I've seen things online before about how people read online that I just CAN'T focus on.
How am I supposed to believe someone who can't follow their own advice?
I'll admit that writing for the web isn't my strong suit, which is why I might print this article by Michael Agger and read it over and over.
The article I'm talking about highlights the things we need to do to make our online information readable. This is essential to any of you working on your congregation's website. I would argue that it's also important for those writing for print. A few tips:
Bulleted lists
Bold print
Helpful headings
Short paragraphs
are some of the things that are also important for print. My belief is that print reading habits (at least in information-gathering reading, not pleasure reading) are moving in the direction of web reading.
The biggest problem with the article in reference is that it is rather long in screen space. If you can make it past the point where the author admits he probably is losing readers, you can make it through the whole thing and pick up some helpful tips.
This may step ahead of many of us technologically, but I found it very helpful to know. You may want to know it, save it, or pass it on to a person who might work with it.
In the first ever edition of Christian Video Magazine, Augstin Moore, president/owner of Streaming for Jesus, wrote an article praising the benefits of streaming video in flash.
As a proud new owner of not one, but TWO Mac computers (ok, I only OWN one, the other is my work computer), this rang true for me. To boil it down and highlight the parts that will make sense to the less tech savvy, basically flash is a fairly universal player. If you're used to using Windows, you have probably watched some kind of video in Windows Media Player. You can also get players like QuickTime and Real Player for your PC. Mac comes pre-installed with QuickTime. Then there's Linux, another operating system with it's own settings and capabilities. Flash can be used directly in a web browser on ALL of these.
Moore also explains how it saves time as the file only needs to be saved as one file type for all users.
His explanation is much more in depth, so I suggest if you are to the point of putting video online that this might be an important article to read.
How many of us copy and paste the information from our print publications into our electronic ones? I'll admit it, I'm guilty. Take a few minutes and update a few key things, though, and you'll get more attention to your online material!
Basically think of print as a passive medium that people with time sit down to see what's going on and the web as a tool that people use to search out the answer.
From there, let's start with titles. Creative titles are fun and can work when the text and images are right there, but if you're putting a title somewhere without the info or want people to catch it with a search engine, leave the creativity behind. Use simple phrases with words that literally apply. You should be able to tell what the story is about just by reading the title.
Second, don't tell stories in your online information. Just get to the point and answer their question.
Nielsen even advocates for simplicity overruling well-crafted sentences. Think back to "classic" literature - writers used to be a lot more verbose and eloquent than they are now and web is moving even farther in that direction.
In summary - web means the READER is in charge and wants to fill in certain holes in their knowledge, print means they'll let YOU tell them what they should know.
Anyone want to provide an example or suggest a title or sentence for a re-write? Feel free in the comments!
Whether you're looking to "green" your congregation's communications, you're sick of seeing waste as you spend your days in the church, or you know there's a committee in the congregation working on green efforts, read on. Actually, if you have ANY kinds of goals, this may be helpful.
When I was at the Religion Communicator's Council convention last April I attended a session on greening communications by Cassandra Carmichael of the National Council of Churches. If you start looking at your communications, your office, or the entire congregation, you'll find LOTS of things that you're doing "wrong." Rather than become overwhelmed, take these steps towards your goals:
Make them concrete. Bad example: Use less electricity. Good example: Set office computers to "sleep" when you're gone from the desk for a few minutes.
Make them visible. This reminder will not only help you remember to do what it is you're doing, it will also give you a sense of accomplishment. For example, when a school did a drive to cut down catalog deliveries by having students enter unwanted catalog information into Catalog Choice's website, they stacked up the unwanted catalogs.
Don't do it by yourself. It's easier to remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room if someone else is there to remind you and to turn them off if you do happen to forget.
Celebrate accomplishments. What good is a goal if you never get something done? What good is getting something done if you can't enjoy it?
You're more likely to get something done if you write down your goals and follow these (or similar) steps, so what are you waiting for? Set a goal!
