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Dress Up your Blog with WordPress Post Formats

  • What post formats do you use the most?
  • I don’t really use any WordPress post formats other than the “standard” post, and occasionally “video”.
  • How does the video post work?
  • If I post a “video” format post, then all that shows is the video in as wide a part of the screen as possible (whilst still allowing for room for my sidebar).  Whereas if I just put a piece of video as inserted media into my blog, I get a title for the blogpost, a smaller format player, and room for text around it. So I choose the format for each video post accordingly.
  • I was teaching blogging to some postgrad researchers the other day, and when I showed them the different formats for posts they got quite excited at the thought of not always having to write a long form article every time they blogged.  It kindled my curiosity as to what the other formats would look like if used correctly.

format

  • The table above shows all 9 formats that come with the Chalk theme I use for my blog, the one I’ve chosen for this post is “Chat”.
  • So that’s why this post is coming up in this new format – it’s emulating a conversation?
  • Yes, just use an unordered list (or bullet points to the rest of us) and WordPress does the rest.
  • To find out what post formats come with your blog theme, go to the support page for your theme. Then you too can find out if you can talk to yourself.
  • Or perhaps use it next time you are reporting an interview.
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First Christmas tweets from my students #MFC4322

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Why use WordPress for Academic Blogging?

Blogging mindmap

 

  1. It’s free – up to a very generous point.
  2. It’s customisable.
  3. It’s a social network – a great way to find and link with others in your field.
  4. It facilitates multiple authors and collaboration.
  5. It is open source – which makes it even more customisable for a very low cost (for the hosting only).
  6. People have built really usefully plugins and extended the wordpress platform to create whole online communities that can be used to blog together – for example you can build your own social network on BuddyPress.
  7. Can move swiftly and easily to a completely independent site at very low cost.
  8. Lots of free resources to learn WordPress.
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Free Resources for Learning WordPress

BLOG graphic

 

First stop for learning WordPress is https://learn.wordpress.com/

If your website is independently hosted – that is it is NOT on wordpress.com – the WordPress Codex and its teach yourself WordPress section is your first port of call.

If you’d like a printable manual the wonderful WordPress consultants Interconnect IT regularly update their free wordpress guide.

If you prefer video tutorials check out WordPress.tv

Of course wordpress is a social network, and many bloggers have collated their picks of the best resources for learning WordPress, here’s a top three to get you started:

If you find any good resources – p[lease mention them in the comments.