Write better release openers Are you still using the fact pack — cramming who, what, when, where, why and how into the first paragraph of your news release? Are you still married to the dated “XYZ Company today announced …” approach? These conventional formulas to release leads are formulaic, old-fashioned and — let’s face it — dull. Both approaches slow the story down, … [Read more...] about Lead on
Archives for December 2012
Why, oh why aren’t they answering?
Question posts don't increase interactions Do questions increase likes and comments on Facebook? No … and yes, according to 2011 research by Momentus Media. Momentus looked at more than 10,000 status updates, dividing them into those that contained a question mark and those that did not. Then they compared those to interaction rates, or likes and comments per post … [Read more...] about Why, oh why aren’t they answering?
Bottoms up
List most-used choices at the end of the drop-down menu When searching on a drop-down menu, Web visitors should either: Start at the top and move linearly down to the bottom of the menu (EPIC model) Randomly search the menu (ACT-R model) Or so say classic models of cognitive processing. How visitors view drop-down menus In reality, Web visitors do neither. Instead, … [Read more...] about Bottoms up
It’s like …
Get great metaphors from GistOut Find analogies, metaphors and similes at GistOut. This site uses Google Custom Search to find metaphors for your topic that have appeared online. For instance, when I type in insulin, I get: "Insulin is like a key that opens the doors to the cells of the body." "Trying to burn glucose without insulin is like trying to cook food without … [Read more...] about It’s like …
Reach more readers
Get the word out with Wylie's writing team I've interviewed George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. But what I really enjoy is chatting with economists, engineers and surgeons. At Wylie Communications, we write about communication technology for Sprint, about personal finance for Northern Trust and — despite the fact that my preferred form of exercise is the hike from … [Read more...] about Reach more readers