Publish at March 21 2017 Updated February 25 2025
With the data accumulated from every click, the media quickly learn which topics, titles and styles are the most popular. From there, they determine the best way to attract our attention.
The art of writing for the web continues to develop, and all media are getting in on the act. In general, texts are becoming shorter and more emotional than reflective.
At the other end of the content spectrum, Twitter has taught us the essence of good tweets, but when it comes to the art of the headline, the prize undoubtedly goes to Buzzfeed. Even if we know in advance that we're likely to be disappointed by the content, some of their headlines are real gems of concision and appeal. We're sensitive to them, we react to them.
Recipe
"Someone on the fringe" did "something conventional but different" to see how people would react
Application
"A ZEP teacher" started "teaching French with Twitter". His students love it.
A good way to "immunize" students against these media tricks is to introduce them to them and then get them to use them. They'll learn many things, including the fact that what they thought was easy isn't really, but also how they get baited.
For example, this analysis of Buzzfeed headlines can be a good start. Producing news headlines is fun, and everyone can come to understand what a good headline is made of.
In the same vein, writing good tweets is also an art of concision. There are several guides, such as How To Write The Perfect Tweet or A Scientific Guide to Writing Great Tweets, to help you improve your Tweeter communications.
Once you've got the hang of it, you'll be able to identify when your texts are just meant to attract you, and distinguish them from real communications.
From there to writing longer texts, " 44 tips for writing well for the Web " covers the essentials of what you need to master. BuzzFeed's help section also provides a good grounding in the best standards of web writing.
But not everyone in a class will feel the call, or even the interest, to write long texts, so how do you keep all your students interested? The same content development techniques apply equally to the production of videos, infographics, slideshows, drawings and audio files. The idea is to produce meaningful communications that are best suited to the media used. Each student can develop his or her skills with the medium he or she prefers. A drawing is sometimes worth far more than 1,000 words.
To tell a story, whether in text, audio, drawing or video, the principles remain the same. "Introduction to storytelling", a course written by Pixar professionals and available free of charge on Khan Academy, provides excellent training.
But in all cases, your productions will have a title, and you'll need to promote them on social media. So, even if your course doesn't go beyond the first stage, the skill will serve. And what's more, your students will be less easily baited and less docile in the face of the media.
Illustration: Pixabay
References
30 BuzzFeed Headline Tricks You Need to See to Believe - Brad - buzzfeed principles
http://www.blog.copyweekly.com/buzzfeed-headline-tricks/
Buzzfeed in the Classroom: You can teach this #SMprof new tricks! - Karen's PR & Social Media
http://karenfreberg.com/blog/buzzfeed-in-the-classroom-you-can-teach-this-smprof-new-tricks/
Help Buzzfeed - https://www.buzzfeed.com/help/faq
A Scientific Guide to Writing Great Tweets: How To Get More Clicks, Retweets and Reach - Courtney Seiter - Buffer
https://blog.bufferapp.com/writing-great-tweets-scientific-guide
How To Write The Perfect Tweet - Shea Bennett - Adweek
http://www.adweek.com/digital/the-perfect-tweet/
44 tips for writing for the Web. - Jean-Marc Hardy - Yellow Dolphins
https://yellowdolphins.com/publications/articles/checklist-pour-bien-ecrire-sur-le-web/
Introduction to storytelling - Pixar - Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/storytelling/we-are-all-storytellers/v/storytelling-introb
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