How to write and design for tablets Call it the bailout point. People reading news on an iPad spent an average of 78.3 seconds on stories that they didn't finish. That's according to EyeTrack: Tablet, The Poynter Institute's latest eyetracking study. So what's a writer to do? Place a "gold coin" at the bailout point to keep people reading, Poynter researchers … [Read more...] about Pad prowess
Archives for February 2013
Pay it forward
We're wired to repay favors When social scientist Randy Garner sent out a group of surveys, he attached either: A handwritten sticky note, attached to a cover letter, asking people to complete the survey A similar handwritten message on the cover letter itself The cover letter alone with no handwritten request The results: Nearly three-quarters of people who … [Read more...] about Pay it forward
Authority rules
Experts are most trusted, says Edelman’s Trust Barometer Trust saw some big changes in 2011: Trust in credentialed experts (70%) and company technical specialists (64%) is on the rise. It's the "Authority Rule" of persuasion. Trust in "a person like myself" and regular employees has declined, possibly because of "over-friending." People need to hear messages three to … [Read more...] about Authority rules
‘Don’t light your clothing on fire’
WCB-Alberta teaches safety through 'The Hunger Games' Some topics are hard to tackle. Brand guidelines, casual dress codes and safety, for instance, all come across as finger-wagging, nagging stories. Unless communicators at the Workers Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB-Alberta) are doing the writing, that is. These folks write about safety daily and are great at finding … [Read more...] about ‘Don’t light your clothing on fire’
Try the Creative Writing Workout
Practice writing like NPR, The Wall Street Journal or your favorite author Joan Didion does it. So did John Gregory Dunne. And W. Somerset Maugham. They studied the world’s best writers, learned their techniques and adapted those techniques to their own work. You can do it, too. In this new workshop, you’ll learn to turn your favorite writers into personal writing … [Read more...] about Try the Creative Writing Workout