Blogging is fast becoming a popular activity for people in various fields of life as a vocation, pastime, or business tool. Developments in digital technology and the creativity and innovativeness of software developers and designers are providing easier and more usable platforms for influencing, co-creating, constructing and publishing knowledge. It is now no longer necessary to engage in heavy coding or programming to get a platform/website for communicating with your public or building your brand. Besides, designers and developers of software have embraced the principles of universal design and are also realizing how important usability and ease of use are in product development. This trend has given rise to the creation of tools and apps that can easily be configured by non-coding users based on their preferences and needs.
Therefore, as a writer eager to get his or her content out there to the public, two major options exist. One is configuring a template from a platform like WordPress/developing a site from scratch for use as a personal blog or, engaging in the guest blogging. One of the advantages of owning a personal blog is that it enables you to establish your brand and authority. It also grants you, the owner, more freedom in managing content and style. You can find the niche (whether it is photography, gardening, or SciComm) that interests you as an individual, and explore it to your heart’s content! There will be nothing like limitations on word count or style.
On the con side, it might be demanding in terms of time and other resources, as the owner needs to ensure that the blog is visible, accessible and relevant to the needs of his or her audience. Getting good content ready consistently can also become a source of stress to the blog owner if he or she is not adequately motivated. Consider getting an account with these popular platforms if owning your own spot appeals more to you: Strikingly, Squarespace, WordPress, Sites.google.com, Blogger, Weebly and Wix.
On the other hand, guest blogging /posting while not giving the writer the level of freedom or independence enjoyed by a blog owner, gives the writer a chance to choose the right publishing destination with minimum stress. The guest blogger is under less pressure to satisfy the reading community of the blog with timely posts. Issues like driving traffic or developing search engine optimization are less of the guest blogger's problem than the blog owner’s! Also, as a guest blogger, you can use guest posting to create inbound links to your site and drive some traffic to your site (if you own one).
The Yang! Other options to owning a personal blog (with all the responsibilities that come with it) are detailed here.
Guest blogging platforms for Science Communication.
The following blogs are highly recommended for guest posting for Scientists interested in SciComm. You may contact the blog owners on the Contact Us or check the sites for more information (Good luck!).
- Scientia’s SciComm Corner - https://www.scientia.global/scicomm-corner/
- Lifeology - https://lifeology.io/blog/
- Public Understanding of Science Blog - https://sagepus.blogspot.com/p/submit.html?m=1
- Elephant in the Lab (Don’t worry, not about elephants- It's for SciComm!) - https://elephantinthelab.org/contribute/ or send an e-mail to eitl@hiig.de
- Bolded Science - https://www.boldedscience.com
- The Conversation (Africa): https://theconversation.com/become-an-author
- Medium app: As a blogging platform, Medium is in a class of its own. Sign in to medium.com to start creating and publishing on the fly! Due to its wide reach, you can bank on getting a diverse and quick reading audience.
- Join a community that supports a blogging platform. A community like Scientistt https://www.scientistt.net owns a blog where members can post their content and get a quick audience.
- LinkedIn: Did you know that you could publish on LinkedIn.com? Once you have signed up for a LinkedIn account, post your content with ease by, clicking on the HOME Tab, Write an article, and Publish. Voila!
- Facebook: Once you have an account with https://www.facebook.com, click on the plus (+) icon, click on Story, Create a Photo Story or Text Story and then Share Story.
- Microblogging: Twitter is the most prominent microblogging app available. Create links to your content or site from you Twitter handle.
Whether your aim is to communicate science, or open your heart to others about things that fascinate you, there is a ready home for your story.
You may contribute to this post as well. Are there any blogs or platforms you know that accept guest post or can serve as a good traditional blogging platform? Let’s get your own view!
