Headline writing 2.0: Say what you mean

Being a student of online PR interested in electoral politics, I was stoked when Peter Marmorek, Editor of the Tikkun Toronto Newsletter sent a Blog post entitled “The First Web 2.0 President?“

You don’t have to ask who that would be, do you? Think hip… Think U.S… Think ‘metroracial’.

Juan Cole certainly was. Despite the catchy headline (do you call the head of a blog a ‘headline?’), Cole was over 680 words in before he got to the issue of the web, and even then, he didn’t give it much ink.

Almost all of his article, and almost all of the comments on his article, were interested in the issue of (another catchy new buzzword) ‘metroracial’ identity. Which is very interesting. Just DON’T call your piece something it’s not — don’t promise “informed comment” on the Obama camp’s uses of the net.

In our program the talented Ted Barris recently schooled us in copy editing, including a cursory look at headline writing. We got docked marks for a) being inaccurate, and b)favouring sensationalism over fact. And just to be particularly didactic, Obama might be the first Web 2.0 candidate, but, no matter how much we like him, he is not (yet) president. And no, Juan, adding a question mark to the headline doesn’t sufficiently skirt the issue.

There ARE some decent posts out there on the Obama campaign’s use of web 2.0. Check out CyberInfrastructure 2.0 (short, clear, but not so much analysis), or TechNewsWorld and others on the deft use of a web 2.0 approach with the launch of FightTheSmears, or for an incisive look at this issue from way back in February, see this cool post at Eyeteeth. It’s the bomb.

Perhaps Juan Cole’d best stick to his tag line: “Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion.”

Granted, if the article hadn’t of had such a catchy headline, we wouldn’t be here now.

Eegads! Whatever shall I call this post? Suggestions welcome. It’s a blog. We can always edit…

Budding PR Students: Let’s Get Visual

In Brian Solis’ much commented on May 25th article PR Secrets for Startups, what I learned, above and beyond Solis’ 12 useful ‘secrets’, was actually from the realm of the medium, and not necessarily the message.

I read the (long) article. And started in on the (numerous) comments. What really interested me? What drew my attention? Loic Lemure’s video post. And it wasn’t even the content, it was just that it was a VIDEO.

From all the responses to the post, the video images are more interesting, more attractive, more appealing than just the text.

This insight relates Solis’ secret #1 (you’re not the only game in town — spice. it. up.) and secret #6 (build relationships, create value), but it goes beyond that: get visual.

At our prof’s site even, it’s the visuals that entice. Happy to see she ‘gets it’, and is, as usual, out in front on this one.

Ok. I can’t very well end a post on gettin’ visual without an image, now can I?

Here, in homage to the garden I’ve been tending with care, and to my own, and my classmates’ budding knowledge in this field, this bud’s for you:

Timing & Placement key in (PR) blogging

When do I write this?

Where do I post it?

In the well commented on TechCrunch article PR Secrets for Startups, author Brian Solis offers the to-him-obvious council: don’t break your news on your own blog.

“Like press releases crossing the wire, breaking news on your blog makes the news less valuable if others haven’t yet had an opportunity to break it for you first. It’s like the new car analogy. The value of the car drops the minute you drive it off the lot. Time your post for after when the news breaks and link to everyone who helped cover the story…”

As a newbie in the field, this resonates. Think About What I’m Doing.

Be Strategic.

Further to Solis’ point (#10), “Your Company Blog is More Powerful Than You May Think.” True, I don’t want to piss off a client or anyone else by stealing their thunder. If I have something to say, unless I’m working for a big wig, someone everyone’s following, good if I seriously consider where I post my info. There’s little use hiding whatever light I have under the bushel of my own blog (company) if a more sun-drenched forum exists.

Off now to go post this as a comment on TechCrunch…

Next up: “Let’s Get Visual,” thoughts on the importance of images in blogging.