“Clickbait” From Oxford Language: noun (on the internet) content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. I have an intense dislike of clickbait headlines. However, I do completely understand why they exist: standing out in the vast sea of content is extremely… Continue reading Make your library’s headlines better (without turning them into clickbait)
Category: writing
I’ve written something new.
I’ve taken much of what I’ve thought and learned about website work for libraries, and put it down on paper. You can get a (digital) copy of my Library Technology Report for the American Library Association here, with your ALA membership. I’m in good company; other report authors include folks like Marshall Breeding, David Lee… Continue reading I’ve written something new.
Stop saying this, because you’re making me cry
I’ve been doing web work for libraries for more than a couple of decades. When I started out, during the early days of the graphic web, libraries were spending significant amounts of staff time introducing the web and how it works to their communities. Many patrons were learning how to navigate online, learning how to… Continue reading Stop saying this, because you’re making me cry
Exclamation points. Don’t use them.
“Exclamation points, you see, are evil. “ James Chartrand, Men With Pens I’m fairly certain that I’ve talked about this in nearly every web-related workshop or presentation I’ve ever done; despite this emphasis, I still see exclamation points appearing on library websites. I know, you think it doesn’t matter. It’s just so easy to use… Continue reading Exclamation points. Don’t use them.
Beware of “smelly” content
Many libraries give a lot of thought to how their website looks, and some even spend a significant time thinking about how people actually use their sites. However, one aspect that often gets overlooked is the content. Content especially gets ignored once it’s actually up on a site; how many times have you run… Continue reading Beware of “smelly” content
Writing so people give a darn
This week, the OPLIN 4Cast took a look at how social media does or does not affect attention. I thought I’d supplement that with something else that tends to lose people’s attention on the Web. All too often, when I look at a library’s website, what I see resembles the following: Lorem ipsum dolor sit… Continue reading Writing so people give a darn
Where’s the payoff?
I’ve been doing a lot of teaching about social media lately, and one of the points I drive home constantly is that human beings are inherently selfish. When presented with anything new, the question in our heads is always and immediately going to be: “What’s in it for ME?” When your library promotes anything, it… Continue reading Where’s the payoff?