Young PR

Should PR Students Blog? Hell Yeah

Written on February 3, 2006 – 12:39 pm | by Paull Young

Several bloggers have been writing about whether PR students should write blogs, so I thought I’d throw my two cents in.

I’m a recently graduated PR student, and also a recent addition to the blogosphere. I wish that I’d started blogging earlier. I think it’s an extremely valuable activity that will enrich the professional development of any PR student or Young PR pro.

Benefits of Blogging for Students

• It improves your writing.

As I’ve outlined earlier, writing is a critically important skill for Young PR pros. Blogging can give you great practice in developing your own stories and publishing them to a wide audience.

• It helps you develop contacts

In my brief blogging career I’ve already had some contact with industry colleagues I never would have come across otherwise. Robert French, Trevor Cook, Blake Barbera and Erin Caldwell to name but a few. Every Young PR pro needs contacts in the industry, and blogging can be your ticket to an entirely new network of contacts you’d never come across otherwise.

• It encourages you to read widely on the industry

When you’re blogging it’s vital that you to keep up to date with all the latest news on the industry. This provides you with an extra reason to stay up to date with your reading, which in turn will enrich your studies.

• It shows the world that you’re passionate and enthusiastic

Passion for your profession combined with enthusiasm will get you ahead in the early stages of your career. A well put together and regularly updated blog is great evidence that you possess these two key qualities.

• It gives you valuable Web 2.0 skills

There is no better way to understand blogging then by writing your own blog. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you get up to speed with all the tools of the blog trade.

• It makes you think and reflect

This, for me, is the key advantage in writing a blog. It makes you think critically about what you’re doing and what you’re reading. In turn, this makes you more interested in your job and your industry. Nothing gets me thinking more than sitting down to write a blog post.

Potential Drawbacks

There are a couple of potential drawbacks that you need to be aware of before diving into the blogosphere.

• It’s a public record and can be read by anyone

Remember that everyone can read your blog – potential employers, co-workers, your boss and your clients. You write something overly controversial, inflammatory, or stupid and you could pay for it down the line. My trick here is to make sure my mum is subscribed to my feed. I know that if mum’s going to read it I better not write anything stupid.

• Blogging requires persistence and commitment

Everyone’s seen the stories from the RSPCA around Christmas time. If you’re thinking about buying a puppy for Christmas, make sure you know that you’re going to have to feed it and walk it for the next 15 years. I think this is a great analogy for starting a blog. It’s great to start off with, but you’re in for the long haul with a blog. Before you start blogging have a long think about whether you can keep it up.

Advice if you’re starting a blog

• Read as many blogs as possible first

This will sensitise you to the style of the blogosphere, while also keeping you up to date with the issues. For some great blogs to start with, please check my links in the sidebar of this page.

• Talk to your lecturers, peers, contacts and other bloggers

Get some input on your plans. Talk to some people with experience on the issue. Your course coordinator or lecturer should be available to give you some advice and on how to get started (well, so long as you’re at a Uni as good as CSU). People already blogging can be a great resource for you as well. I wouldn’t advise contacting a senior blogger, but there’s over 300 PR bloggers to choose from.

I’m more than happy to have a chat or give you some advice, so email me if you like. Heck, if you’re on the Gold Coast I’ll even let you buy me a beer.

Any comments or tips from other bloggers (particularly from students and Young PR pros) are welcome. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, please post some questions here and we’ll help you out.