Day 4 - Takeoff (social media marketing series)

Before you format your website or blog post, it’s important to take into account the way people view web pages. This has been determined by a fascinating method called eyetrack research. Here’s what researchers have learned from this method.  

When people view web sites, they:

• Scan
• Jump from site to site
• Avoid ads
• Read in an F-pattern
• Do not scroll
• Are drawn to faces
• Pay attention to headlines
• Ignore banners and anything that looks like an ad

To Dodge Those Bullets and Capitalize On Those Preferences…

1. If you advertise, you want it to be in the top left because people are used to ads being in the top right, and will completely ignore it.
2. Create titles based on what people will search when looking for this article
3. Put your most important info at the top.
4. Avoid feature lead-in.
5. Google looks at copy and uses the first words as keywords, so make sure those words are strong and identifiable.
6. Write in genuine tone and don’t use jargon.

When Formatting Your Text, Use:

• Short paragraphs
• Bulleted lists
• Short sentence fragments
• Explanatory subheads
• Non-pun headlines
• Use of bold on important details to draw in skimmers and scanners

Online Tools for Your Page Creation

Pagemodo - build a Facebook landing page that really brands you, using their templates

Remember: You Are Chief

U.A.R.C.H.I.E.F. –Make sure all of your content is either Useful, Actionable, Relevant, Credible, Helpful, Informative, Entertaining and Fun or Funny.

(If you can make it all of the above, you are a master of your domain…literally).

More Than Words

Readers expect you to help them find more valuable information. So, supplement your posts and online media copy by including one or several of the following to make your content more attention-grabbing:

• Lists
• Photos
• Videos
• Thought posts (question)
• Interviews
• Live chats
• Live videos
• Slide shows
• Best-of posts
• Most linked-to posts
• Use precise numbers in the headline
• Create a series of posts (i.e. “31 days to a better you,” etc.)
• Polls and games
• Highlight your own, real customers
• Tell a story
• Give kudos to employees, partners or customers who’ve done something publicly notable
• Toot your own horn (sometimes) – Awards, donations, community efforts, etc.
• E-mail marketing (e-newsletter digest of all of daily or weekly posting to drive traffic to your site(s) and post(s)

Do you have the window seat? Enjoy that view, my friend...