Hey, you! Yeah, you. There's something crucial you need to know about the Utopian templates. Any writer must first capture a reader's attention and then earn at least a sliver of trust—even if only just enough for that reader to commit a few more seconds exploring that perennial question: Is this is worth my time?
Marketing is one focus of my master's degree and for a moment of your time I'll explain how a small adjustment to the templates can help each Utopian contribution reach more readers.
Repository
https://github.com/utopian-io/editor-templates
Components
This suggestion applies to the template file for each Utopian contribution category. That is 13 files in the repository in all.
Proposal Description
Each template should include an introductory paragraph and placeholder encouraging the contributor to include a featured image. Here's why:
In terms of the decision to read a given article or not the three most important elements of first impression are:
- Headline
- Featured image
- Lede — meaning the opening sentence or paragraph. Such introductory prose is usually visible in the reader's feed before deciding to click.
The current templates, if used without modification, result in leading the article with the heading Repository and a link to a GitHub repository followed by another heading.
On Steemit and Busy the URL will be suppressed creating an awkward summary in a user's feed where the first 18% or so provides the user with little incentive to devote any more attention. This is jarring to read and can interrupt any momentum garnered from interest in the headline or image.
To illustrate here is the way one of my early contributions appeared on Busy.org when I followed the template as written.
Notice above how the word repository makes no sense in context because the link has been parsed out for summary purposes. Likewise the inclusion of headings early in the post has created ambiguity about the project name.
Is this project called Details Anole and if not what is the word details telling the reader in this sentence? Nothing, it's just confusing.
These may seem like small matters but the battle for online attention is unrelenting and unforgiving. And nowhere is that more clear than on the Steem blockchain where our attention literally backs the currency.
Whenever I ask a reader to exert extra effort it's a small waste of the time with which they've entrusted me so far. And this can only encourage my reader to move on to another proposition.
Now it's true that contributors are free to depart from the templates by their own initiative. Successful contributors do tend to see the templates as a starting point. Nevertheless almost all contributions use the awkward introductory phrasing.
Here's an example of a better lede by making a very small departure from the initial template.
This was accomplished by including an introductory paragraph to push headings and less enticing factual information out of the leading summary. The templates should encourage this better practice by default. Contributors can thus have confidence that structuring a post in this way will be satisfactory to the moderators.
Mockups / Examples
The following example shows how the Blog category template could be revised.
Introduce the goal and content of your post. This intro will be
seen in user feeds. Don't use headings, links, or formatting in
this paragraph. Jump right to the point and begin telling the
story of your contribution.
A featured image should be inserted no later than the
end of your first paragraph.Optionally continue your
introduction after the featured image.
#### Repository
e.g. https://github.com/utopian-io/utopian.io
#### Post Body
. . .
The rest of the template would remain unchanged.
Example contributions that take an intentional approach to ledes:
- https://steemit.com/blog/@tdre/developer-blog-2018-08-29
- https://steemit.com/pygame/@amosbastian/writing-unit-tests-for-pygame-1535752824859
- https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@tdre/create-a-scheduling-framework-to-automate-all-the-things
- https://steemit.com/utopian-io/@tdre/it-s-skiff-a-utility-command-line-interface-for-the-steem-blockchain
Inclusion of example does not imply endorsement of this suggestion by @amosbastian. He handled this issue right independently :)
Benefits
- Improved appearance of Utopian posts in user feeds on Steemit, Busy, and other platforms
- Contributor confidence that well structured ledes are welcomed by the Utopian moderation team
- Less reorganization of the template will be required to write an engaging lede, saving time
Hello @tdre, thank you for contributing to Utopian.
I have gone through your contribution multiple time and unfortunately, I can not find anything technically related here. Contribution to the suggestion category must be associated with the technical aspect of the project otherwise it may likely be scored very low.
Your starting point seems weird
Hey, you! Yeah, yousounds unprofessional. Consider every Idea contribution as a proposal to a company; You are expected tender your request professionally and considerably.Furthermore, the template is not a must for users to follow. It is to give the users an idea of the kind of post we want to see in that category. This post for example is not following the blog category template entirely but its still considered.
Consider going through this educational post to learn how to submit high-quality suggestion contribution.
Thanks!!!
Need help? Write a ticket on https://support.utopian.io/.
Chat with us on Discord.
[utopian-moderator]
Thank you for your review, @tykee!
So far this week you've reviewed 2 contributions. Keep up the good work!
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by tdre from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Congratulations @tdre! You have completed the following achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on the badge to view your Board of Honor.
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPHi @tdre!
Your post was upvoted by @steem-ua, new Steem dApp, using UserAuthority for algorithmic post curation! Your UA account score is currently 3.239 which ranks you at #7969 across all Steem accounts.
Your rank has risen 5 places in the last three days (Your UA has improved by 0.000).
In our last Algorithmic Curation Round, consisting of 161 contributions, your post is ranked at #155.
Evaluation of your UA score:
Feel free to join our @steem-ua Discord server