Hello, my name is Rylee McKinney. I am a Writing Center Consultant and Elon Teaching Fellow. After college, I plan to use my English Education major and minors in Coaching and TESOL to teach high school students.

Freshman year of college is a big adjustment, and most of us have been told that college is no walk in the park. We come to college with a thousand worries in our heads. The scariest thought: college papers.  However, in the age of technology, the lengthy college paper has begun to take on new forms.

Many first years are introduced to the term “Multimodal” in their foundational classes. As a first-year student, I was completely lost when I heard this term for the first time. It was hard to imagine replacing the standard ten-page paper with something more creative. I had spent most of my high school preparing for college papers. I was taught how to write formally. I never expected college to challenge me to think outside the box and communicate differently!

So, what does ”multimodal” mean, exactly? Multimodal literally means “more than one mode.” To break it down, there are five different modes: linguistic, visual, aural, spatial, and gestural. Different types of projects use different modes to convey information.  Instead of a traditional research paper (linguistic), students might present their work in the form of a podcast (aural), presentation (linguistic, visual, spatial, gestural), website (linguistic, visual, spatial), video (visual, aural), etc. Multimodal projects allow students to consider elements of writing such as tone, audience, and interactivity when approaching a project, and use them in different ways to accomplish different goals. .

I know what you’re thinking. Thanks for the definition, but where do I start?. I am going to provide you with some tips on how to successfully develop a multimodal project.

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  1. Picking a Genre:
    a. When picking a genre for a multimodal project, it is most important to consider your audience and purpose. If your project is meant to inform students, then creating a video or social media campaign might be the most effective option. Or, if your project is more focused on academic research and points of discussion, a podcast might be the better route because the format allows you to get into more depth.
  2. Altering Design Principles:
    a. Multimodal projects contain many different elements that you as a designer can control. Elements such as color, volume, size, and placement of visual elements have a big impact on the effectiveness of your project. These features all play into the overall impact, communication of message, and audience’s understanding.
  3. Look for Examples:
    a. Multimodal projects are innovative even for us tech-savvy college students. It is important to use available resources to glimpse at examples of multimodal projects. These examples will not only give you some useful models, but they will also inspire you to explore different creative choices

Drafting your first multimodal document can be overwhelming, but I hope having somewhere to start reduces that feeling. As long as you understand the definition of multimodal and understand what each of the modes entail, you will be successful in creation. At Elon, consultants in The Writing Center can help you explore your modes of choice as well as focus your project to cater to your audience. We look forward to seeing you soon!

My name is Jacqueline Dieker, a communications major and senior who graduated in Fall 2021. Happy writing!

Engaging Social Media: Why Written Content Matters

When you think of social media, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Photos and videos, right? Although visual content is a big part of digital media, writing is also essential. Although social media managers, influencers, and regular users don’t always consider themselves writers, their success and impact relies on the written text in their posts. As a social media manager and senior communications student, I created this post to shed some light on the necessary strategies for writing on social media.

Why It Matters

As college students, we will undoubtedly have to “sell” our personal brand: how we develop and present our unique public persona. Everything you publish online reflects your personality and views, and therefore might reach future hiring managers (for jobs) or faculty advisors (for graduate studies). Therefore, what you post matters.

The same idea applies to social media management. When working for a company or an organization, anything you publish shapes the audience’s perception of the brand. Bottom line: if your social media content is poor, your company will look poor too.

To ensure success on social media, written messages require practice. Strong writing isn’t just about appropriate tone or error-free writing. Ideas should also be communicated in as few words as possible, as brevity will ensure that your audience stays interested and engaged.

A Social Media Writing Guide

Keeping social media written content concise and clean can be challenging. I hope that my guide can help you with this. My advice is to include the following elements in your development and brainstorming process:

Study the Mission Statement – Ask yourself, “Why does this company exist?” and “Why are we using social media to communicate this specific message?” Make sure you are confident in the goals and values of the organization before you begin writing.

Consider the Audience – Ask yourself, “Who am I trying to reach?” and “Am I speaking their language?” Individuals from different demographics may communicate differently and therefore will respond differently to your social media content. For instance, cultural references or slang might need to be tailored depending on whether your audience is primarily boomers or millenials, for instance.

Use an Appropriate Tone – Once you establish your target audience, you can play around with your brand voice. Ask yourself, “Am I trying to promote a casual, serious, professional, or voice?” For example, you can communicate a professional style through an authoritative tone and grammatical correctness. A casual style can be portrayed through humor and informal language..

Learn about Network Diversity – When creating written content for a brand or profile, remember that not all content needs to appear on every network. For example, what you post on LinkedIn does not necessarily need to be published on Twitter. Familiarize yourself with each platform and observe the written content you see frequently.

Avoid Typos at All Costs — Whatever you post on social media, typos are the #1 thing you should avoid. My advice is to learn how to proofread your own work and give yourself time to do it slowly and carefully. Write a draft and set it aside for a day before reviewing it. You can also follow these tips for proofreading.

Focus on Building Connections — Grammar and spelling aside, social media is ultimately about having a conversation and building relationships with your audience. Your written content should make your audience feel valued. If you follow these guidelines, those who consume your content will feel appreciated.

 

The Writing Center in Belk Library is also a way to connect with fellow students and gain different perspectives on your social media writing. Consultants can provide insight into your tone and communication style.

If you have any questions or are interested in booking an appointment with a consultant to discuss a piece of writing (social media or not), please click here.