What should you write about? Ideas for your posts
People read blogs for entertainment, interest, and new knowledge. Popular blogs tend to have personality, opinion, coverage of current hot topics, and things that are in the news, as well as posts that readers can learn from.
In the world of blogs, content is king, so the key thing to remember is show not tell. For example, don’t tell people that a journal is interesting or relevant by writing lots facts about the journal and what it publishes, show them by showcasing what that journal is doing, what the Editors think on important subjects, and so on.
Below are some ideas to help you plan what to write about for different situations. These are just the tip of the iceberg. Get creative, and do something that you think readers will find truly interesting.
Research |
| Interesting research we’re publishing – this could be a guest post from the authors, a reviewer, or an Editor. Or you could write it yourself. |
| A hot topic in the field – you could ask an expert for a guest post (or do a Q+A with them) on a ‘hot’ topic. For example, Ebola. |
| Monthly research highlights |
| Image highlights – if your journal(s) have interesting images, why not put together a compilation? |
| Feature a researcher – carry out a Q+A or ask for a guest post from a well-known research talking about their career. |
| A day in the life – some researchers have amazing stories about (for example) their field trips, why not ask them to write about them? |
| Reviews. This could be of other research articles or books or anything else relevant to your journal(s). |
| From the archives. Showcasing some of our most highly accessed/important articles |
News |
| News in the field – if something new or interesting is announced in your field, comment on it and give your take on the implications. Or ask one of your Editors to do so. |
| Journal launches – if you’re launching a journal, you can write about it on the blogs, but make sure you write in a ‘blog’ style – the blogs aren’t a place for formal announcements.For example, get a thought piece from the new Editor-in-Chief, like this one. |
| A new EiC appointed. Again, it’s fine to have a blog post about the new EiC, but it should be written in the right style. For example – a guest post from the new EiC about their area of work and what they hope to do with the journal (this could be adapted from an Editorial if they’re writing one). |
Events |
| Conferences. Just got back from a conference? Why not write up what you found most interesting about it? |
| Awareness Days. There are lots of awareness days throughout the year, so look out for ones relevant to your journal(s). |
| Birthdays/Anniversaries. You could mark the birthday of a well-known researcher, or perhaps the anniversary of an important discovery. |
Supporting researchers |
| Insight from other researchers. For example, on something other researchers may find challenging. E.g. Supervising students, or juggling research and submitting paper, or finding funding. |
| Support from us. For example, we’re planning a series on ‘How to publish your manuscript’. But there may be more subject-specific options you could look at. |
If you’re struggling to think of a topic for a post, or you have a topic but you’re not sure what angle to use, why not get a second opinion? Running ideas past colleagues can generate discussion and you can also get in touch on blogging@biomedcentral.com and we’ll help with suggestions.