Colorado State University

Each Sustainability Leadership Fellow will write and submit one blog post for the SoGES HumanNature Blog during their fellowship year. Blog posts should feature a sustainability topic that relates to your research and interests. Be creative, think outside the box, and have fun with this project!

Additionally, you will be responsible for peer reviewing the blog post of the person who comes after you on the schedule (the last person scheduled to post will review the first person scheduled). Peer reviews should be completed one week prior to the submission deadline, so the author has ample time to incorporate feedback before submitting.

Be sure to follow the instructions provided and email Laura Shaver ([email protected]) with any questions about the form or any special considerations for your blog post. Entries will be posted live on the blog two days after the submission deadline.

Keep the following in mind when writing your blog post:

• The title should be short and catchy – Think of it like a news story headline: It should be accurate and avoid sensationalism but should also hook the reader’s attention, enticing them to read your full post. Some sources say the ideal blog post title is 60 characters, so aim for between 8-14 words.
• Grab the reader’s attention – Your post should start off with something provocative that will catch your readers’ attention. In addition to a catchy title, you need a strong first paragraph. In the first paragraph or two, give the reader an idea of what you’re going talk about, and what you think about the subject. Think of it like summarizing the point of your blog in one or two sentences. This also where you should describe the “so what?” – why should anyone care about this topic?
• Keep the content short and compelling – Blog posts should be kept relatively brief, perhaps 5-9 paragraphs in length. While there is no word count minimum or maximum, Human Nature blog posts tend to range from 800 to 2,000 words. The general idea is to make it “as long as it needs to be and no longer.” If you can say the same thing with fewer words, do it. But you don’t have to sacrifice clarity, accuracy, or cohesiveness just for the sake of lowering the word count. Find a friend with no background knowledge of your topic to read your post and tell you if they found it understandable and interesting.
• Be conversational – This is not a formal paper, and the tone of your blog should be conversational. Use shorter, simple sentences and keep your paragraphs short. Write in plain language and avoid jargon. Use an active voice instead a of passive one whenever possible.
• Keywords matter – Using keywords, especially in the title of your post, will significantly increase search engine optimization. Indicate 3-5 specific keywords so we can properly tag your blog for the SoGES website search function.
• Add links and photos – Include at least 2-3 photos and/or graphs to visually emphasize your article. Make sure to properly give attribution where required and include captions to describe each photo. A good source for free stock photos is Pexels.com. You are also encouraged include hyperlinks throughout your blog to relevant websites, resources, or additional information.
• Consider using subheadings – If your blog is on the longer side, it can be useful to include subheadings that act as section markers or signposts. Subheadings help give your blog structure, provide visual breaks in dense text, and hold onto a reader even if they start to skim-read the content.
• Ask questions – Keep the discussion open by asking questions throughout or at the end of your post. Write something that will get people enthusiastic about commenting.
• Write about what you know – what are your areas of strength? What do you have to share with the world others would find valuable? Write about what you know, what you are passionate about, or what you feel most compelled to tell others.
• What do you read? – Shape your own blog post around things that you find most interesting in others’ work. Read blogs related to your field and see what information you find most valuable. Keep a list of blogs, however short or long, and read them on a regular basis. This will give you an idea what people are talking about in your field so you can bring your blog into the conversation.
• Cite your sources – And make sure they’re credible. The SoGES blog doesn’t require a specific citation style, but make sure your references are clear and consistent in style.
• Make it easy to share on social – SoGES posts HUMANnature blogs to our social media channels. Help us share your blog post by suggesting hashtags, liking, sharing and retweeting, and providing your Twitter and/or Facebook handle so we can tag you in the post.

You may also refer to last year’s cohort postings for examples of different styles and to get ideas.