By Emily Brungard
If you had asked me a few years ago what I thought about blogging, two things would have come to mind:
1) Fangirls posting pictures of their favorite band members on Tumblr
2) moms posting their own recipes and soap reviews on Blogspot.
Not much has changed. Although these kinds of blogs still exist, my eyes have been opened to a world full of blogs–self-help blogs, exercise blogs, PR blogs, design blogs–the list goes on and on. Now that I’ve run my own blog for over a year, I’ve learned just how valuable blogging can be to a student. Whether you’re blogging about something related to your college major or not, blogging is an invaluable skill. It teaches you how to write in a conversational and persuasive way. Blogging also begs you to network (after all, your goal is to build an audience, not just put content into the interwebs).
Why should a PR student blog?
It helps you learn to write.
Now, I’m not saying that you’re learning to write from square one. Hopefully, as a PR student, you’ve taken basic English classes, and maybe even a strategic writing class. Blogging helps you practice and develop those skills. As a blogger, you’re creating posts about things you care about, so the writing comes easy. While this might not be true about all of the things you write during your PR career, any writing practice is valuable.
It helps you network.
Want to get your name out there? Blogging is a great place to start. You can even submit pieces you’re especially proud of to other outlets, depending on what you’re writing about. As you share your posts, blogging helps you learn to network. Whether it’s striking up a conversation in the comments section of one of your favorite blogs (and casually dropping in links to your own blog) or simply pinning a post to your Pinterest board, spreading your ideas and promoting yourself are important in the PR world.
It helps you showcase your skills.
“Portfolio” is a huge buzzword in the PR industry, especially as a student. How do you beef up your portfolio? By writing blog posts. Do you know of a small business in your community that needs help with its website? Offer to write for its blog–it helps the company’s business and your portfolio, and you might get a great recommendation letter or even compensation for your work.Your portfolio shouldn’t be made up solely of blog posts, but they’re a great way to show that you know how to write.
It helps you develop your personal brand.
As a self-proclaimed branding enthusiast, I can vouch for the positive benefits that blogging can have on your personal brand. By showcasing your skills, networking and improving your writing, you are investing in your personal brand. Blogging gives you a chance to put your ideas out there. It’s your own soapbox–use it to your advantage. Your blog is one of the best ways to promote yourself.
If you want to get ahead of the PR game, start a blog. It will impress your future internship interviewers and could even help you get a job once you’ve graduated. You don’t need to post every day to be effective. Pace yourself and post once a week or so. Blogging is like learning to ride a bike–it takes practice, but once you’ve learned how, it’s easy. No matter if you’re blogging about soap recipes or public relations, starting a blog and updating it regularly is a great way for students to perfect their writing skills.
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