Four Ways To Attract Your Online Audience

The best multimedia sites stay on top of changes in technology and how users communicate and interact with the internet (videos, pictures, games, podcasts, social media, interaction, customization, graphics etc.)

Successful sites achieve results in many ways. The first way is with writing. Good journalism skills are universal especially when it comes to the online world. With widgets, videos, photos and simple headlines it’s getting easier and easier for readers to skip over the journalistic part of a story and jump straight to the video or skim over the headlines that stand out to them in order to gain information about a story they are interested in. The writer needs to have the skill to gather and present information that they know is eye-catching and relevant to its audience regardless of how the reader consumes the content. Writing needs to start strong, stay strong, simplified and remain active.

The second way that successful sites achieve results is through the proper use of visuals. With technology growing steadily and many multimedia platforms available at their fingertips journalists have numerous ways to help tell stories using tools other than just text. Journalists are now able to take advantage of powerful, strong, influential and captivating videos and imagery to go along with each and every story they publish.  With this type of addition to a story online journalists have the potential to reach many people with more of an impact. Though uses of video journalists are able to give the readers an inside feel of the emotions, actions and reactions happening around the story. Though these readers are able to convey emotion and create a connection to the story, writer or website.  Don’t get me wrong, the journalistic part of the story is still very important, but there’s no substitute for great visuals combined with strong writing. This winning combination is what’s needed in order to stay on top of the industry and one up other sites. Readers aren’t going to continue reading a story or visit a site again if they are not impacted in some way by the content they interact with.

The third way that successful sites achieve results is through navigation. The site needs to get to the point fast, if the readers have to spend any more than a few seconds skimming the page to find what they were looking for they will leave that page just as quickly as it loaded up. It’s also important to front load the content within the site. Put the most important content in the supper left area of the screen along with other important pieces of information across the top of the screen. Make sure to emphasize the most important content with bold text, colors, visuals…anything to attract the readers’ eyes to exciting material.

The fourth and final way that a site can achieve success is through proper use of Social Sharing. Journalists are now able to invite the audience/readers to interact with the information. Online readers are now able to explore information they are interested in on their own, take part in online discussions, post comments, add perspectives, take part in polls and questionnaires and take part in reviews.