CopySpot

Going from Print to Web Means Creating Added Value

2011-06-03T15:29:00.006-04:00

(Photo by Jeff Samoray)

During an interesting conversation I had recently with a magazine editor, she mentioned a problem common to many organizations: finding ways to create an online presence for a publication. With some degree of frustration, she admitted that her bosses think the best way to do this is to slap a PDF of every issue on their website.

This approach isn’t effective because it’s just electronic duplication – a PDF alone doesn’t provide added value or give readers an incentive to visit your website. With blogs and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter constantly grabbing for our attention, organizations need to take a more creative approach to attracting and retaining readers.

Here are some more creative ways to place a printed publication online:

Web extras
There’s only so much space in a printed piece, but the web is nearly infinite. Editors often have too much copy for a given story. The material might be great, but there’s just no place to put it. In those instances, try creating some compelling sidebars that can be placed online as “web extras.” Are you featuring a piece about your hospital’s new healthy lifestyle campaign? Send readers to your website for some healthy and easy-to-prepare recipes.

Audio and video clips
For your best feature stories, encourage your writers to get audio or video recordings of their interview subjects whenever possible. If the person recorded is compelling, then you have an intriguing web extra. Have you interviewed a doctor about a new robotic surgical device? Send your readers online to view a short video of the surgeon demonstrating how it works. Got a story about an author who just published his first novel? Create an audio clip of the author reading a selection from the opening chapter.

Of course, the writer will need to get permission from the interviewee before hitting the “record” button.

Photo slideshows
Again, there's only so much space within a printed publication. If you can fit just a couple shots from that reel of great pictures taken for your cover story, place the rest online in a photo slideshow. I once wrote about a hospital that held a photography contest for its employees. The hospital framed the best photos – most of outdoor scenes – and displayed them prominently on a patient floor. The photos were stunning and the patients loved them. Only a few could be printed in the publication – the rest were ripe for display online.

QR (quick response) codes
Let’s face it – your readers are becoming more accustomed to reading newspapers, magazines and other publications on their smartphones. If you’re not capitalizing on smartphone technology, know that others are. Many publications offer QR codes for readers to scan with their devices for online extras. Binghamton University Magazine does just that. For example, on the back cover of the Spring 2011 issue, a QR code directs readers to an online registration page for the university’s fall 2011 homecoming celebrations.

Have you tried other ways to create an online presence for your publication? Have you used some of the strategies listed above? What kind of results have you achieved? Please let me know in the comments.

About the Author: Jeff Samoray is an award-winning copywriter and editor who specializes in health care and medical writing. Follow Jeff on Twitter and LinkedIn and visit his website to learn more about his writing, editing and creative consulting services.

To follow, or not to follow?

2011-04-11T13:52:00.009-04:00

(Courtesy of Twitter)

Everyone likes being popular – in both the real and viral worlds. I’ll admit, I enjoy watching my Twitter following grow just as much as anybody else. In fact, I recently added a Twitter counter to my website (via TwitterCounter) so I can share those stats with site visitors.

Followers create credibility for any business. A significant following shows that people view you as an authority for your industry – or at least you often have something interesting to say. You become a “Pied Piper” of sorts for your industry or area of expertise.

There are plenty of social media websites that provide strategies for building a Twitter following. But is it a good practice to pile up followers as quickly as possible? Or is it better to invest more time in reading what others have to say and do more following?

In a perfect Twittersphere, it’s probably optimal to follow an equal number of followers. But since equalizing on a large scale is impractical, it’s best to stick to a targeted strategy.

As tempting as it is to automatically follow anyone who chooses to follow me, I do a little research first. I check their Twitter profile page and timeline to see who they are and what they’re tweeting. I’ll return the follow if the tweets meet these criteria:

The tweets are related to my business or personal interests
The tweets impart useful information (usually with links to Blog entries, websites and the like)
The person tweeting comes across as an industry expert or insider

This practice isn’t about profiling or creating exclusivity, but striving for quality over quantity. (I’m highly unlikely to follow someone, for example, if their tweets mainly consist of out-of-context, semi-private @ messages to people I don’t know.) Of course, I actively seek out other interesting individuals to follow. You’re not likely to build a following by waiting for others to come to you.

Overall, I believe it’s best to do a bit more following. It gives the impression that you’re a good listener – that you care more about what people have to say than about broadcasting your own message. Few people like the loudmouth at the party who spends all his time talking about himself. Equal amounts of listening and tweeting are akin to a good in-person conversation.

What strategy do you use for building a Twitter following? Do you automatically follow everyone who follows you? Do you believe it’s best to get the largest possible number of followers by any means necessary? Share your ideas with me – I’d love to hear what you have to say.

About the Author: Jeff Samoray is an award-winning copywriter and editor who specializes in health care and medical writing. Follow Jeff on Twitter and LinkedIn and visit his website to learn more about his writing, editing and creative consulting services.

The one question you should ALWAYS ask during an interview

2011-03-28T16:26:00.000-04:00

As a freelance copywriter specializing in health care, clients often ask me to present complex information to a general reading audience. “How soy isoflavones help cancer patients better tolerate chemotherapy,” is one example. It’s my job to tackle a topic like this and write a story that will a) engage general readers and b) allow them to understand the subject, even if they didn’t attend medical school.

Heck, I didn’t attend medical school, either. But this gives me an advantage – I’m in the same boat as my readers. I get to ask the physician the same questions they would ask.

Before contacting the doctor for an interview, I’ll place myself in the readers’ shoes and figure out what they would want to know. I often base my questions on the “who, what, when, where, why and how” journalism standbys, then add others based on the background information I’ve already studied. During the interview, I’ll modify my questions based on the answers provided.

This method works great for getting info about any subject. But there’s one question I always add near the end every interview, no matter how simple or complex the topic. I learned this helpful tip years ago from a seasoned journalist when I worked at the Detroit News. It’s a simple query, but one I highly recommend you include in every interview:

“Is there anything else you’d like to add or anything I’ve forgotten to ask?”

Asking this does one of two things: it either validates the thoroughness of the interview, or it gives you additional information that can sometimes change the complexion of the entire story.

If you ask this question and get the response, “No, I think we’ve covered the subject thoroughly,” then you know you’ve conducted a solid interview. But since you can never really get inside the head of the person you’re interviewing, it always helps to ask if you’ve missed something. And there will be times when you obtain additional information that can make a good story even better.

Your interview subjects will also appreciate the chance to answer this question. It’s a sign of consideration on your part as an interviewer. More often than not, the person interviewed will provide colorful quotes you can weave into your story or take you down an alternate path that will add greater dimension to your piece.

Try adding this question to your interview repertoire, and let me know how it works out. What other advice do you have for conducting a great interview?

About the Author: Jeff Samoray is an award-winning copywriter and editor who specializes in health care and medical writing. Follow Jeff on Twitter and visit his website to learn more about his writing, editing and creative consulting services.