Before taking this program, I knew that I liked to write, but I didn’t do much writing at all. I guess nothing had ever made me do it, so I didn’t. I’d thought about the possibility of blogging but I didn’t know where to start or what to write about.
That’s why the assignment to develop our own blog, and explore and contribute to others, has been rewarding and enlightening in a very hands-on way. It is an opportunity to design your own page on the internet and post on topics of your own choice, but within a certain time frame. This requires some forethought and a lot of imagination. For me, it is the perfect balance of structure and freedom.
One of the first steps is choosing what platform to use, which was an adventure in itself. We get to experience blogger.com to post about the PR program, while also seeking out other people or business’s blogs to comment on, often an opportunity to see how businesses incorporate a blog section on their own professional website rather than on a blogging website. As for my own personal blog, I made three or more accounts before finding a platform I loved! I tried WordPress, and made an account, wrote a blog and an about me section, and designed it with titles and images, everything! And then I changed my mind and left both that idea and platform behind. I could not get the hang of the site, even though I had heard so much about it. I had always imagined using that website one day, to, but I thought there might be something better suited for me out there as a beginner. Which led me next to Tumblr, and while it is very unique and set up in an interesting way, I didn’t feel like it was the right place for my longer form blogs. I also considered using Blogger for my personal blog, but again, there was something missing for me and a certain disconnection between my style and the presentation of that platform. Even though I didn’t end up using these sites, I got to know them a bit, and that is its own learning experience. Now I definitely know that WordPress will take some time to get used to and that it is something I would like to become more comfortable with in the future.
I ended up trying Wix after reading many articles about websites for blogging. It was easy to use and it felt like the right fit. I started over with an entirely new topic, and I found this one more inspiring than the first, even though I had spent so much time thinking about and writing about my original idea. Most of the work that this assignment has involved is not apparent in the final website because there was so much experimentation and development behind the scenes. That is why I find it particularly valuable – its open-ended format allows a lot of room to grow on your own, and on top of that, it gives you the freedom to practice creative writing in an (almost) limitless way.
Having your own blog is an opportunity to write in a tone completely of your own choice. In my case, it has been great to experiment with writing in a conversational, natural tone, and being able to tap into stream of consciousness style writing without having to edit it all out later. It was rewarding and freeing to literally put my voice out there, not because what I had to say was so important, but just because I was now publicly publishing writing on my own personal platform and participating in the grand exchange of ideas between humans on the internet. I had never considered the relation between blogging and PR before this program, and it is exciting to think about where the practice of writing could take us.
A lot of factors come up when thinking about your own blog:
- Design – how can you create a page that visually reflects the content of the blog, either through images or the mood that it sets
- Style – length of blogs, font, formatting
- Content – what type of blog is it, and can multiple posts fall under its umbrella, does it require you to keep track of something in your personal life or to conduct ongoing or extensive research
- Voice – what is the vibe of the overall blog: relaxed, polished, funny, educational, etc.
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Audience – why write about this topic,
who would read it and is it helpful, who would connect with you and your style
While other assignments require us to reflect on these same aspects of our writing and the presentation of our ideas, the blog assignment allows us to do this over a long period of time, an experience that is reflective of the industry and the ongoing projects we might work on as PR professionals. Furthermore, the opportunity to personalize the site, with yourself as the client, is a safe and comfortable way to practice branding yourself and carving out your own path. The content from the blog will be useful in creating a portfolio of our work, so it is an exciting chance to showcase your unique writing style that may appeal to future clients and lead to an authentic fit between them and yourself.
Practicing truly creative writing without any defining factors, but with a real purpose and a tangible final product, has been freeing for me. As we become professional communicators as PR practitioners, it is of course of utmost importance to be an effective writer. However, I think it is easy to write just for business rather than pleasure, with ideas for a personal platform taking a backseat to assigned writing work that requires a level of creative restraint. This assignment reminded me of my love of writing and why I am pursuing this path. It has also led me to write about subject matter that I absolutely had never considered before this assignment, opening me up to new possibilities and ideas for my future as a writer.
The develop a blog assignment has been an opportunity to write without limitation, but even more importantly, it has allowed me to redefine what a future in PR might look like. This makes me even more confident to tackle the PR industry and perhaps identify my own niche. Maybe it will be copy writing and editing, or marketing and content creation. No matter what, I know that just as I have been enjoying this open ended, content creation project, I am likely to enjoy other writing projects down the line as I explore this field. Sometimes a little nudge into the deep end is just what we need to discover something we love, and that is where I find myself with my own little blog about my own personal life project that has become a part of my day-to-day. Without the help of this assignment, who knows how long it would have taken me to experience what goes into creating and maintaining a blog. It is something that resonates with me, so I am grateful to have discovered a potential new passion through a course requirement.
If you’re anything like me – you love to think, love to talk, and love to write - you might just love to blog, too. No matter what aspect of PR you might enjoy most, this program will help you find and explore it. Whatever it is that you discover you love, take the opportunity to invest in it and make it your own – who knows where it will take you!
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