Six mistakes member organisations must avoid when writing on the web
Here are six classic mistakes associations and membership bodies make when writing for their members online. Have you committed any of these communication crimes? Or are you guilt-free?
1. Churnalism not journalism
Is your sector so vibrant that you've news flowing out of every channel? Or are you scratching about in a content dust basin?
Either way, chances are you're relying on a number of media releases to keep your members well informed.
I don't have a problem with the traditional press release, except I've only published one I haven't rewritten or supplemented with my own facts, figures, interviews or photos.
When your members can just as easily sign up to the same news bulletins and blogs as you can, what extra value are you providing?
Don't get trapped into churnalism. Strive to add your own perspectives, angles and insights. It takes more time and effort but your members will thank you for it.
Extra tip: A journalistic, added-value approach is especially important if you’re re-publishing the content elsewhere, in your magazine for example.
2. Re-creating not curating
A comment I recently read in a membership survey went along the lines of "give us the highlights and we can decide for ourselves whether or not we want to follow up."
Curating content means gathering information from different, relevant sources and presenting it as a series of simple headlines and summaries, clearly linked through to the original source.
“Why wouldn’t we send members to our own site?” I hear you cry...
Of course you want to drive traffic to your website, but do you really need to point members there if the original information is presented and updated (perhaps without your knowledge) elsewhere?
At the risk of contradicting number 1 above, don’t embellish, rewrite and republish information for the sake of it. If you’re not the authority on the subject and you've nothing valuable to add, cut everyone's time and the sheer weight of your website – send members direct.
It won’t damage your reputation as the go-to in your profession or trade, it will reinforce it.
Extra tip: Emailers and e-zines are great for sharing curated content.
3. Hellish headlines – dull, too long or just plain confusing
Headlines are a tricky business. These days one headline does not fit all mediums.
Web headlines should be as literal and informative as possible. But beware. Make them too long and literal and you’ll be branded a bore.
Are you writing headlines for search engines or members? The trick is to strike a balance between the two – creating hooks for humans, while helping search engines decipher your content. Make sure Google ‘gets it’. Clever puns and alliteration are still lost on algorithms.
Upworthy has an interesting approach to headlines as you can see from this example:
'Watch The First 54 Seconds. That’s All I Ask. You’ll Be Hooked After That, I Swear'
Apparently, this article was originally titled 'The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra'. The new headline promises a lot, but does it deliver? Decide for yourself.
Check out this post on Upworthy’s (terrible) headlines. I Swear It Will Make You Want To Clap, Cheer and Weep All At The Same Time!
While I wouldn’t advocate Upworthy-style headlines if you want to maintain your professional image, they’re definitely getting their stories noticed and shared. Something to think about.
Extra tip: Check out Rachel’s post on the yawning need for better headlines.
4. Not getting to the point
Are you getting straight to the point of your story? On the web you don't have much time to grab members, so tell them what they need to know early on.
Asking members to fill in a survey? Don't stick the link at the very end, or keep the story short and sweet if you do.
Want members to sign up to a new e-learning package or event? Tell them the benefits and costs straight off the bat.
When writing for the web, use the 'bite, snack, main meal' method. Your headline is the bite and it should be enough to satisfy those who only want to consume the main message.
For those who want more, add a snack. This should be a concise summary, preferably with a satisfying fact or figure. The snack should tempt members to move onto the main meal – more detail and insight for those who want to devour the whole lot.
Remember, this is not about you and your organisation. It’s about your time-poor members. They want to know why something is relevant from the outset, so make sure you present it in easy-to-digest chunks, preferably broken up with subheads.
Extra tip: Save precious space and time by ditching this boring (but all too common) opener: “The Association of Internet Cat Lovers (AICL) have today (25 February 2014) announced that...”.
5. No calls to action and too many dead-ends
Are you missing engagement opportunities because you're not asking your members to give something back?
Too many stories on the web are isolated units of information, boxed into a page that doesn't encourage members to get out and explore what else is on offer.
Make the most of chances to increase engagement. Make sure there’s at least one call to action on every story.
Can members contribute to the story by way of a comment, question or answer? Are you offering related advice or urging them to get in touch if they have a question?
Are you clearly recommending related content or moving them on to another page or section on your site? Don't make members search or think too hard. Make the right connections on their behalf and you'll keep them on your site for longer.
Extra tip: Include call to action buttons within the body copy and watch your words. For example, use 'me' instead of 'your', 'get' instead of 'order'.
6. No obvious owner or expert
Your organisation exists because of the expertise and knowledge of your staff and members. So why are their faces so often missing online?
It’s time to come out of hiding! This is a prime opportunity to build your organisation’s profile and reinforce your position as experts.
The King's Fund does this really well. Their blogs are clearly set apart from other content types, thanks to the authors' photos. Plus, their names link through to their profiles, making them accessible and approachable.
Extra tip: If you've got a Google+ profile, link it to your content. Find out more about why from my post on authorship.
These are just six mistakes to avoid when writing for the web. There are many, many more that can catch us out. Which ones make you flinch?
If you'd like to find out more about our member communications services, please drop us a line. You can email [email protected] or call on 01227 469060.