Using Digital Technology in Extension Education

Part Five: News and Updates This section contains a selection of blog posts with content written and curated by Rose Hayden-Smith. These posts – written in 2020 and 2021 - are designed to share additional information about digital communications. For more content like this, visit the Technology in Extension Education subgroup on Connect Extension.

Managing Multiple Instagram Accounts; Blogging & Writing Tips

Managing Multiple Instagram Accounts

Many of us are juggling professional and personal social media accounts. I use Hootsuite to manage some of my social media tasks. But for Instagram, I prefer to post directly from my iPhone. I do social posting for four Instagram accounts, so this feature has been a lifesaver for me because it enables me to easily toggle between the different accounts. Here’s a quick explainer from Hootsuite blog (one of my favorite blogs). I love the use of screenshots in this article: makes it easier to understand!

Blogging

I’m an avid blogger and I encourage people to consider whether blogging may be a practice they can incorporate into their Extension work. One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “What makes a good blog?”

Here’s a good read that may answer that question, at least in part.

Essential Writing Tips

Over the years I’ve developed a short list of tips that have been essential in my work. These tips (and the underlying questions) guide my blogging efforts.

 Know your audience. What information can help your reader? What will catch their interest?  Write what you’d want to read. Does it add value? Is it well-written?  Don’t use jargon or acronyms. In a world where so many things are abbreviate d, it’s important to spell it out. If I’m just learning about your topic, I may be unfamiliar with acronyms.  Use simple language and don’t try to convey too many ideas. You know how some of the best things in life are the simplest? It’s the same with writi ng. You want your work to be accessible…and your key points to be clear.  Be sure to spell check and edit . I always regret when I don’t take the time to do this. Your writing reflects your work, so you’ll want to pay extra attention to all the details. I as k: Is there anything I’ve missed? Are hyperlinks working and opening in a new window? Is the spacing right? The image just so? Errors happen. If you find one after you’ve published your blog, fix it, STAT.  Read your work aloud. Reading my writing aloud is something I learned when I was working as an editor for an academic journal. It’s become one of my best practices. Reading aloud enables me to check the flow of my writing, and to see if it makes sense. Are there gaps in information? Places where I could add emphasis? Are there better word choices? Reading aloud also serves as a secondary spell and grammar check for me, because I tend to speak more slowly than I read.