New online course – blogging bootcamp

Ever wanted to start blogging but just didn’t have the confidence in the technology or your ability to write lots of juicy content? Our new online course is here to help!

Blogging bootcamp runs over the summer and is a six week course that you can dip in and out of, so no worries if you’re going on holiday in the middle of it!

Click here to find out more and book your place. I’ve pasted the course description in below for your convenience 🙂

This is an in depth course delivered online. It is based on the latest best practice for online learning, which is providing social, asynchronous learning where the learner can access materials and get involved at a time that suits them, within the framework of a weekly lesson format. We do as little synchronised activity as possible, to make things as flexible as we can.

The course consists of six lessons, which last for a week each. Total learner time per lesson is around an hour, which they can do in one chunk or spread throughout the week – it is entirely up to them.

Support is provided both to the group as a whole, with discussion and sharing of experience and knowledge encouraged; and privately through email or telephone discussion between the course facilitator and learners.

Each lesson will include some or all of the following elements:

• An introductory video introducing the topic and explaining some details
• Downloadable templates, resources, guides and case studies
• Links to further reading and case studies
• Interviews with practitioners
• Screencast demos of how to perform certain actions
• Learner discussion areas
• One to one private email support
• Additional content in response to queries and requests
• Assignments to practice learning

The six lessons in this course are:

1. Introduction to the course and blogging
   1. How does the course work?
   2. What is a blog?
   3. How could blogging help you?
   4. Different types of blogs
2. Setting up your blog
   1. Choosing a platform
   2. Naming your blog
   3. Design considerations
   4. Choosing a domain
3. Planning blog content
   1. How often to post
   2. How long should a post be?
   3. Different types of blog posts
4. Promoting your blog
   1. Using Twitter and Facebook
   2. Joining online communities
   3. Encouraging debate
   4. Other ways of promoting your content
5. Taking the next steps
   1. Using video and audio
   2. Guest bloggers and guest blogging
6. Finishing up, answering final questions, time for reflective practice

Course content is fluid and will react to the needs of the learners – so the list above is for information purposes only and the exact content in the course will be more detailed than this.

The course is suitable for people already fairly happy using a computer and the internet, but who have been put off starting a blog in the past, whether because of worries about technology, or what to write about. It is suitable for public servants, community and voluntary workers, artists and creatives and those running small businesses.

The course facilitator is Dave Briggs, Director at Kind of Digital, who has experience of running successful digital engagement campaigns for a number of public sector organisations, including the Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street.

He has managed digital engagement projects for organisations at all levels of government and is an experienced and well regarded trainer in the tools and techniques used. He has blogged since 2004 and has also worked on developing social media e-learning with Learning Pool.

To find out more about Dave and his experience, check out his LinkedIn profile.

The course costs £100 + VAT per delegate.