Get Cheap Custom Essay Help-Writing for the Web
Writing for the Web
Purpose: Create a website or blog by utilizing effective business design, formatting techniques, and multimedia for professional web presentation.
Audience: Students and professionals in your field, future employers, and essentially anyone who accesses the internet looking for information on your topic.
*O’Reilly Radar suggests that a bloggers’ primary key to successful communication is using an “authentic, personal voice, and [the] ability to synthesize news with viewpoint.” So remember, although you will be reporting researched information, this should not feel like a formal report. When thinking about voice and tone, your language should be both conversational and professional—you want to welcome your readers in and invite them to stay awhile.
Topic: You have the option of choosing between two topics, depending on which is more applicable to your personal interests and professional pursuits:
- A recent breakthrough/discovery or an important trend in your professional field
- A common workplace issue impacting employees in your professional field
If you choose topic 1, Explore: the contextual details (who, what, where, when, why) that impact your topic, the cause of and effect that the discovery or trend has within your field, any advantages or disadvantages that can be drawn from it, and how this discovery or trend will impact you in your future career. Consider researching the projected use of the discovery or trend, the social/ethical/political contexts that surround it, make note of any current news related to it, and look specifically for how it will impact the business/consumer world.
Examples of important discoveries and trends could be positive or negative: you might focus on the use of drones for online retail companies or new technologies like Groovv Register and HubSpot that facilitate company marketing; you could investigate the use of EMV chips, PIN cards and Apple Pay or the need for companies to transition into cloud-computing; you might investigate the increasing utilization of freelance personnel to fill expertise gaps or the current political debate of raising minimum wage; you might explore the growing interest in crowdfunding for small businesses or the renewed need for a work-life balance; the possibilities are endless. Feel free to come up with your own topic, but it must be a discovery or trend complex enough to warrant extensive research and problem-solving.
If you choose topic 2, Explore common issues experienced by employees in all professional fields, or issues more specific to the field you will be entering upon graduation. What’s most important is that you choose an issue that presents a serious problem impacting employees, with possible solutions for how to deal with the issue and implement change. You should also discuss how this issue has or will impact you in your current/future career. Consider researching the history and frequency of the problem, the social/ethical/political contexts that surround it, make note of any groundbreaking cases or current news, and look specifically for solutions that have proven effective in similar instances, etc.
Examples of common workplace issues: back pay, employment discrimination, disability employment, wrongful discharge, fair labor standards, family and medical leave, downsizing and layoffs, employee motivation, workplace violence, religion in the workplace, sexual harassment, labor unions, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, overtime, pensions, wage and hour issues, worker’s compensation, worker’s rights, retirement, etc. Again, you may come up with your own topic, but it must be a workplace issue complex enough to warrant extensive research and problem-solving. There should also be something that links these “common” workplace issues to your specific career or professional field.
Required Content:
5 individual posts/pages (250 words minimum) that must include one or more of the following:
- At least 5 headlines to catch readers’ interest
- At least 4 visuals that will enhance understanding of your topic or issues related to it—this could include charts/graphs, illustrations, examples, etc.
- At least 3 hyperlinks to other websites or documents that will provide additional reading to that which is reported in your post and documented on your bibliography
- At least 1 video that will enhance understanding of the topic or related issues—this can be a relevant video you find online or one you create yourself
- At least 1 original podcast, voicethread, cartoon or presentation (using slideshare/powerpoint/prezi)
1 additional post that provides the bibliography— APA documentation
Total Project: A blog with 6 chronological posts OR a website with 6 linked pages
Length: approximately 1,250 words (not including hyperlinked material or bibliographical info)
Research: minimum 7-10 sources
Due Date:
Rough Draft Posted for Peer Review—Tuesday, May 8
Peer Review Letters Posted—Thursday, May 10
Final Draft—Saturday, May 12
Strategies for Success
Step 1: Locate a variety of quality research materials to build the foundation of your discussion. Identify respected journal and news sources in your field. The best way to do this is to ask your major professors what they read to keep up-to-date with their professions.
Step 2: Use Blogger, WordPress, Site Builder, Simplesite (or another free web/blog site of your choosing) to create a web discussion of your topic and any pertinent issues related to it. There is a video posted in Module 7 that provides step by step instructions on setting up a Word Press page. Explore the various themes and layout choices you might use to create the most effective visual presentation for your topic. Experiment with and get familiar with the various tools provided, especially for inserting hyperlinks, videos, and other multimedia.
Step 3: Compose your written material. Write at least 5 blog entries or create 5 linked web pages (one being the home page). Each blog entry or web page must include an interesting and well-organized discussion (at least 250 words) that includes multimedia: visuals, content links, videos, etc. The purpose here is to make your entry both compelling and interactive so that others will WANT to read it and comment on it. Increase readability with interesting and relevant headings and short paragraphs, and use the inverted pyramid for organization.
And remember, readers have come to your site to hear YOUR VOICE. DO NOT simply summarize your research—if that’s what readers wanted, they could read those sources for themselves—you should aim to extend the information you uncover in your research by sharing your informed perspective on it, exploring its larger significance, inserting additional insights relevant to readers, linking ideas and concepts that are related, synthesizing materials, etc. In other words, share what you have learned from your research, but also establish your “take” on the subject. Why did you find an article/issue interesting or relevant? What can you say about this particular topic now that you have an informed understanding of its most pertinent issues? Why should the rest of us sit up and take notice?
For additional tips on effective blogging, check out this Forbes article for writing the perfect business blog post (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
