Abraham Lincoln The Vampire Hunter

How To Get People To Read Your Blog + Scannable Content

How To Get People To Read Your Blog + Scannable Content Do people  really read  anymore? Its a bit of a conundrum that content marketers and bloggers are facing today: Publish lots of consistent content. Make sure its long-form content. And then there are the trolls who seem to love TL;DR (meaning too long; didnt read) which actually gets searched about 74,000 times every month. So  how do you get people to read your blog, really? Reading something on the web takes 25% longer  than reading it off of the printed page. Do you have 25% more time? I know I don’t. And that’s why I find that I scan content online much more than I do when I’m reading a book or magazine. Maybe I feel like things are going faster when I’m online, or maybe it’s just a habit. Whatever the case, much of the content I consume online starts out from scanning. I’m a scanner. How To Get People To Read Your Blog With Scannable Content via @JulieNeidlingerWho Scans Content? Scanning is not the same as speed reading (if there is such a thing). Rather, it’s more of a triage approach to gathering information. Scanners are people who whiz through a piece of content, grabbing as much information as they can without reading every single word. (And by scanners, I do not mean the rather frightening movie of the same name, because believe me, you don’t want to attract those kinds of scanners.) Scanners aren’t there to read your blog post in depth. At least, not at first. They might dive in and read if your content caught their eye, but for the most part, when someone is in scanning mode, they’re basically on the fast hunt for specific information they need right now. Scanners may not read your post entirely at first, but are hunting for specific information.Scanners might need your content for research for their own  content. They might be searching for new content ideas. Or, they might truly be looking for information, but have a time crunch to work under and are trying to cram as much into their mind as they can before they move onto the next thing on their list. Creating Scannable Content If you break down scanners' behavior, you’ll understand a bit more what they're looking for, and how to create content that fits their needs. 1. Maximum information, least amount of time. Scanners want to get the most amount of information, in context, in the least amount of time. Richly woven metaphors and thick prose need not apply; these are the â€Å"skip-over parts† of excessive description that you can avoid and not miss anything important. Scannable content offers maximum information to be read in the shortest amount of time.Say what needs to be said, now. You may have a point to make, and data from six different sources to back it up. Use all the data, build the proof, but be sure to summarize it in a visually noticeable way (e.g. pullquote, chart) so the scanner doesn’t have to wade through it. 2. Easily understood information. Scanners need a bird’s-eye-view of content to get an understanding of how things fit in. Content needs to be easy to understand in a single sitting in order for scanning to work. Easy-to-understand content is: Visual. Visual content is popular for a reason. Readers don’t have to dig into chunks of text to find numbers and learn whether the author is describing a trend. They can look at a nice bar graph instead. Scanners appreciate visuals that fit the content  and are in proper context instead of arbitrary images that are simply there because people like pictures. Arranged closely. Closely arranged content isn’t content without white space. Rather, it’s related content that isn’t broken up too much. Using lots of graphics or CTAs in the body of your content serve as speed bumps, slowing scanners down. They have to scroll a lot, both up and down, to get a sense of where the copy they are looking at falls into place. Graphics push copy further away from their headings and subheadings, so they quickly lose the context the outline-format heading system provides. Using graphics to get people to slow down is kind of the point for some blogs, because they want to convince you, then convert you, and not see you bounce in and then out with the data. Short.  Author Jeff Goins  makes the point of noting that shorter content is more conducive for scanning than uber long content. Part of this has to do with the ability to maintain an understanding of a piece of content. If it’s extremely long, it tends to have lots of headings and subheadings. This makes it harder to remember as you scan it. (â€Å"What point was this under? What are we talking about again?†)  Ã‚   Paced.  When it comes to the topic of scanning, what I mean by pacing is more about visual arrangement than storytelling. Pacing has to do with white space, headings, pull quotes, bold/italics, and bullet points. Scanning a small paragraph is easier than a long one. Bullet points indicate an important list. Bold or italic text adds emphasis inside a text block. Pull quotes highlight important thoughts. And headings mimic an outline format. Shareable.  Scanners readily share; it’s both curating and bookmarking to them. They might not leave comments that keep conversation going, but they do have a propensity to share on social media even if they haven’t read the full post. Social share buttons and techniques are not wasted on scanners. Weight.  Posts that have a lot of weight are posts that are (usually) long, in-depth, and packed with multi-faceted information. Lighter content is more conducive to speed reading, and possibly more conducive to scanning as well. Content with one key point, hammered home, is  great for scanning.  The denser and more in-depth the content, the less scanning works. If you have a seriously meaty post, you will need to carefully consider how you make it scanner appropriate. Scannable content is visual, arranged closely, short, paced, shareable, and weighty.3. Scannable content favors  the left. There’s a reason the left sidebar is popular in apps and on websites. Your eye follows a predictable pattern (most of the time) when reading. For scanners whose native language is read left to right, 60% of their time  is spent on the left side of the page. Take this into consideration when contemplating centering your headings or CTA. You’d be better off keeping things starting on the left (and vice versa if your language reads from the right). 4. Scannable content rates high on the search engine. Let’s not forget that scanners are scanning before they even get to your site. In a Google eye-tracking study, they found out that people generally stick to the first two or three search results. Scanners rely on Google to serve up the best options. That means you’d better work hard at hitting high in search results if scannable content is what you’re banking on. 5. Best stuff comes first. This is the inverted pyramid approach  that reporters often use in writing. People will scroll, but not forever: 80% of readers time is spent â€Å"above the fold†. That means you should put your best content above the fold. Where that â€Å"fold† hits for people who might be using a laptop or a mobile device is different, but just look at it as front loading your best content, your most important data, or your most amazing graphic. Think of the fold as the first break in the content, such as your first CTA or where you place an advertisement. Get the good stuff before that so they have a reason to even be interested in your CTA as well as read past the fold. 80% of your readers' time is spent above the fold. Cover the best stuff first.6. Looks like someone cared. Let’s not underestimate the value of a first impression. You can follow any number of rules and get everything up against the left and be the first search result and have your copy broken up into usable chunks and still get a scanner to bounce out. Why? Your website is a mess. Simplicity cannot be oversold. Get rid of the distractions, whether it’s too many fonts or colors, or a bunch of craziness with ads and graphics in a sidebar. If you’re using a professional template, chances are you have professional design going for you. But if you aren’t using a template, or need to update your brand look, do consider hiring a professional designer to help you with your logo, color palette, and font pairings. It’s a shame when great content is ignored because it was wrapped in an old circus tent. It’s a shame when great content is ignored because it was wrapped in an old circus tent. Getting Conversions Out Of Scanners OK. So you know what kind of copy scanners are looking for. And you can serve that up to them. But what are you  looking to get out of scanners? Like any visitor to your site, you want conversions. The idea that someone bounces in, grabs a few morsels and the leaves is disheartening. To inspire action, you have to make something sticky, something that slows the scanner down slightly, without shattering their ability to absorb the full post. The standalone CTA. Headlines (and headings) matter, because that’s what scanners are relying on. But here’s a better approach: the copy surrounding your CTA matters. Hugely. Think of your CTA as a standalone piece of content. You have to take into account all of the things we’ve established that scanners rely on. White space, design, color, attractiveness, clarity, easily understood information...do your calls to action do that? Do they get to the point- in clear language and paced design- and leave no doubt what the benefit is and what the reader is to do? The copy and language surrounding the button is a big deal. The logical leading. Your CTA has to make sense not only within the post, but within the headlines and headings. By creating content that is front-loaded and with headings that forgo the clever for the accurate, you funnel that scanner through the post one main point at a time so that when they arrive at your first CTA, it makes sense to them. Your headings should mimic the carefully constructed logic that the full reader is getting so that when both the reader and scanner arrive at the CTA, it isn’t unexpected. For example, this is terrible: How To Train A Cat To Do Tricks And Become Famous Choose a subservient breed. Gain its trust. Download our free copy of the best slow cooker recipes! Purchase treats for bribery. Get an Instagram account. Ridiculous example aside, it’s easy to forget that even if you go into detail about how to use a slow cooker to gain a cat’s trust (I don’t even want to know), your scanner won’t have read that detail and your CTA will be utterly unmotivating because it has the feel of someone who only has one ebook to offer (slow cooker recipes) and is going to push that in every blog post. Your CTA must: Fit the logic of the scannable elements. Fit the search terms that brought the scanner there. The reality of scanners should motivate you to make many different offers, ebooks, or other action items that fit with the broad swath of content you write about. Value the periphery. There’s the big action you want (â€Å"Click here to buy my $500 seminar!†), but there are also the peripheral actions that can pay off in other ways (â€Å"Tweet this quote†). That periphery has value; it’s not just leftovers. Salvage peripheral action and make social sharing easy. Even if the scanner doesn’t make the big conversion you hoped for, you can still get a social share out of it. Should All Content Be Built For Scanners? One last thing: Not everything you create should be built for scanning. It’s OK to make an entree even if everyone seems to be lining up for dessert. There are people who are actually reading and would benefit from content optimized for the hardcore reader. If everything were to cater to people who skim but don’t read, the world would be populated by Clif’s Notes instead of novels. Tragedy, indeed.

Woolf and Wollstonecraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Woolf and Wollstonecraft - Essay Example With the introduction of the production line factory and the machine during the 1800s, more and more individuals were moving to the cities to seek work. This had the effect of bringing the women in from the fields on the farms to the kitchens and family rooms of the urban middle class. This emerging middle class gave birth to what has since been referred to as the Cult of the True Woman. This term was first coined by Barbara Welter in the mid-1960s (1966) to be used in referring to a set of ideas and beliefs regarding the proper structure of the quintessential well-bred family. The ideal middle class life was thus firmly established as consisting of a father going off to work and a mother who stayed at home and reared the children. Yet, recognition of the fallacies of this doctrine had already long been recognized. Virginia Woolf, writing during the early 20th century is widely recognized as one of the first modernist feminists of the 20th century, but comparison with another revolut ionary feminist writer of the 18th century, Mary Wollstonecraft, reveals that she was perhaps not as innovative as she is credited. The introduction of the feminist movement was a long-time coming and a slow process, yet inevitable with the advances that were being made in the lifestyles of humans in developing countries. â€Å"The onset of industrialization at the beginning of the nineteenth century highlighted differences among women just as it exacerbated those between men and women workers† (Kessler-Harris, 1991). Widows, single women and women with no better prospects flocked to the growing mill towns of England and America attracted by the relatively high wages that were promised in the factories as compared to the low yield of the fields, but the glorious dreams of potential quickly faded in the realities of the city. Factory owners began working to reduce costs, lowering wages and demanding more work at the same time that living expenses in the city continued to

Homebase Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Homebase - Coursework Example The balanced scorecard tool is explained before designing the scorecard for the case company. Also the use of the balanced scorecard in the performance evaluation and monitoring of the modern businesses are discussed. Both the balanced scorecard outcomes and the designed strategy map are explained and analyzed to provide suitable recommendations to the Board of Directors of Homebase for deciding on the future strategic direction of the company. The recommendations are given with the aim of supporting the management of Homebase to take suitable corporate and business decisions and devise the appropriate strategies for the achievement of the business goals and objectives and for implementing the formulated strategies in the most efficient and value adding manner. Homebase  is a home improvement retail company based in the United Kingdom. The company operates in the segment of home improvement and garden centre and is a subsidiary of the famous Home Retail Group. Homebase operates with 323 outlets across different locations in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company is a highly successful retailer in the United Kingdom which has recorded a profit of GBP 18.9 million in the financial year 2013-2014. Also, the revenues for the company were recorded to have a value of GBP 1.46 billion in the financial year of 2013-2014 as per the annual report published by the company. The vision of the company is to provide the customer groups in the country with a wide range of home improvement products and services within a differentiated environment. The company aims to provide both convenience and value for its customers through its operations (Crawford, 2008). Homebase uses a number of strategies in its operational, financial, human resource management and other business functions for the purpose of developing consistency in its service provision and for creating competiveness and success in the dynamic business environment in which it functions. The

COMMUNITY AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COMMUNITY AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD - Research Paper Example world, virtual communities are known to begin their life cycles as visitors or lurkers who by and by break existing communication barriers to become participating novices. Community visitors basically do not actively contribute for reasons among which include: seeking to learn about the community first, inability to use existing computer software, and dislike of observed group dynamics. Some simply relax as they receive all the information they need without having to actively participate while others may also nature the thought that by not contributing, they are being helpful to the group. After the novice participates for a sustained period he/she becomes a regular member then later graduates to become a leader. Later, leaders become elders and may leave the community due to new outlooks, new positions or new relationships. Interaction of members of the virtual community is primarily accomplished via communication media which include email, telephone, newsletters, and instant messages as well as online social networks and not face to face for professional, educational, social, and other purposes. Virtual communication also supplements the more traditional forms of communication between persons who primarily know one another in real life. The proliferation of social internet-based networks has undoubtedly changed the socio-technical environment in diverse ways. Virtual communities can share ideas, jokes, play games, share professional information, advertise products and even seal business deals. Professionals such as journalists, environmentalists, human rights activists, medical practitioners, scientists and researchers in all fields have for example found online communication convenient and indispensable for the successful performance of their activities. Rheingold notes that because sometimes in cyberspace people are not visible to one another, factors such as age, gender, and physical appearance do not really affect or come to play in the form or manner

Haitian Culture: Death and Dying

Haitian Culture: Death and Dying From one of the poorest countries in the world comes one of the most complex and varied religions. Although very different from much of the world, Haitian customs regarding end of life, funeral practices, the dead and the practice of Voodoo has evolved throughout the past several centuries. From the very beginnings of the Island to the present the Haitian people have practiced their own variance of religion unlike any other place in the world. I have been to Haiti many times with my church and find it absolutely heartbreaking. Poverty and lack of any significant healthcare system aided and fueled by a corrupt government begets one of most broken societies in the western world. The last time I was there was the first time in recent history that Voodoo wasnt the national religion. Haiti has always claimed Roman Catholicism officially but until very recently most Haitians practiced voodoo alongside it with no sense of contrast between the two. Although the culture is split between Christianity and Voodoo, most churches dont turn people away who need care if they can provide it. By the same token, those who practice Voodoo do not shy away from health centers in favor of only being treated by the Voodoo priest or witch doctor. However, most hospitals are in the city so for rural Haitians seeing a voodoo healer is the only option. While in our compound in Borel (a rural town about 100 miles north of Port a prince) I could hear the drums of the voodoo ceremonies from beyond our walls, and more than once have seen the Christian funeral processions in the streets. I remember watching the vigils of the folks sitting in the cemeteries and asking my interpreter guide about what was going on at night and about the rituals and about how and why they worked the way they do. In order to accomplish this we must first do our best to understand a little of how Haiti came to exist Haiti is best known to be discovered by Christopher Columbus, but there were many cultures that inhabited the land before his arrival in 1492. The first known settlers were the Ciboneys, who migrated from what is now known as North America in 450 A.D. Then in 900 A.D., the Tainos, who belonged to the Arawak nation, settled in large villages. The Arawak Indians called the land Ayiti, which means land of mountains. Columbus left Spaniards in charge of the land and they became responsible of almost terminating all of the Arawaks This caused the island to be empty for many years until the French colonized the land in the middle of seventeenth century. During Frances reign, Haiti became one of the most prominent countries in the world. Resources such as sugar cane, cotton, cocoa, and coffee became the most important sources to Haitis wealth. These resources became a high demand by European markets and because of the increase in demand, the French needed cheap labor. As other countries did , the French looked towards Africa for slaves and since the slaves were not treated fairly, they soon became Frances downfall. It was during this time that the catholic French began converting the slaves who also held on to their ancient voodoo religion but practiced in secret. Eventually the two became intertwined. The slaves became the most important thing to Haitis economy and future and in the year of 1791, the slaves planned a revolt against the French and became successful. In 1804, the slaves took over Napoleons reign and Haiti became the first independent black nation headed by General Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Dessalines was a poor leader and upon his death the country was split into two, making Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Today, the population is over 5 million and especially after the earthquake is excessively poor and very urbanized. It has constantly struggled economically after winning its independence, has not found an answer to the enormous poverty problems and is highly reliant on aid from other countries. Without a stable government or means of supporting itself Haiti remains at the bottom of economic and political power. The people of Haiti are mainly of African origin and speak either Haitian Creole (a unique dialect of French) or French and are Roman Catholic and Protestant or voodoo worshippers. Voodoo has been the best known feature of Haiti and has gained an image (mostly from Hollywood horror films) of being a country of sorcery and zombies. The religion of voodoo is monotheistic religion in which there a certain classes of spirits and lesser gods all subservient of the one true God. One of the main functions of these lesser gods or Lwa/loah cause or cure illness. Most all of the voodoo ritual is centered upon this one function and is taken as science for most the people of Haiti. Virtually all of the modern medicine practiced in Haiti is centered around the cities and therefore rural Haitians will almost always consult a healer practicing voodoo. The roots of voodoo run deep as does Christianity. None of us would find it strange to find healing through our faith and so it goes for the Haitians. A healer may use such things as putting a knife under a bed to cut pain or tie knot in string to choke out swelling. If the patient suffers from pain he may believe that a spell has been put on him or a curse. If the pain is imagined from the knowledge of someone placing the curse on him the spell to remove it may be just as effe ctive. This where the dolls of the movies come into play. A pin in the head of the doll is meant to relieve the pain not cause it, and a Haitian who believes this process may believe he is healed as a result of the ceremony. Those who practice voodoo do not believe that death is the end of life. Followers of Voodoo believe that each person has a soul and that it contains both the a part of the person and a part of the larger universe When someone dies, the soul stays close to the deceased for seven to nine days. During this time the soul can be captured and used by an evil one and made into a zombie to be enslaved to serve the one who made him. As long as the soul is not captured, a ritual called Nine Night is performed in order to completely release the soul from the body so the soul may live in the dark waters for a period of a year and a day. If this is not done correctly, the soul may have to wander the earth and do harm to others. After three hundred and sixty six days, loved ones of the deceased can initiate the Rite of Reclamation to raise the deceased persons soul essence from the dark waters and put it in a clay jar known as a govi. The clay jar may be placed in a temple or on an altar where the family may come and offer gifts and feed it offer it drink and pay homage to it. and At this time the spirit of the deceased is welcomed to enter a loved one and give them any last words of enlightenment. Sometimes the jar is then broken and the pieces dropped at a crossroads. This completes the purpose of the ritual which is to release the spirit until the final incarnation. In keeping with addressing t The four primary dimensions of coping with dying the physical psychological social and spiritual I will list some other common practices Haitians use in their culture when dealing with those at the end of life. When death is certain, the family will come together and bring with them religious artifacts. They will go to great expense and extremes to be together as it so important to be present if possible at the time of death.. Once they are together they will cry and pray. It is preferable for most Haitians that they die at home surrounded by loved ones. However, hospital deaths are not out of the question. At the moment of death there is ritual wailing and final bath is given. In Haiti the eldest family member takes charge of the funeral arrangements, but the body is kept until everyone can make it home for the funeral. Funerals are extremely signifigant social events and last for several days in which rum is consumed and large amounts of food.during this time family will sleep at the house and friends will stay in the yard. Since most Haitians are reluctant to be buried under ground elaborate multi-chambered tombs are bought which will contain several members or entire families. Since the body must be intact for resurrection at the end of days no organ donations are permitted. Since voodoo lacks any real theology many variations exist. Regional and cultural differences make doing solid research elusive and sparse as what is practiced in one place may or may not be practiced in another. Common beliefs about the afterlife are that there is no reward or punishment there. Spirits can enter or mount a body. At that time the person will not share the same space and becomes possessed by the Loa. Priest both summon and help the spirit leave a body. Drums, dance, and sacrifice are part of all voodoo ritual. In conclusion, Haitians have one of the shortest life expectancies on earth (61 years for adult males), so Haitians are used to living with pain, sickness and death. They are basically a peace loving people seeking hope in a land that that doesnt offer much. Like my own religion and culture the people of Haiti bond by practicing the religion and culture of their parents and ancestors. What some of us find superstitious, exotic and strange when looked at more closely is not so different at all. Practicing religion and doing it as a family and a community brings us closer to an understanding of purpose and meaning whether it is true or not. Without tradition and ritual we have much less in common and much less of a reason to carry on. Purpose to pass on to the next generation keeps going and going strong. Perhaps that is why the modern Haitians continue to exist today.

Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Essa

Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Christina Rossetti was born in Victorian England and grew up in the pre-Raphaelite era. Coming from a well educated family she drew influence for her poems from her surroundings and experiences. In ‘A Birthday’, she looks at the celebration of finding new love. She is overjoyed because her love is reciprocated and wants to make a new beginning with this man spending the rest of her life with him raising a family. A Birthday is filled with joy, happiness and anticipation of what life will be like with her new love. Whereas ‘Remember’ is very different; she must prepare her lifelong lover/husband for her death. The tone of joy is therefore replaced by a much sadder tone reflecting her struggle and unhappiness. Both poems are carefully structured. ‘A birthday’ is written in two verses. The first verse contains three similes and a comparative and the second uses three imperatives (raise me, carve it, work it) and in the final lines of both verses the reason for the joy and making of the room are given. Whereas ‘Remember’ is a petrarchan sonnet. It consists of many short phrases and gentle words which further illustrates the feeling of tiredness. The punctuation and lines mirror her difficulties to speak throughout the poem. In ‘A Birthday’ repletion of the phrase ‘my heart’ is used, this is to illustrate the feelings in her heart of joy, happiness and excitement that her love has been reciprocated by the one she loves. It gives the idea that her heart is the most important thing at this moment and it is affecting the actions of the rest of her body. In contrast in ‘Remember’ the word ‘remember’ is repeated to emphasise the idea that when... ...ws at first he will spend every moment thinking and grieving for her but with the gradual progression of time he may forget her from time to time; and for this he ma feel guilty. She is thinking ahead to the time when he won’t think of her in the natural flow of time which is imperceptible to him. The fact he has now accepted she is going to die she can give him instructions and talk about death and the grave in a real way. Such as the idea of darkness in the grave and how the body will decompose. She asks him to hold her in his heart and record her in his everlasting memories this compares with the idea of responsibility that comes with love which is described in ‘A Birthday’. She finally reassure him that if he does forget her he won’t be a traitor to her because she wants him to be happy and doesn’t want her death to be the end of his happiness forever. Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Essa Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Christina Rossetti was born in Victorian England and grew up in the pre-Raphaelite era. Coming from a well educated family she drew influence for her poems from her surroundings and experiences. In ‘A Birthday’, she looks at the celebration of finding new love. She is overjoyed because her love is reciprocated and wants to make a new beginning with this man spending the rest of her life with him raising a family. A Birthday is filled with joy, happiness and anticipation of what life will be like with her new love. Whereas ‘Remember’ is very different; she must prepare her lifelong lover/husband for her death. The tone of joy is therefore replaced by a much sadder tone reflecting her struggle and unhappiness. Both poems are carefully structured. ‘A birthday’ is written in two verses. The first verse contains three similes and a comparative and the second uses three imperatives (raise me, carve it, work it) and in the final lines of both verses the reason for the joy and making of the room are given. Whereas ‘Remember’ is a petrarchan sonnet. It consists of many short phrases and gentle words which further illustrates the feeling of tiredness. The punctuation and lines mirror her difficulties to speak throughout the poem. In ‘A Birthday’ repletion of the phrase ‘my heart’ is used, this is to illustrate the feelings in her heart of joy, happiness and excitement that her love has been reciprocated by the one she loves. It gives the idea that her heart is the most important thing at this moment and it is affecting the actions of the rest of her body. In contrast in ‘Remember’ the word ‘remember’ is repeated to emphasise the idea that when... ...ws at first he will spend every moment thinking and grieving for her but with the gradual progression of time he may forget her from time to time; and for this he ma feel guilty. She is thinking ahead to the time when he won’t think of her in the natural flow of time which is imperceptible to him. The fact he has now accepted she is going to die she can give him instructions and talk about death and the grave in a real way. Such as the idea of darkness in the grave and how the body will decompose. She asks him to hold her in his heart and record her in his everlasting memories this compares with the idea of responsibility that comes with love which is described in ‘A Birthday’. She finally reassure him that if he does forget her he won’t be a traitor to her because she wants him to be happy and doesn’t want her death to be the end of his happiness forever.