PRPD Webinar: Dark Arts of the Online Overlords

Dark secrets online overlords of the

very important things I won’t dwell on:

•  social media •  news judgment •  technology •  SEO •  cat photos

& sensibility

desire

what I will dwell on:

ackage, repackage, repeat. Flickr photo courtesy of user scmgee.

P

lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

packaging reinforces

packaging extends reach

stock and flow

Umbering is narrative. Flickr photo courtesy of user svenwerk.

N

popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

theatlantic.com II. Numbering is narrative.

lists promise specifics

lists promise limits

lists promise hierarchy

examples of guides from different sites II. Numbering is narrative.

Eadlines are hooks. Flickr photo courtesy of user minifig.

H

“ “ Imagine you're writing a

headline for a magazine … rather than a newspaper.

source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

wired.com vs. gawker.com III. Headlines are hooks.

Vs.

focus on implications, not events

Vs.

Vs.

nytimes.com vs. google news vs. gawker.com III. Headlines are hooks

parsability and authority

12 most profit-producing words III. Headlines are hooks

1.  Discover 2.  Easy 3.  Guarantee 4.  Health 5.  Love 6.  Money 7.  New 8.  Proven 9.  Results 10.  Safety 11.  Save 12.  You

12 most arresting headline words III. Headlines are hooks

1.  Top 2.  Why 3.  How 4.  Will 5.  Guide 6.  Best 7.  Secret 8.  Ultimate 9.  Your 10.  Worst 11.  New 12.  Future

Omments are content. Flickr photo courtesy of user

nolifebeforecoffee.

C

ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

content gets assigned

content gets curated

content gets edited

content gets promoted

Xplain, explain, explain. Flickr photo courtesy of user Pip R. Lagenta.

E

“ “

When remotely possible, turn news into explanation.

source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

slate.com VI. Explain, explain, explain.

voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein VI. Explain, explain, explain.

voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein VI. Explain, explain, explain.

Flickr photo courtesy of user movimente.

Llustrate everything. I

huffingtonpost.com VII. Illustrate everything.

A transportation blog?! Really?

*actual transportation blog headlines VIII. Illustrate everything.

blogs.startribune.com/roadguy VII. Illustrate everything.

“The word that came to mind was ‘brazen.’”

images courtesy of roadguy VII. Illustrate everything.

ompete through co-optation. Photo courtesy of the U.S. military.

C

andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com VIII. Compete through co-optation.

andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com VIII. Compete through co-optation.

npr.org VIII. Compete through co-optation.

huffingtonpost.com VIII. Compete through co-optation.

Flickr photo courtesy of user Stuck In Customs.

inimal is magical. M

[Noun] [verb]:

[Blockquote]

A reader writes:

[Blockquote]

marginalrevolution.com X. Sully ledes.

marginalrevolution.com X. Sully ledes.

it’s quick

it demands listening

it evokes a conversation

it triggers awareness

I have so many fascinating things to tell you.

I must hurry.

mpires beat castles. Flickr photo courtesy of user

Maximus_W.

E

MediaSite™

Your local news source.

You wish your ads were this pretty.

NEWS ARTSPLASH SPORTZBUZZ YOURVOICES HOMESLICE GO!

Real-Time News

Memorial Garden dedicated

ArtSplash

YourVoices

SportzBuzz

brandcastle n. A media experience purporting to offer content and storytelling, but

in reality obsessed primarily with how a media entity thinks of itself.

brands ! content

brand empire n. A collection of brands of various shapes and sizes that represent the

many (often overlapping) fan constituencies an organization serves.

huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

treams beat stories. Flickr photo courtesy of user Mr. T in DC.

S

city room and l.a.now IX. Streams, not stories.

gothamist network IX. Streams, not stories.

city room vs. gothamist IX. Streams, not stories.

feed > post

subscriber > visitor

nytimes.com IX. Streams, not stories.

talkingpointsmemo.com IX. Streams, not stories

speedy visual fun explanatory focused straightforward authoritative hierarchical conversational engaging continuous simple efficient comprehensive concise adaptable collaborative ubiquitous social economical arresting networked creative aggressive engaged serial bi-directional ebullient forceful filtered digressive bold cathartic curatorial steady data-driven resourceful frequent plugged-in iterative