Email Teasers

Objectives: Professionals employed in writing for the electronic media often need to convert stories into more than one medium. This is called putting together a “package” that may include text in various lengths and formats, podcasts, photo slide shows and videos. This assignment will give you experience working with two of the common elements in a news or promotional multimedia package. The objectives for this assignment are: (1) To learn to write a coherent summary of a story – an e-mail teaser – that will entice a reader to take further action to read the story, and (2) To learn to write a script for a short video to accompany a news story or corporate news announcement.

The assignment: (1) Write a headline and e-mail teaser for each of the three stories (see PDFs in JMC 239 lab class folder) during today’s lab, and (2) Write a video script for these same stories during our class time today.

Here are some things to consider when doing this assignment:

1. The e-mail teaser must be even more enticing than the lead. The reader of a newspaper can flow from the lead to the story, but the reader of an e-mail teaser must take action – clicking, waiting, possibly even registering with a site – before reading the story.
2. However, don’t create a sensational teaser that misrepresents the story.
3. A good length for an e-mail teaser is two to three short sentences (not including the headline) totaling 30 to 50 words.
4. Don’t waste words by saying “For more information” or “Click to read” because the reader understands the concept of a link.
5. We will discuss some rules for video scripts in class today.

Due:

The three headlines and e-mail teasers are due at the end of lab in the 239 dropbox. Be sure to edit for grammar, punctuation, clarity, accuracy and spelling. We will review and discuss your work at the start of class.

Then, we will discuss video scripts at the start of class today and spend time during class writing one or more scripts for these stories

Assignment 2

For this assignment, we will examine the social media strategy at Whole Foods Market, an Austin-based supermarket chain that appeals to health-conscious consumers who prefer natural and organic foods.

Visit the following url: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/

Review the site and then answer the following questions:

1. What seems to be the purpose of the Whole Foods' blog?

2. Who writes the posts on this blog? What does this tell you about the strategy behind the Whole Foods' blog?

3. Identify two other social-media tools used by Whole Foods Market. Describe how these tools are being used by Whole Foods and how you think they fit into the company's overall social media strategy.

4. Beyond text, does Whole Foods use photography or videos on this blog? Give an example and describe what you see as the benefit of using photos and/or videos on a corporate blog.

5. Finally, knowing what you know from our class and as a consumer of Web sites and other social media, what is your opinion of the Whole Foods' social media strategy? What would you do differently if you were in charge of this strategy and why?

Please post your responses on your JMC 239 blog site before leaving today's lab.

Instructions

Log onto www.blogger.com and follow the step by step process to create your blog.  Make sure you write a brief biography about yourself and attach a picture to your main page.  In no less than 150 words, write about the differences between "micro blogging" and "blogging" (use examples to support your answers). Your first post to the blog will be due at the end of lab today.