Writing for blogs

Every so often I read some pundit, or usually a journalist pretending to be a pundit, suggesting that blogs are dead. What can I say? They’re not. Even when other means of expression arise that are not blogs, they are usually blogs by another name, liike Substack. That’s a sort of blog/newsletter/website all in one, which makes it all of those things and none of them at the same time. I use it myself as a low-overhead blog where I can ramble and muse on any subject I fancy. (By the way, I need another 9 subscribers to reach the dizzy heights of having 9 more than I have now, so do pop over there and check it out and, maybe, subscribe (it’s free).)

All of which is to say that twice a year I run a course called ‘Writing for blogs’, and it’s still as popular as ever. I have one coming up, which so far has ten people enriolled on it, which is quite a nice number I think, for an online course.

The last time I ran it, which was in July 2024, I went completely off-piste and we had an extended discussion of the pros and cons of using AI in one’s writing. That was quite interesting, because none of us had the slightest inclination to delegate the writing itself to AI. It was felt, however, that AI could come in handy for generating ideas. I’m not very convinced by that to be honest, because most of the ideas are ones you could come up with yourself and that don’t seem to me to be very interesting anyway.

For example, I asked Perplexity to give me a list of ten topics I could write a blog about on the subject of blogging, and it gave me this:

1. **My Journey to Becoming a Full-Time Blogger**: Share the challenges and triumphs you've experienced on your path to full-time blogging.

2. **Blogging Tools I Can't Live Without**: Create a list of essential tools and resources that enhance your blogging experience.

3. **How to Overcome Writer's Block**: Offer strategies and tips for bloggers struggling with writer's block.

4. **The Importance of SEO in Blogging**: Discuss how search engine optimization can impact blog visibility and growth.

5. **Lessons Learned from My Biggest Blogging Mistakes**: Reflect on past errors and what they taught you about blogging.

6. **Creating Engaging Content: Tips and Tricks**: Provide actionable advice on crafting content that resonates with readers.

7. **The Evolution of My Blog: A Year in Review**: Chronicle the changes and growth of your blog over the past year.

8. **Niche Blogging vs. General Blogging**: Analyze the pros and cons of focusing on a specific niche versus a broader audience.

9. **How to Monetize Your Blog Effectively**: Explore various strategies for turning your blog into a source of income.

10. **Building a Community Around Your Blog**: Discuss methods for fostering engagement and connection with your readers.

Citations:

[1] https://brandwell.ai/blog/what-are-good-blog-topics/

[2] https://www.semrush.com/blog/blog-ideas/

[3] https://www.hostinger.co.uk/tutorials/blog-examples

[4] https://optinmonster.com/50-blog-post-ideas-that-you-can-write-about-today/

[5] https://www.blogtyrant.com/what-should-i-blog-about/

[6] https://blog.storychief.io/blog-post-ideas-b2b

[7] https://thecontentpanel.com/blog-post-ideas/

[8] https://problogger.com/the-only-blog-post-idea-list-youll-ever-need/

Well jolly dee. I haven’t seen so much potential clickbait in one place for quite a while.

I must say, though, that AI was useful when it came to developing personas, or ‘typical target readers’. Personally I can’t really be bothered with such things except in a general sense. By that, I mean that ‘officially’, so to speak, a persona has to be extremely detailed, like this:

Prompt: come up with a persona for a headteacher interested in reading blogs about education technology

Here's a persona for a headteacher interested in reading blogs about education technology:

Name: Dr. Sarah Thompson

Age: 45

Background:

- 20 years of experience in education

- PhD in Educational Leadership

- Headteacher at Oakwood Academy, a progressive secondary school with 1,200 students

Professional Traits:

- Forward-thinking and innovative

- Passionate about integrating technology into education

- Advocates for personalized learning experiences

- Committed to professional development for herself and her staff

Personal Traits:

- Curious and always eager to learn

- Tech-savvy but not a tech expert

- Values work-life balance and practices mindfulness

Goals:

- Improve student engagement and outcomes through technology

- Stay updated on the latest EdTech trends and research

- Find cost-effective solutions to implement in her school

- Prepare students for the digital future

Challenges:

- Limited budget for new technology

- Resistance from some traditional staff members

- Ensuring equitable access to technology for all students

- Balancing technology use with traditional teaching methods

Reading Habits:

- Regularly reads education and technology blogs during her morning coffee

- Subscribes to several EdTech newsletters

- Participates in online education forums and Twitter chats

- Attends EdTech conferences annually

Interests in EdTech Blogs:

- AI in education

- Virtual and augmented reality for learning

- Gamification strategies

- Data analytics for tracking student progress

- Cybersecurity in schools

- Coding and STEM education

- Assistive technologies for special needs students

This persona represents a headteacher who is actively seeking information about education technology to improve her school and stay ahead of educational trends.

As I said, I can’t be bothered with all that. When I write a blog post I just think, “is this likely to be interesting or useful to a teacher or headteacher? In other words, does it solve a problem or provide food for thought.”

However, if you did want to go down the persona route then AI is a massive time-saver. When I wrote a persona, on a course a few years ago, it took me half an hour. It takes AI less than half a minute.

I also tried using Perplexity to render an article suitable for a five year old. It was fast, and worked reasonably well, apart from the fact that it actually did it instead of saying “Five year olds don’t need elevator speeches”. (The article was about elevator speeches.) Still, in principle this would be a good use of AI even though any half-competent writer shouold be able to write for different audiences themselves.