So, i’ve been blogging for over a year now on this site and I can’t even begin to tell you the ways in which it has benefited both me personally, and my education.
Blogging is already a popular art, but i’d recommend it in particular to anybody studying or wanting to work within Public Relations. I could sit here all day (literally) and provide you with countless reasons and benefits as to why a PR blog is always a good idea, but to save us both some time, i’ve compiled them in to 5.
The Clue’s in the Name
But first off, what is a PR blog? …Is it a normal blog? What do I write about? Do I have to be a PR-whizz?
Right, lets just stop there.
The thing I love about blogging is that there are no real boundaries or rules. One day i’ll be writing about how to improve your DA, the next i’ll be typing up bucket lists – there really is no ‘one way’ to do it. One thing I would suggest, however, is if you’re acclaiming yours as a PR blog, make sure you do tailor your posts towards Public Relations from time to time. I’m a big lover of writing about PR current affairs, mishaps and victories – but I also like writing the occasional lifestyle post from time to time. To cover my back, I call myself a PR and lifestyle blog, but you need to find out what works for you.
So, why start a #PRStudent blog?
Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 5 reasons as to why you should look to start a #PRStudent blog.
1. You’ll meet some great people
Though the rest of these reasons are not in any particular order, this one is actually my number. 1.
I’m not even a graduate as of yet, but I have already met so many great people within the industry and beyond. The blogging community is tight knit, but the PR blogging community is a different ballgame all together.
You may have noticed the hashtag in the title, i.e. #PRStudent. This comes as a second nature to me whilst blogging now due to Richard Bailey over at PR Place and his continued support of me and my blog. I’ve gotten in to the pattern where not a week goes by when I am not mentioned in his PR weekly round up under the best #PRStudent blogs, and I have made some great connections as a result of this. If you’re starting out as a new PR blogger, i’d always recommend using the hashtag #PRStudent to increase your likelihood of getting your content seen by more and more people within the industry. As well as Richard, I also ought to mention another friendly face in the PR world. Conor McGrath, who too interacts with my blog and posts through the hashtag. Both he, and his students over at the Ulster PR Blog continue to offer me support for my blog and are always guaranteed readers for me. That, I find, is one of the best things about this whole process.
Alongside Conor and Richard, i’ve also made some other great connections who deserve a ‘shoutout’, if we’re talking reasons as to why you should start a PR blog.
- Marcel Klebba – we know each other only through blogs and Twitter, yet Marcel was kind enough to mention me in his interview after receiving the (much deserved) award for best PR blog. It’s this kind of support which inspires you to keep going.
- Yana Miladinova – Yana is an avid supporter of my blog, I can always count on her to support every post so I was really touched when she messaged me and told me I was her inspiration to start up her own website. From a fellow PR girl, I can’t wait to read it!
- Irina Meier – Similarly to Yana, Irina messaged me to tell me that my writing had inspired her to keep writing, too. It’s people like this that make you fall in love with the industry even more. The support, the friendliness and the utmost appreciations – there’s so many reasons why PR blogging is a good idea.
I could mention the connections and friends i’ve made through blogging, but i’d be 2000 words and 5 hours down at least. So, i’ll leave you with the mention of these but with the knowledge that in PR blogging, you’ll never be on your own nor short for views and support.
2. It’s a great boost for your career
I’ve mentioned my blog in every interview i’ve had, and it’s always gone down very well.
To own a blog shows that you have creativity, initiative and the ability to keep at something. To own a PR blog shows you have all that, with the added bonus of industry knowledge. Blogs are a great talking point and are also a great way to reach out to potential employers as a graduate.
Whether you use your blog to express yourself to an employer, or whether an employer uses your blog to find you. You can’t go far wrong with having one.
3. It can help with your studies
Trust me on this one, I went from getting a 2.2 in every exam I took (they’ve always been my Achilles heel) to getting my first ever 1st this year. Yes, I credit my blog for that.
Seeing as i’m always talking about what’s going on in the world on here, I have a head-full of case studies and examples to apply to my exams that I don’t even need to revise. Being able to apply this knowledge to my exams is what I believe has helped me to get the higher marks, and i’ll forever pass that advice on to other PR students.
Not only this, but blogging involves a great deal of writing which can bring a great deal of benefits to your studies. Since i’ve been blogging, i’ve found myself to be much more tuned-in with assignments, and my ability to focus on the task in hand has greatly increased. If you’re planning a career in PR, you’ll spend a great deal of your time writing – so if not for your studies, do it for your future. It benefits either one (or both).
4. The technical skills are always an advantage
Since creating this blog i’ve become a self-acclaimed WordPress pro. I also am competent with logo design and infographics, not to mention the SEO tips and tricks i’ve picked up along the way.
I’m ever the advocate of digital being the future of PR, therefore knowing how to navigate around a CMS (such as WordPress), knowing how to use social media to your advantage and also knowing a little about web design is bound to go a long way.
It’s not easy and it’s not something you’ll learn overnight, i’ll be honest. However over time these are all things you’ll pick up on. Canva will become your new best friend for web design, you’ll be implementing SEO tips and tricks to boost your DA and you’ll be an avid social media whiz in no time at all.
5. You’ll be a PR-boffin before you even graduate
I don’t shy away from telling people that I went in to PR without even knowing what it was. I liked the sound of the course and I picked it, there’s no remarkable (or even slightly interesting) story behind it.
I knew I loved to write, but, honestly, I never even knew that PR entailed that. I was good at business in school so I picked the best-sounding business course and the rest, as they say, was history.
Anyway, I digress. What I mean to say is you’ll learn loads about PR through reading other PR blogs and through writing them yourself. A blog is also a great advantage when searching for internships, which is something else that i’d always recommend doing whilst studying.
In short, knowledge is power and the PR knowledge you’ll obtain whilst blogging is what will make you stand out from other candidates in the graduate job search.
I’ll always boast the benefits of having a #PRStudent blog, there’s so many reasons for it and so little reasons against. If anybody ever needs any help or advice on the art of PR blogging then feel free to message me, I love hearing from and meeting new people in the industry and beyond.
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