How to Start Blogging at University

When first learning how to start blogging most people choose to use one of the many free blogging platforms available to host their blog. There are lots on offer, and they can be really simple to use – some only require you to input the text! If your blog gets fairly popular, you may want to think about paying for your own domain name, but until then, using free blogging platforms will allow you to develop your own style, a solid readership and an understanding of how to blog successfully without having to fork out any money.

If you want your blog to be unique, customization is the way to go. There are many templates available to users of free blogging platforms, and the process is as simple as choosing a ready-made design with a layout you like the look of.

Popular blogging sites:

• Blogger.com (from Google)
• LiveJournal.com
• Medium.com (from the founders of Twitter)
• Penzu.com
• Postach.io
• Svbtle.com
• Tumblr.com
• Webs.com
• Weebly.com
• Wix.com
• Wordpress.com

If you are a whizz with a computer and want to learn how to start blogging, you can also consider using HTML and CSS to customize the layout of your blog. Although it’s possible to teach yourself the basics of these coding tools, there are also a number of useful sites which offer coding lessons and tutorials for free. If you study in the UK and are female, you might also be interested in an initiative called Code First: Girls.

See some examples of websites offering free coding resources:

• Code Academy
• Code School
• Dash
• Hacker School
• Khan Academy

Once you start blogging, the tough part is keeping it up. In order to keep yourself motivated, not only should you be writing about personal passions and interests, you should also make sure you set yourself realistic goals for your blog.

Do you want to publish 10 blog posts in the first month or would you rather just commit to one post a week? There’s no set rule here as the number of blog posts you publish will depend on how much free time you have in between university assignments, part-time work and your social life. Be sure, however, that you balance your work load effectively, scheduling time for each.

I know from experience that it’s easy to use a student blog as a procrastination tool, but if you remember that assignments always come first, you shouldn’t go too far wrong!

Not only should you keep your blog updated with frequent posts, but you should also keep up with industry news (funding cuts or new innovations, for example), current affairs and other goings on in areas related to your field of interest. If you blog about sociology, perhaps you could discuss the latest episode of House of Cards through a sociological lens,or, if your blog has a political angle, perhaps you could talk about your views on upcoming elections or policy changes.

Just as Twitter users use the #Hashtag to stay on-trend, keeping your blog on the pulse of current happenings is a good way to keep your blog relevant to wider audiences. If you’re talking about something current, it’s also more likely that your work will get seen, as more internet users will be searching for this content.

As a new student blogger, don’t expect to gain an international readership overnight; this will take time and dedication. The blogosphere is a very connected world, however, so with a bit of research into popular blogs with similar topics to yours, you will begin to see what sort of content works, who the main audience is, and what people are currently talking about in the field.

It’s important that you use these established sites and blogs not as a way of spamming with your own blog’s URL, but rather in order to connect and interact with likeminded people who can then ‘follow’ your blog if they like your work. If you take time getting to know the types of existing audience you can reach, you will be in a better place to promote your work, knowing that it is relevant and appealing.

Guest blogging is a great way to publicize your work to large audiences without having to set up and maintain your own site. Or, if you already have your own blog, guest blogging can act as a way to reach a wider audience by tapping into an existing readership.

Another great thing about guest blogging is the motivation of deadlines. Most site editors will give you flexible topics and timeframes, but ultimately, whether they’ve given you a week or a month, you’ll be more inclined to write and finish a quality blog post if you know it’s being expected by someone else.

Guest blogging acts as a great way to build up a portfolio of work, as well as potentially offer access to an audience of thousands or even millions. The majority of websites will not pay guest bloggers, but will give you the chance to include an author bio as part of your post, with a link to your own blog or portfolio.

Before asking to become a guest blogger, make sure you have a strong idea about the site’s readership and whether your style of blogging fits with this. Although you will probably be able to choose the topic you write about, sometimes you may be asked to blog about a specific subject.

Here at TopUniversities.com, we offer guest blogging opportunities for home and international students, graduates and academics covering all aspects of student life, including places to study, university news, student initiatives, staying well, admissions advice, careers advice and more. To find out more, email [email protected].