creating actionable content

PRESENTATION AT NEWSPAPERS ATLANTIC CONFERENCE, MAY 11, 2012

Creating Actionable Content

Social Media Optimization

Tim CurrieSchool of JournalismUniversity of King’s College Halifax

Email: [email protected]: @tscurrie


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Why Does it Matter?

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Why Does it Matter?

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What Content Do We Share?

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What Content Do We Share?

• Positive content is more viral than negative content

• Content that evokes high-arousal emotions is more viral. Positive (eg. awe) or negative (eg. anger or anxiety)

• Content that evokes low-arousal or deactivating emotions (eg. sadness, disappointment) is less viral

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What Drives Our Sharing?

Online is an active medium

From Usability Expert Jakob Nielsen. One study participant (1997):

"If I have to sit here and read the whole article, then I'm not productive."

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Emotion + Action on Display

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20 Most Retweetable Phrases

Dan Zarrella (2009)

1364 you1138 twitter701 please598 retweet397 post389 blog352 social306 free304 media269 help262 please retweet262 great237 social media229 10222 follow187 how to165 top164 blog post128 check out118 new blog post

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Differences: Facebook/Twitter

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Differences: Facebook/Twitter

• Facebook is focused on friends• Usually people you have met• Inter-locking rings of privacy• A measured flow of content

• Twitter is focused on interests• Usually people you haven't met• Mostly public• A fire hose of content


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Tips

So what does it mean for us? …

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Tip: Find The ‘Nugget of Social’


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Tip: Make A Call To Action

The grammar of websites:

• Watch the video clip• Follow it live• Read the full story• View the picture gallery

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Tip: Think Story Headline + …


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Bad Print Headlines Have …

• Label heads• Questions• Passive constructions

Bad Online Headlines Lack …

• Keywords


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Tip: Use Images

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Tip: Use Images

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Tip: Use Images

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Tip: Use Images

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Tip: Use Images


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Location

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Location


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How Does This Apply To Me?

Reporters & editors the distributors of news content now

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creating actionable content

Technology