Introduction to Interactive Media 13: Writing for Interactive Media

Introduction to Interactive Media WHY DOES A CREATOR OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA CARE ABOUT WRITING?

Introduction to Interactive Media Writing is Relevant Proposal writing Web audits / reviews Web site copy Help screens Blogging Web ads Social media calls to action

Introduction to Interactive Media Proposal Writing General areas to cover should include –Problem statement –Proposed solution –Pricing information

Introduction to Interactive Media More specific questions to answer Objective and Target Audience Outline of Content Technical Methods Maintenance Time Frame Estimate Terms of Contract

Introduction to Interactive Media Proposal Writing Strategies Precision is important because it is the basis of your cost estimate. Be succinct – you want them to read it. Be persuasive and positive – you want them to be excited about the project. Presentation counts Depersonalize. This is not about you – it’s about what the application will do.

Introduction to Interactive Media Web Site Audit The objective is to determine whether the web site is achieving its primary purpose and if not, how the web site might be altered to better achieve it’s goal. Usually performed by a third party.

Introduction to Interactive Media Web Site Audit Writing Strategy Make observation Explain the effect Avoid opinion statements Be positive, encouraging and persuasive.

Introduction to Interactive Media Web Site Copy Web visitors have a limited attention span. How can you make it as easy as possible for your visitor to get the point? Headings and subheadings help visitors skip to relevant points –Consider jump down links.

Introduction to Interactive Media Web Site Copy for SEO Search engines deem copy in certain areas more relevant for categorization than other. Areas of importance include –Page Title –Heading tags –Alt tags –Links

Introduction to Interactive Media Help Screens Help screens are integrated into apps and software. Writing help screens requires clarity and understanding a user’s point of view.

Introduction to Interactive Media Blogging Building a database of content around a particular topic. Can be powerful for getting traffic To build followers blog must have character. Title of blog is important for search engine traffic as title becomes part of the URL.

Introduction to Interactive Media

Web Ads Web ads are a limited length. Wording should match the search that led to the ad. Ad testing to determine which is the most effective is a common practice.

Introduction to Interactive Media Social Media Writing Tweets, Facebook posts Like blog writing, regular posting is needed to build an audience. For marketing purposes, people who follow should be privy to special information.

Introduction to Interactive Media The Perfect Post Ask a question that speaks directly to your target users’ needs, wants or interests. Provide some information: follow up question with some info but don’t disclose everything. Always provide a link Keep it positive Don’t bother yourself with a word limit if you don’t have to (Twitter has limit, FB no limit) Provide an image

Introduction to Interactive Media General Guidelines for Writing for Interactive Media The writing style for interactive media is different then writing for other forms of media. –Be brief: user has many exit options from a page. –Make text readable: screen is low res. –Be consistent: treat similar types of text similarly. –Be respectful: content on Internet is publicly available

Introduction to Interactive Media General Guidelines for Writing for Interactive Media –Combine text with other media: to help clarify points. –Make text interactive: for further elaboration or to establish a rich system of cross-links in order to optimize for search engines. –Be strategic: Text can be powerful tool for search engine optimization.