Blogging is a conversation. It is a space to discuss ideas, throw out thoughts and challenge readers. There are several key differences between writing an academic style paper or article and writing for a blog. We ask that you read previous entries on the blog for an example of the writing style and tone, and try to bear in mind the following:

Make your content dense with value: A blog is a great place to post links and highlight online content. Try and link your post to as many interesting news items, videos and reports as you can. You can include these as hyperlinks in a word document and we will put the links in before the page goes live.

Keep it short: Aim for 800-1000 words for a post. This will keep it focused and make it more likely that your reader gets to the end before something else grabs their attention. More in depth research pieces may be longer, although we recommend they don’t exceed 1000 words.

Make it scannable: Large blocks of text are your enemy. Structure your post with easy chunks and headings. Make it easier for your reader to pull out the central topic points by using descriptive headers and sub-headers, bulleted lists and highlighting of key points.

Enable conversation: You want your reader to engage with what you are saying so invite them to participate. Try and end your blog post with a question or two. Invite feedback and prompt your reader to leave comments. And don’t let the dialogue end there —write back on the comments you receive.

Use images and photos: Always include pictures and/or video with your blogpost. These can be sent as separate attachments or links and we will embed them for you.