration for PR Connections posts. You will write at least ten of these during the semester.

    4. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. You will need 25 comments during the  semester. Do this only for PR-related blogs. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information, including specifics on the formatting.

    5. Personal – optional category. Use it for any posts not related to public relations.

    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 wholistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

    • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
    • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two blog checkpoints during the semester.
    • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Delicious 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

    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; do this no later than the end Week Three of class.

    Questions? Just let me know.

    barbara_is_listening

    NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

    Posted on

    WordPress 101 :: Getting Started With Your Blog

    Image Credit: "?" by Sublime Dharma

    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)
    Getting Started in WordPress

    2

    Watch some of the many FAQ screencasts provided by WordPress to help you with the step-by-step instructions. Here are a few of the best ones to help you get started on the right foot:

    3

    Read the blogging tips I’ve provided in various posts here at Public Relations Matters.

    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.

    Blogging & Managing your Personal Brand

    View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: commenting identity)

    5

    Remember to let me know your blog address by completing this Google Form. If I can’t find your blog, I can’t grade it. Hint, hint.

    Posted on

    Topics of the Week :: COMM 2322

    In our PR Applications classes (COMM 2322 at Southeastern University), we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or more should be posted by Saturday at midnight at the end of each week.

    If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:

    1. What did you learn?
    2. What surprised you?
    3. What do you want to know more about?

    WEEK ONE

    • Using the three-pronged approach (above), what are your reactions to the NewsU Course you took on Understanding Media: Processes and Principles? (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

    WEEK TWO

    • What is a “public”? Which publics are you a member of? How did you choose to become a member of those publics? (Choose and discuss at least three.) (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

    WEEK THREE

    • Why are comments such an integral part of blogs? What advice would you offer on writing effective blog comments?

    WEEK FOUR

    • If you could work in an era of PR history (from a time before you were born), which one would it be? What interests you most about this era and why?

    WEEK FIVE

    • Based on what you read in Chapter 4 of your Public Relations Strategies & Tactics book, do you think it’s more beneficial for a new PR practitioner to begin his/her career in a PR department or in a PR firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? (NOTE: It is acceptable for you to write this TOW and post it during Week Six, after we discuss departments and firms.)

    WEEK SIX

    • One Week of Twitter (NOTE: You will do your One Week of Twitter experience mostly during Week Five, then write about it during Week Six.)

    WEEK SEVEN

    • What advice would you offer to a student who is working on a resume or preparing for a job interview? Be sure to share links to three or more sites / blog posts that would be helpful for a PR student.

    WEEK EIGHT

    WEEK NINE

    • Complete another NewsU course of your choice that you think would be beneficial for a public relations practitioner. What are your reactions to this course? Would you recommend it to other Journalism/PR students at Southeastern University? Why or why not? (Remember to name and link to the specific course you took. Also, submit your Course Report for the course.)

    WEEK TEN

    OR

    WEEK ELEVEN

    WEEK 12

    WEEK 13

    • Public relations practitioners often use news releases to get their clients into the news. Provide 10 tips for writing an effective news release. (Be sure to link to at least two sources for your information.)
    Posted on

    Blogging Guidelines :: #PRCA3330 and #COMM4333, Fall 2010

    “You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.” Doris Lessing

    In addition to traditional writing assignments (news releases, feature stories, etc.) in our PR Writing course, all students in my PRCA 3330 classes at Georgia Southern University and COMM 4333 class at Southeastern University will also create and maintain a blog as part of the course. This post explains the types of content I expect you to write about in your blog for PRCA 3330 or COMM 4333. (For information on how to start your blog, see Getting Started with WordPress.)

    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 “PRCA 3330” or “COMM 4333” along with at least one additional category. (If you do not categorize your posts with the name of the class, it will be much more difficult for me to find them, and you cannot earn full credit.)

    1. Reading notes – brief notes or key ideas from the reading assigned for that week’s class. Jot down 3-5 ideas that you believe are the most important & wish to remember. Be very brief, but write enough so someone who can’t read your mind understands what you mean and I am convinced that you actually did the readings. Remember to cite your source(s) when you paraphrase or quote materials from the readings; use a hyperlink to the book (either at the publisher’s site or at a bookseller like Amazon.com). Though these weekly assignments are due Saturday at 11:59pm, many students prefer to do their Reading Notes before they take their weekly RATS (Readiness Assessment Tests).

    2. Topic of the Week – Starting the second week of class, you will have a specific topic related to public relations writing to write about. You will have about 15 of these before the end of the semester. See our TOW list for your class.

    3. PR Connections – 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. You will write at least ten of these during the semester.

    4. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. You will need 25 comments during fall semester. Do this only for PR-related blogs. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information, including specifics on the formatting.

    5. Personal – optional category. Use it for any posts not related to public relations.

    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 wholistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

    • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
    • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two blog checkpoints during the semester.
    • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Delicious 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

    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; do this no later than the end of August.

    Questions? Just let me know.

    barbara_is_listening

    NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

    Posted on

    Topics of the Week for #PRCA3330 and #COMM4333

    or99m1946a Antique Tow Truck, Oregon 2000 by CanadaGood.
    "Antique Tow Truck, Oregon 2000" by CanadaGood

    Fall 2010

    In our PR Writing classes (PRCA 3330 at Georgia Southern University and COMM 4333 at Southeastern University), we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longer are due (should be posted on your own blog) by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. at the end of each week.

    If a week has more than one topic listed, choose one of the available topics on those weeks.

    Every time you refer to a website or another blog, be sure to hyperlink to the post. And consider inserting graphics or videos to add visual interest for your readers.

    If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:

    1. What did you learn?
    2. What surprised you?
    3. 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. [NOTE: Since you are creating your blog after after Week One, you will go back and add this post in.]

    WEEK TWO

    • Visit Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl’s website. Either read one of her blog posts or listen to one of her podcasts on an area of grammar that is troublesome to you. Write about what you learned (using the three-pronged approach described toward the top of this blog post.)

    WEEK THREE

    • Why are comments such an integral part of blogs? What advice would you offer on writing effective blog comments?

    WEEK FOUR

    • Last week, you took the NewsU Cleaning Your Copy course. There were four main topics in this course: Grammar, AP Style, Punctuation and Spelling. Using the three-pronged approach described at the top of this post, describe your reactions to this course. Remember to include a  hyperlink to the course, too.

    WEEK FIVE

    • Chapter 3 in your Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques book discusses ways that public relations practitioners can avoid legal hassles. One of these ways is to avoid plagiarism. Based on what you read in the chapter and additional research you will do online, what are some of the best practices (tips & tricks) for avoiding plagiarism in your writing?

    WEEK SIX

    • What makes a story newsworthy?

    WEEK SEVEN

    • One Week of Twitter [Note: You will do the One Week of Twitter assignment during Week Six, and then write about it before the end of Week Seven.]

    WEEK EIGHT

    • Last week, you took the NewsU The Lead Lab course. Using the three-pronged approach described at the top of this post, describe your reactions to this course. Remember to include a  hyperlink to the course, too.

    WEEK NINE

    • Create a profile at PR OpenMic, a social network developed by Auburn University’s Robert French. Connect with me there as a friend so that I know you have joined. Then for your topic of the week, describe what PR OpenMic has to offer to PR students and recent grads. Be sure to discuss at least three or four things you encounter at the site, and provide hyperlinks to the specific areas in the site for your readers.

    WEEK TEN

    • In WordPress, go into your Dashboard and take a look at your stats. What kinds of things does the Site Stats page tell you? How would PR practitioners benefit for monitoring their own or their company’s blog?

    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.

    WEEK 12

    WEEK 13

    • Working either alone or in a group of no more than three, create a list of at least 10 ways that PR people can sometimes drive journalists crazy. After each item on the list, indicate what the PR person could/should do instead. Hyperlink to sources as needed. (If you are working with others, each of you should post to his/her own blog, and note where else it is crossposted and who the co-authors are.)

    WEEK 14

    • During Week 14, you will take the Five Steps to MultiMedia Storytelling course at News University.  Using the three-pronged approach described at the top of this post, describe your reactions to this course. Remember to include a  hyperlink to the course, too.

    WEEK 15 (Optional)

    • Just what is a “Social Media News Release”? When should a PR practitioner use a SMNR rather than (or perhaps in addition to) a “regular” news release? Be sure to include links to at least three websites/blogs that discuss SMNRs.

    WEEK 16 (Optional)

    • What advice would you offer PR students who are new to blogging? Come up with your own Top 10 list.
    Posted on

    Tracking Your Blog Comments, Fall 2010

    When you blog, you become a part of a community. And as a member of a community, you’re responsible for encouraging conversation. Commenting on others’ blogs is a great way to further conversations.

    In addition to writing your own blog posts, you will also comment on others’ blogs; these comments will count as 25% of your grade on your blog. Aim to comment on two blog posts each week; you will need 25 comments before the end of fall semester.

    Aim to include a variety of blogs that you comment on, ranging from your classmates’ blogs to those of PR professionals. (For a great way to find new and interesting PR blog posts to comment on, subscribe to Ragan’s PR Daily. Or, visit my social bookmarks for PR blogs.)

    To track your comments so that I can easily find them, create (and keep adding to) one blog post that you will title “Blog Comments,” and where you will include:

    • Comment # (keep a running list)
    • Title of blog post you commented on, followed by the author’s name
    • Hyperlink to the blog post
    • Date of your comment
    • Your complete comment (copy and paste)

    See Lisa McLaughlin’s blog and Marie Walker Ervin’s blog for some great examples of how to track your comments.

    NOTE 1: In order for the comment to “count” as part of your grade for this course, it needs to be at least 100 words long. You are welcome (and even encouraged) to write comments of varying lengths, but for class credit, 100 words is the shortest I’ll accept.

    NOTE 2: Do not post each of your blog comments as separate blog entries; make ONE page and keep editing/adding to it.

    And whatever you do, make sure your blog comments aren’t whack.