Quiz w/ Feedback: Writing for Social Media

True or False: It doesn’t matter which platform you write for, all social media is the same.

• True

• False

Twitter users:

• Are less interested in clicking links

• Are looking for information quickly when there is breaking news

• Understand and use hashtags and tagging other Twitter accounts

• All of the above

News outlets are sometimes wary of relying too heavily on social media because:

• They don’t think people enjoy news via social media

• Their sites doesn’t benefit from social media

• It costs them money to publish on social media platforms

• News outlets miss out on potential to make money by providing their content for free on social media platforms, which make money from content posted by others

The main goal for news outlets to post to social media is always to get clicks.

• True

• False

It’s recommended that Facebook posts only contain 40 to 100 characters. Why do you want to keep it that short?

• There’s a limit on the number of characters

• Users don’t read posts

• It takes too long to write long posts

• You want to catch the user’s attention but also lead them to the content you want them to see

If the news outlet can’t link directly to content, why might they use Instagram?

• Reach a younger demographic

• Share photos and videos directly in the platform

• Engage with the audience using questions and polls in Instagram stories

• All of the above

A primary reason Facebook and Twitter differ are:

• Facebook posts linger longer in people’s feed while Twitter is more real-time

• Links are more likely to be clicked on Twitter

• Facebook is good for breaking news

• Twitter has more users

Why should a news outlet use social media?

• It’s a way to find the right audience for their content

• People only consume news from social media

• It’s free

• Everyone uses social media

Identify the goal of this post: Some say Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock will be the No. 2 pick; others say he will remain undrafted after the first round. Which team do you hope drafts Lock? Story headline: “Where mock drafts are sending Missouri’s Drew Lock”

• Clicks

• Comments

• Shares

• All of the above

This post asks a question that is relevant to readers and they likely have a personal opinion on. When seeking comments on a story, ask readers to speak from their own experience, not guess on something even the experts aren’t clear on.

• There is always a goal for getting clicks back to your site, but this post is written with a focus on what readers think.

• This could still draw some shares, but it’s not the main goal of the post.

• You can have multiple goals for a post, but in this one, the intent to ask a question and encourage comments is the most obvious goal.

• This post asks a question that is relevant to readers and they likely have a personal opinion on.