Writing for Social Media

Kristian CarterClaremont PRwww.claremont.org.uk

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Writing for the Web

How users read text on the Web

• Users scan text on websites, rather

than reading word for word.

• Users read in quick, short bursts and

tend to be action-oriented.

• Takes longer to read same passage

on screen as on a page.

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Writing for the Web

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15792257

Interactive chart

Short, punchy intro

Subheadings, short line lengths and

mostly 3-line paragraphs

Important

Engaging

Social

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Writing for the Web

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15792257

Keep it short and shareableIf you want to get retweets then 100 characters is a good target

Be timely

Make it conversational

Ask for action

Think headline, not sales pitch

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Writing for Social Media

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Imagery is storytelling

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Writing for the Web

Traditional SEO ‘Ranking Factors’

• Site content and structure

• Content development

• Keyword research

• Expertise

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Writing for the Web

However, search is evolving…

• Rise of ‘Mobile Search’ through Google Voice Search,

Siri, Google Now.

• Decline of ‘High Volume’ keywords – ‘Apprenticeships’

vs. ‘How can I get an Apprenticeship?’

• Google’s algorithm is well understood by people looking

to manipulate search rankings.

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Writing for the Web

Hummingbird – an evolution of search

• Serves search habits of today (and tomorrow)

• Understands and delivers upon ‘user intent’

• Helps people quickly answer full questions, as

opposed to long phrases by individual words

• Looks to predict the answer we are looking for

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Writing for the Web

“Pay Your Bills through Citizen Bank and Trust Bank”

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Writing for the Web

What a typical SEO strategy looks like today

• Context-based approach

• Mobile-first focus

• Long tail approach

• Better participation on social networks

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Writing for the Web

November 2013

Tap into human emotion if you want people to share

We talk to survive

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Writing for the Web

November 2013

Creating shareable content – why do people share?

We talk to form social bonds

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Writing for the Web

Creating shareable content – why do people share?

We talk to help others

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Writing for the Web

Creating shareable content – why do people share?

We talk to manage how we are perceived

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Writing for the Web

What do we talk about?

• We talk about other people

• We share feelings, not facts

• We share content that triggers emotions

• We talk about the things around us

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Writing for the Web

Who do we talk to?

• 80% of our conversations are with the same 5-10 people

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Writing for the Web

•‘Library’ content: answers real questions for your audiences

•‘Cafe’ content: short, visual, shareable, regular content for social media

•Delivered in packages, for different audiences & platforms

•Conversational, interactive

•Ask for action: headline, not sales pitch

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Writing for the Web - Tactics

Employ the ‘Why should I share test?’

• Have a clear social voice – entertainer, host, enabler?

• How can you make the end user look good?

• Provide facts at the moments that count

• Focus on visual content

• Test, test, test – draft 25 headlines

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Thanks

Kristian Carter

kristian.carter@claremont.org.uk