Telling Our Stories: Tips for Influential Writing on Social Media


6 Tips for Influential Writing on Social Media

by Mark Renfree via www.prnewsonline.com

Like it or not, the need for PR pros to master the written word in all its glory isn’t going anywhere. Regardless of the state of the newspaper or publishing industries, the importance of written communication has only been reinforced through the advent of online media.

As the social realm continues to broaden as more people cross the digital divide, social media channels are offering some of the most exciting opportunities for communicators. But with these opportunities come new challenges and risks, many of which are language related. There is a lot of content out there to compete with, and knowing how to write for social platforms ensures you don't get lost in the noise.

But in a lot of ways writing will always be writing. The nuts and bolts of a good story from a hundred years ago and a compelling Facebook post are the same. Basics like voice, clarity of language and subject are only becoming more important as social media tightens its grip on the media landscape. The communicator who doesn’t have an acute understanding of the language patterns an audience is expecting runs the risk of alienating the target group.

In this vein, Megan Maisel, director, integrated media communications, for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers some tips on influential writing for social media to keep PR pros ahead of the pack.

Here are six tips from Maisel on how to write for social media, and how to make sure you get heard:

  • Define your audience and standardize your voice across all platforms.
  • Measure and prepare to make changes quickly — what works today may not work in a month.
  • Find the people stories — share stories that you would be interested in sharing.
  • Have clear calls to action — if you want your audience to do something (like a post, follow your page or retweet) be explicit.
  • Show some personality and have a sense of excitement.
  • Sell one story several ways — each social platform lets you engage your audience differently. Use the strengths of each one to make your message stand out


3 PR Tips for Visual Storytelling via YouTube

by Matthew Schwartz via www.prsnewsonline

A picture is worth a thousand words, we’re told. So what’s the return for lush, well-crafted video programming that helps get your message out?

Brands and organizations of all stripes are starting to ramp up their online video efforts, what with countless studies showing that consumers are infinitely more responsive to a message that’s delivered on video (rather than text).

YouTube, which is owned by Google, is Lord of the manor when it comes to getting the biggest bang for your video distribution buck. So how do PR pros hitch rich video to YouTube?

Joie Healy, senior manager of social media communications at Cisco, will speak at the “Harnessing the Power of Visual Storytelling on YouTube” session at PR News’ Google Conference, which takes place February 11 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.

Below, Healy offers a tease for how to develop a YouTube messaging strategy.

1. Keep it short. With attention spans narrowing, it’s important to keep your videos short, preferably under two minutes. According to AdWeek, the average length of the Top 50 most popular YouTube videos was 2 minutes, 54 seconds. In other words, the shorter the better.

2. Pull at the heartstrings. Across social networks, people consume, engage with and share content that feels authentic and resonates with them emotionally. Make sure your videos have a human element and clearly convey to the viewer why your message is relevant for them personally. Ask yourself “why do I care.”

3. Leverage rich keywords. YouTube is the second largest search engine, after Google. To ensure ample views, tag your videos with plenty of relevant, rich keywords. In other words, SEO isn’t just for websites; it’s for video too.