Writing for the Web
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Laura Solomon, a Library Services Manager, emphasizes the importance of concise and engaging web content to capture user attention. Key strategies include using shorter text, actionable calls to action (CTAs), and crafting compelling headlines. The document also highlights the need for clear communication that guides readers toward taking specific actions.
Writing for the Web
- 1. Laura Solomon Library Services Manager Writing for OPLIN laura@oplin.org the Web (A.K.A. “Trying to get people to give a darn”)
- 2. You can: • Keep their attention • Not turn them off • Write more convincingly
- 3. From Aaron Schmidt, walkingpaper.org
- 4. L E N GT H
- 6. On average, web users read almost 100% of a page’s content only if it is 25 words or less.
- 7. Krug’s Third Law of Usability
- 12. “…bullets are like flashing Christmas lights”
- 14. LESS NOISE
- 15. MORE PROMINENCE
- 16. Less Page Length
- 18. QUALITY
- 19. PLEASE STOP SCREAMING AT ME. Please?
- 20. Harry Potter Party at the Main Library Thursday, July 14, at 3 p.m.!!!!!!!!
- 21. Click here
- 22. Click here to access your account Access your account
- 24. Don’t bury the lead • “Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, wouldn’t say Sunday whether he’d repeal President Barack Obama’s decision to stop deporting certain young illegal immigrants. “ • “In an interview, Romney would say only that his administration would seek longer-term solutions to the problem of illegal immigration, and that Obama’s new directive, announced Friday, was temporary fix. “
- 25. • 84% are more likely to trust you • 60% + are more likely to be interested in what you are selling/saying
- 27. Content Write in the should not active be written by voice. passive- voiced staff members.
- 31. HOW or WHY and BENEFIT =WIN * * ($how||$why)+$benefit=$win
- 32. Learn more about the library’s research databases
- 33. How to make your research faster & more productive
- 34. Feature Benefit Experience
- 35. • Feature: New database • Benefit: Higher quality information • Experience: Blow away your teachers or professors. Credible, professional sources add information to your research not available via Google and make you look like a more committed student .
- 36. WHY?
- 38. Four kinds of CTAs • Place an order; • Enroll, subscribe, enter; • Get a quote; • Learn more.
- 40. “The goal of the copy is to connect with the reader, and guide them towards an action. “ Peep Laja, owner of Markitekt.com
- 41. Making headlines
- 42. Headlines do 3 things
- 44. 2. Succinctly convey story essence MAN BITES DOG, DOG THREATENS LAWSUIT
- 46. Write the headline FIRST
- 47. Include location Branch gets new checkout machine versus Belpre branch library gets new checkout machine
- 48. Think keywords Local man wins summer reading contest versus Belpre man wins stuffed monkey in library’s 2012 summer reading contest
- 49. Why do list posts work? “If there’s one thing that turns online readers off, it is the 17-line, multi-idea, complex paragraph” Chris Lake, eConsultancy, Digital Marketers United
- 50. Practice
- 51. Rewrite this! A patron must have a library card in good standing to use the public computers managed by the Library’s reservation software.
- 53. http://www.twitter.com/laurasolomon http://www.facebook.com/laurasolomon http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurasolomon laura@oplin.org http://www.meanlaura.com http://www.slideshare.net/laurasolomon Thank you!