Remember to give readers essential orientation.
If you post on social media but never studied journalism, you might benefit from this essential of good reporting: the Five Ws.
Even those who skim your post will get the big idea if you immediately give these five key facts:
- Who
- What
- Where
- When
- Why
Provide all five, and people won’t miss the gist of what you want to communicate.
Take this post I just saw from a Facebook friend:
Narnia Chronicles Discussion Group (hyperlink) is focusing on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in Oct. Join us — we welcome new members!
So much information is missing, like the where. If it’s an online group, that may not apply. But without clicking, readers have no way to know. If the group meets in person, you must try to recall where this friend lives. If you have hundreds, that’s not easy.
As to the when, readers have no clue if the group meets monthly, weekly, or when there’s a full moon.
In contrast, consider this other post, just a few screens down.
Please save the date: November 11, 2017
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet two dozen New Mexico authors at the 2nd Annual Albuquerque Museum Authors Festival on November 11, 2017, at the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town Albuquerque.
The following link shows the names of participating authors and the times and topics of special presentations …
Not especially creative, but it communicates the essentials. What about your posts?
