By Dr. Nick Gerlich
There are more than 31 million monthly bloggers in the US, and more than 600 million worldwide. Each year, more than two billion blog posts are made, or more than 5.7 million per day and more than 4000 per minute.
But while blogging is a popular online activity for many, the College of Business was not represented in the blogosphere until this fall. Thanks to an initiative launched by Dr. Amjad Abdullat, Dean of the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, Lynsee Bjork and I were tapped to lead the COB into new territory.
The result is ProfSpeak, the first ever blog in the College.
Designed to feature the diverse talents and knowledge of the faculty, ProfSpeak has 14 faculty contributors, each of whom is writing not just in their areas of expertise, but also their personal interests. The result is a variety of subject matter, from local business to national and global trends, along with insights about how the election affects the stock market, the effects of COVID on layoffs, and more.
ProfSpeak is published regularly through the calendar year, with each contributor assigned to post 2-3 times per semester as well as during the summer terms and when classes are dark. With individual blog pieces ranging from 800 to 1500 words, there is plenty for readers to sink their teeth into, yet not feel like they are lost in an academic text book.
Blogs are a great way to engage constituencies and stakeholders to drive traffic to websites, and ProfSpeak is no different. One of our stated goals is to more fully engage not only the faculty who are writing, but also our current students, prospective students, alumni, and donors. Our blog thus supplements everything appearing on our website, and gives readers a chance to peek into the minds of our faculty outside of their classroom and office.
As such, we have designed ProfSpeak to be accessible to the masses. While some faculty may write about their current research projects and findings, the tone of their posts is casual yet informative. That’s another way of saying we are striving to keep it jargon-free, practical, actionable, and relatable.
While the quality research we produce will continue to appear in top-tier academic journals, ProfSpeak will fill a void between the ivory towers of academe and where the rubber hits the road. It is thus one more tool in our array of marketing communication methods, fitting in nicely among email, social media, and online advertising.
On behalf of both Lynsee and Dr. Abdullat, we welcome you to our latest communication outlet. Be sure to bookmark it and check back regularly, because we’re proud to be among what is now the 31 million and one bloggers.
Recent posts:
- Greatest blog post ever written – 5 Stars! – Robert King
- Cybersecurity in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Why are Some Hispanic-Owned Businesses Drowning and Others Thriving During the Pandemic?
- Let’s Talk Turkey – Straight Talk About Your Business Degree and Law School
- What’s the demand curve for my product? A first look using regression analysis
- Three things economists want you to know about monopolies
- Elections and the Stock Market
- 21st Century Lingua Franca
- Layoffs amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Brown Bagging vs. White Bagging
- Open And Shut Case: Making Or Breaking It In A Pandemic
- What can game theory tell us about presidential elections?
- Digital Advertising and the 2020 Presidential Election