The Audience is Key

Read my draft out loud? To an audience?! But it isn’t perfect. There are mistakes. It isn’t done!

I have always been one of those writers who is much happier being locked away in my room, fixing my pieces until I feel that they are good enough for a second opinion. Jane Smiley, though, found it truly beneficial to include another person in her creative process.

http://www.hazelfoster.com/2011/06/30/the-search-jane-smiley/

In ‘The Muse: The Listener Also Instructs,’ Smiley discusses how writing with a particular audience in mind helped her to distinguish what was funny, what needed clarification, and what needed to be scrapped all together. By writing for her husband, and knowing that she would be reading her drafts to him, Smiley could distinguish what her audience needed and wanted during her creative process, rather than just waiting for feedback to then change the tone or storyline.

At first I thought this advice would benefit me the most in my personal writing. I know that sharing your work with a ‘safe’ audience is smart, and it certainly helps to notice any holes in the plot or areas that need clarification. But this idea of writing for a very small, particular audience and then taking their feedback into consideration can be translated into social media as well.

When using social media you need to define your target audience and then appeal to their needs. Much like how Smiley considered her husbands reactions while writing her stories, marketers need to consider their audience’s reactions in advance.

Is this post relevant to my audience? Will they read the whole thing? Is this information relevant to my brand? These are all questions that need to be answered before posting on social media—especially since once the post is out there, it can’t be taken back.

I really enjoyed reading Smiley’s thoughts on the writing process; both for my personal works, as well as in regards to communicating with new technology. I think we can learn something from everyone’s process, but keeping the audience’s needs as the driving factor behind mass communication is an idea that everyone in the field of communication should constantly remind themselves.

Engaging. Visually appealing. Audience oriented.

When I hear these words my mind immediately goes to the company that I think embodies them – Disney. Based on making magic happen both in their films and at their theme parks, Disney keeps their focus on their target audience and uses all kinds of means to keep them engaged and happy.

This is also the case for the Disney Parks blog, which first greets individuals with the bold colors and fantastic scenes that one would expect when thinking ‘Disney.’ Having pictures of families enjoying their time at the parks and resorts makes the reader imagine themselves in the situations depicted. Along with capturing people’s attention with images, the blog also gives behind the scenes video that engages readers on another level and makes them feel like they are getting classified information.

With their use of images and video clips the Disney Parks blog gets people’s attention and makes readers want to investigate the articles posted. Disney isn’t the only company that utilizes the tools of multimedia, though. Many blogs and websites are getting better at incorporating visuals and audio to emphasize points or engage viewers. The important thing for these designers to keep in mind is what would appeal to the people they are targeting.

For example, if someone was blogging about new bands, then videos and audio clips would be things that their audience would want. While still images of the bands would be nice, the audience reading the blog would probably prefer to actually hear the music.

Keeping the focus on the audience is one of the most important aspects of writing or designing blogs. As we can see with the Disney blog, visual aids can really bring text alive and engage readers. By showing people what they could experience, Disney is enticing people to visit their locations. The images and video clips they choose stay on brand and show the magic that takes place at their parks and resorts.

Looking at the Ameri-Blog

As an individual who has now devoted 2 years of my life to national service I find it interesting to learn what other branches of AmeriCorps are doing. NCCC, or National Civilian Community Corps, does a great job of making their activities known to the public through their 'Ameri-Blog.'

For a blog to be successful it has to target a particular audience and then deliver information that will be relevant to that group. With their Ameri-Blog, NCCC Teams are able to share their stories with other AmeriCorps members across the country, as well as any other individuals who are interested in service on a larger scale.

They alternate between teams sharing their experience so readers can have a better understanding of all the types of projects NCCC works on. From fighting fires to building shelters, the teams are always doing something interesting, which is another key aspect to blogging. Writers need to find what interests their audience and then consistently deliver; in order to have a strong audience base you need to prove that you are dependable and consistently have new stories to share.

Another aspect for successful blogging is reliability and trustworthiness. As a branch of AmeriCorps that works to better communities through direct service, NCCC teams are a dependable source for information on volunteering. They not only tell people about their service, though, they also provide pictures to actually show what they are accomplishing. Having both images to show their work as well as being a well-known organization gives the Ameri-Blog more credibility.

The Ameri-Blog is also successful in another way- using language that appeals to their audience. Since it is members of NCCC teams writing each entry the blog posts feel real and are phrased in a way that are easy for large audiences to understand and relate to. Relating to an audience is key in maintaining a successful blog, and the easiest way to lose an audience is through using the wrong tone or structure.

Overall the NCCC blog is very successful because it targets an audience that is interested in community service and then delivers information that those people would be interested in. They keep the stories updated frequently so that people will continue to check back, and they use language that works for their audience. By focusing on maintaining a successful blog, NCCC is able to spread awareness about their program and engage people who may be interested in getting involved in national service. 

Check out NCCC's latest adventures here: http://ncccblog.americorps.gov 

The death of a legend

STATE COLLEGE, PA- Joe Paterno, known for being the most successful coach in major college football history, passed away Sunday morning, surrounded by family, said State College’s Mount Nittany Medical Center in a statement.  Shortly after losing his battle to lung cancer, Paterno’s family made the initial announcement in a statement:

"He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Paterno will be remembered by all for being the most successful Division I coach in the history of college football, but his memory is also tarnished by the scandal that surrounded his last days at the university. The news of Paterno’s lung cancer came shortly after the university’s Board of Trustees voted to fire him because of the child sex-abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, who was an assistant on Paterno's Penn State staff.

The end of his career was full of shocking events but throughout his time coaching, Paterno built a strong reputation as a caring man both on the field and in life.

Penn State's board of trustees and President Rodney Erickson said in a statement, "We grieve for the loss of Joe Paterno, a great man who made us a greater university. His dedication to ensuring his players were successful both on the field and in life is legendary and his commitment to education is unmatched in college football. His life, work and generosity will be remembered always."

Although Paterno is mostly remembered for his success in sports, which include posting 11 or more victories in 13 seasons, winning a record 24 bowl games and seeing more than 250 of his former players make the NFL, he will also be remembered for his philanthropy. Paterno and his family gave more that $4 million to the school during his tenure, which helped fund scholarships as well as support two building projects.

Remembered as a giving man as well as a legendary coach, Paterno will be greatly missed by not only friends and family, but by all of the fans that cheered him along his journey to the most successful college football coach in history.

Facebook post: The world of college football mourns the loss of the most successful coach of all time- Joe Paterno. After fighting lung cancer while trying to maintain a positive reputation in light of scandal, Paterno passed away Sunday morning. For more information click here.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/us/pennsylvania-obit-paterno

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2012-01-21/former-penn-state-coach-joe-paterno-dead/52737230/1

A caffeinated campus is a happy campus

This week I was visiting my home in NY and decided to take a tour of my good friend's campus. I love the collegiate atmosphere and it was nice to get a visual of where he spends his days, but my very favorite part was the coffee. Hidden in a side hallway with only one entrance was a tiny coffee shop that sold all of their caffeinated creations for under a dollar- I repeat, UNDER A DOLLAR.

I was beyond excited and took the opportunity to fuel up with one of their signature drinks. As we sat and chatted right outside the shop I noticed that only a few other students trickled through. How could this place not be constantly mobbed? When I asked my friend, he said that he hadn't even known the place existed until a few weeks ago. Clearly the place could benefit from a social media presence.

The first social media tool that I would use for the coffee shop would be Instagram. I think that sharing images of their new drinks or decorated chalkboard would spark student's interest and get them to come visit. By showing people what is at the end of that little hallway they would be more likely to visit it themselves, rather than just happening down there by chance. Also, based on my experience, the most common group on Instagram is young, college aged people who are looking to stay informed of cool things going on around them. The perfect audience to target at an active college campus.

Along with Instagram I think the shop could benefit from using Twitter. They could quickly share their specials, let people know what's going on at the shop, or just ask people to visit the secluded corner of the building. By giving small shout-outs the shop would be able to engage with their public and open communication between the store and their customers.

With Instagram and Twitter to share fast information or images, the coffee shop should also create a Facebook page where they could have more in-depth information. Who started the coffee shop? Why was it put in such an odd location? Who works there? By having a place to lead customers who are seeking more information the coffee shop is once again building connections with their audience and showing that they want to communicate with students and customers.

If they utilized these social media tools I could see the coffee shop having much more traffic and sales. By targeting the undergrad and grad students that visit the campus every day through social media the shop would be able to let people know who they are, what they do and why people should utilize their services. And let's not forget that everything is UNDER A DOLLAR! I know I would be a repeat customer if I was near that campus.

You're the expert...right?

I'll admit it. I am a nerd. I could watch the show 'How It's Made' for days, I wear Periodic Table of Elements TOMS and I love reading weird science articles online. But how do I know that what I'm reading is true?

The first step in my process to find factual science articles is to search reliable news outlets. This week I found an interesting article about studies conducted on ancient horse DNA through the New York Times' website.

I immediately believed the information that I was given because it was from a site that I feel has enough credibility to deserve my trust. From there, I researched the author to see why he should be considered an expert. As Kovach states in 'Blur,' "This implies not only knowing the sources and their supposed expertise but also the basis of their knowledge about a particular case. Credentials alone are insufficient" (2012, pg. 78). 

The first step was to just click on the author's name, which served as a link to other stories that he had written. There I found a list of other scientific articles about topics similar to the DNA research presented in the story I had just read. While it was clear that he had been published before, I wanted some more details on his education and background. The next step was to simply search his name online, which brought me to a short bio explaining his scientific research past and multiple books of his that had been published.

Based on his credentials, as well as his education and past career experience, I determined that the author was a credible source for information. I also noticed that the article had appeared in a printed copy of the Times a few days earlier, which made me believe it even more.

Why is it that I felt more inclined to believe the article after realizing that it had appeared in print? I think it's due to how our culture views the different sources. We see online communication as an open platform where anyone can share ideas and call them facts; whereas print journalism still has that air of holding themselves to a higher standard of truth and journalistic ethics.

Having the ability to share any and all information through online sources can be a good thing! It can open lines of communication, expose people to ideas that they otherwise would have never thought of and it can bridge geographical gaps between individuals all around the world. But it also makes anyone a 'journalist.' This means that as an audience we need to be careful with what sources we trust and which we simply view as entertainment. Looking at the article I read from the New York Times, I trust their information because they are also a prominent form of print media and all of the sources had both the credentials and background to call themselves experts in the field. Checking for these aspects has become a necessity, and as long as audiences are aware of these requirements they will be able to discern true stories from opinion pieces.

Kovach, B. and Rosenstiel, T. (2010). Blur: How to know what's true in the age of information overload. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.

Lemur Check That Source...

In today’s world of open communication platforms it’s important to be wary when faced with new information in a field that you aren’t an expert in.

Something new that I learned today through social media is that it’s possible that lemurs have distinct personalities (hence my lame pun in the title). I found this little tidbit while browsing National Geographic’s Twitter account:

The link in the tweet led me to an article on National Geographic's website, where I got to read all about a study that was conducted to see if lemurs have individual personalities.

Now, am I an expert on lemurs? No. Do I expect an article published through National Geographic to have their facts correct? Yes. This is because National Geographic has a reputation to uphold in the journalism community; they have established that they are a reliable source and therefore would not want to risk losing credibility by publishing incorrect information.

While I trust National Geographic's information on lemurs, it would be possible for nearly anyone to tweet a false fact about the creatures. This is why I tend to put more trust in tweets or Facebook posts that share a link to a reliable source that supports the point being made. The article that I read included the author's name, details about the studies conducted, and a link to the author's personal Twitter account as well as the National Geographic Twitter. These types of clear connections and transparency regarding the author make me believe that the article is giving valid information.

With an overwhelming amount of information available online, people need to be careful with what they believe and what they disregard. It is important to look for the sources of stories and not just accept information as you find it through social media. 

Can some facts and ideas found in tweets or posts be true? Of course. But as an educated audience we need to look for the support that should go along with claims made online.