When saying ‘please’ isnR...

I spotted this sign outside the swimming pool this morning and I was bowled over by how clever it is. In just 15 words it manages to influence your behaviour – and without saying ‘please’. By telling the reader how everybody else is behaving, it makes them want to conform. This idea is known as social proof and it can be more persuasive than simply asking someone to do something. Do you think the sign would be as strong if it read: Please shower before entering the pool It’s shorter, but it’s very plain and formulaic. By including some detail...

Learn the ‘rule of thirds’ t...

Here’s a quick tip: When you produce a blog post, spend a third of your time writing the text. Then spend another third crafting your headline. It really does need that amount of time. Spend your last chunk of time formatting the post. Add bullet points, images, multimedia, anything you think that will make it easier to read. In my experience, people don’t take care formatting their posts to make them visually appealing and they definitely don’t spend enough time on the headline. But that’s a post for another day! Got a blogging tip? Share it...

Web journalism vs. blogging...

Hi! I’m Adrienne, a work experience student from the University of Sheffield. Christine teaches us Web Journalism MA students about writing for the web, and she asked me to write a bit about what I’ve learned. The first thing I’ve learned is that although a huge and growing number of people get their news primarily online, most I’ve spoken to don’t have a clear idea of what “web journalism” actually is. When I tell people what course I’m doing, I generally get a reaction along the lines of, “So, is that, like,...