Although blogging as a hobby is no longer as popular as it used to be, the experience that can be obtained by writing and managing a blog has never been more relevant. This is especially important for graduate students who may be looking for ways to increase their value on the job market. So while it may no longer be as popular as a hobby, there are strong arguments in favor of universities encouraging students to engage with blogging as an extracurricular activity.

What can be learned by running a blog

Many of the skills that a student is likely to develop while running a blog can prove useful in both their academic and professional careers. The most obvious of those skills is writing, which is at the core of blogging in general. Blog posts can be an excellent creative writing exercise. Blog posts can even help students hone their skills in research and academic writing, should they choose to put in the extra work needed to make their writing more professional.

Not only that, but blog writing also has the advantage of operating in a modern and digital medium. This allows students to explore the use of links, images, videos, and audios as part of their texts, and see for themselves how these additional options can facilitate or hinder the creative writing process. It also allows students to see how these tools can be used to more easily transmit information online.

Developing these writing skills can be useful not only when writing blog posts, but also when writing emails or posting on social media. And since communicating with employers and clients on such mediums is more common today than ever, knowing how to leverage digital tools to express yourself properly in these mediums can be very useful.

Finally, there is also the business and management side of running a blog. Creating and operating a blog can teach students some web design basics and get them familiar with the process of how to create a website. And if students decide to actively work to grow their blogs, this pursuit can help them learn the basics of digital marketing. As well as teach them how to find and maintain an online audience.

All of these skills are valued in the job market today, and demand for employees with above-average knowledge of digital communication and marketing is only expected to increase. And while creating a blog won’t be as informative as attending a digital marketing school in Las Vegas, it can at least get students familiar with the basics.

How universities can encourage blogging

Straight up forcing students to create blogs through mandates or class assignments is unlikely to create the desired result. Blogging is a creative activity at its core, and students will learn more if they are actively invested in seeing their blog succeed.

So instead of taking a direct approach, universities can encourage blogging among students through positive reinforcement. This can be achieved by running blog writing competitions, given awards to the best student blogs and blog posts of the year, showcasing the blogs created by their students on official channels, and more. Anything that will encourage students to create a blog and write posts regularly in order to improve their craft.