Online Community Announcements- I try to get'm right

I participate in a few of the discussions in the online community I manage... but one of the things that I get into the most are posting announcements. It sounds pretty lame, but it appeals to the communicator in me. These are usually one way communications that are meant to help the members understand something or to alert them of something pertinent.

Aside from this being one of more important functions of managing the community, it's something I truly enjoy doing. I get worked up about each announcement because it is something that lets me practice what I preach.

In my company, I work with a group of folks that post in the community more than me and often communicate with clients outside the community. In working with these folks, I push this "usable communication" theme. When I create an announcement, it's my time to get it right.

I'm not saying I do it right every time, or even know how to do it "right", but I learn from the experience. Here are some of things I think about when creating an announcement:

• Assume the member is too busy to read your post- get their attention quickly. No "At XYZ, we care about your membership". People will tune out.
• Let them know if anything is required of them or why they should read the announcement right up front.
• No long paragraphs. Break ideas into chunks of 2-3 sentences.
• Cut the crap. Write what you want to say and cut the unnecessary bull.
• Don't be scared to use bold underlineitalicsand

  font sizes

  . Don't overdo it.
• A great way to add emphasis is using asterisks. I *love* asterisks.
• Be consistent with formatting, if you bold one title, make sure to bold them all if they serve the same purpose.
• Use a horizontal rule to separate sections
• Use links when you can. If you tell about something, try to link to it. I prefer to link directly to a specific page and not the homepage- though your Marketing dept. may not agree.
• Use email links and look for ways to autofill the subject line. If I want people to email about something specific, I code it so that the subject line is filled in with what they want. Like this: Click here if you think I'm a huge nerd
• Develop a consistent style or tone to your communication; address the members the same way, write in a consistent tone and format.
• Perhaps most importantly, be yourself. You want the members to trust you and they'll trust a real person before they'll trust a company.

These are some things I was thinking about today. I think announcements are absolutely essential in managing an online community- it's the management's primary resource for communicating with members as a group. If you can connect with them and build their trust through posting usable announcements, you'll have folks that are ready to help you accomplish your goals.