While there are many university courses that can help you with a variety of career paths, finding courses that also improve the content of your blog is a bonus. Whether it’s a course to improve your writing, a marketing class, or how to communicate better with your readers, there are countless university courses available – many for free – that can help you move your blog to the top of the class.
Read further to discover a sampling of upper-level courses that can make your blog higher quality so you can attract more readers and followers.
Use online courses to put your blog at the head of the class.
Write What You Know
The most successful blogs are ones in which you write posts on topics you know something about, whether it references a hobby, career interest, or pastime. To deliver quality blog posts, aim for writing what you know the most about. Inform your readers and draw in interested parties who have the same interests.
For instance, if you are an avid hiker or mountain climber, writing about those activities will come to you easily. You’ll also have a lot of wisdom to impart to others who are just starting out in hiking and mountain climbing. Share tips, stories, and advice on the type of equipment you use and the best places you’ve hiked or climbed over the years.
To help you improve your blog and learn how to concentrate on writing what you know, check out Open University’s free course, Writing What You Know.
Designed to teach students how to express their perceptions in a unique way, this course can be completed over a period of eight hours. Also, there is no fee required. The reward for you is increased creativity and the means to express it in a unique way on your blog – things that are bound to attract more faithful readers and subscribers.
While you can’t graduate with a degree in blogging, you can take courses to help improve your blog.
Marketing for the Masses
Many bloggers have a product or service to sell. If you’re one of these bloggers, you need to know and understand the elements of marketing. Coursera offers free university courses from 62 institutions of higher learning, both here and abroad, and students receive a certificate of completion at the end of each course (if they finish the lectures, readings, and assignments).
Wharton University of Pennsylvania offers an introductory marketing course for free through Coursera to help you learn the basics of marketing. The course lasts a full nine weeks, and the workload runs about six hours weekly; however, if you complete this course, you’ll have a nice completion certificate (and possibly with distinction if you score in the top tier of students) and a wealth of knowledge from one of the most prestigious universities in the United States.
Brush Up on Internet Security Concerns
Anyone who uses the internet should be concerned about security and the safe use of technology. With rampant identity theft and hackers taking advantage of sites and blogs across the online landscape, it’s important to understand the finer points of technology and how to keep your data safe.
As a blogger, you have an important commodity – your blog – and you also need to protect your intellectual property and identity. By learning about security issues and implementing them, you can ensure your blog is secure. Your blog readers need to know they are visiting a safe site as well, so although you get the most benefit from keeping up with tech and security trends, you are also protecting your blog followers.
The University of Michigan offers a free online course that deals with Internet History, Technology, and Security through Coursera. The course is expansive at eleven weeks long, and students are expected to spend about five hours a week on lectures, reading, and homework. Students who complete the course requirements will receive a certificate of accomplishment.
Elevating the status of your blog does take work, but the rewards are countless. However, by strategically enrolling in educational courses such as the ones listed above, you can get a jump on your competition in the blogosphere.
Contributor: Bev Sninchak is a veteran freelance writer with 16 years of experience producing content for both print and online publications. She writes about many subjects, from managing online reputation to exploring tips for the best bachelor degree careers .
