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Streams, Walls, and Feeds: 109 Design Guidelines for Improving Notifications, Messages, and Alerts Sent Through Social Networks and RSS

Name: Streams, Walls, and Feeds: 109 Design Guidelines for Improving Notifications, Messages, and Alerts Sent Through Social Networks and RSS
Author: Nielsen Norman Group
ISBN: 9780132107501

by Nielsen Norman Group

February 2010

Intermediate to advanced

210 pages

5h 41m

English

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Streams, Walls, and Feeds
Executive Summary
User ResearchBusiness Use vs. Personal UseManaging StreamsPosting FrequencyFinding Companies to FollowChanges in RSS Feed UseSubjective SatisfactionSocial Messaging and RSS Usability
Research Overview
Lab StudiesStudy One: RSS OnlyStudy Two: Social Networks and RSSField StudiesDiary StudyHow to Use This Report
Social Networks
Why People Join Social NetworksUse of Social NetworksFacebook vs. MySpaceTwitter vs. Other Social NetworksAccessing Social NetworksFinding Companies and Organizations on Social NetworksRecommendations from OthersEmail Notification from the Company or OrganizationCompany or Organization WebsiteSearchChoosing which Companies and Organizations to FollowPersonal InterestsBusiness or Career ReasonsImmediacy of InformationUsefulness & RelevancyTrusted Information SourcesAbility to Communicate with the Company DirectlyCommon Message ProblemsShort Life Span of MessagesSending Too Many MessagesNot Sending Enough MessagesInconsistent or Sporadic Message FrequencyUntimely MessagesSending Duplicate MessagesNot Meeting ExpectationsLack of Relevancy or UsefulnessVerbose and Wordy MessagesUnidentifiable HyperlinksDead End MessagesSpelling or Grammatical ErrorsAdvertisements or Sales PitchesLack of Trust in Social NetworksOther Noise and Interference
Getting Started on Social Networks
RSS (Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary)
Why People Use RSSUse of RSSMost-Used RSS readersAccessing RSSLearning about RSS FeedsRecommendations from OthersFeed ReadersCompany or Organization WebsiteEmail Notification from the Company or OrganizationChoosing RSS FeedsPersonal InterestsProfessional or Business ReasonsUsefulness & RelevancyImmediacy of InformationComplementary Sources of InformationTrusted Information SourcesCommon Problems With RSS ItemsSending Too Many UpdatesNot Sending Enough UpdatesUntimely UpdatesNon-Descriptive Headlines and BlurbsLack of Relevancy of UsefulnessAdvertisementsOther Noise and Interference
Deciding Which Delivery Method to Use
List of Guidelines
Social Network GuidelinesRSS/News Feed Guidelines
Design Guidelines: Social Networks
Message Content1. Know your audience, and send meaningful messages that match user expectations2. Focus on one topic or subject per message3. Utilize the small space by writing concise messages4. Keep tweets below 130 characters5. Place information-carrying words at the beginning of the message6. Don’t repeat your company, organization, or username in the message7. Provide essential details in the message8. When possible, link to additional content within the social network rather than on another site9. When appropriate, link to more details on an external site10. Link to other reputable sources, not just your own site11. Don’t send dead end messages12. Clearly describe where a link will take users13. Use short, readable links14. When appropriate, provide a hyperlinked page title, short summary, and associated image with the link for additional details15. Make sure the pages the posting leads to have unique and descriptive page titles and images, followed by content written in the inverted pyramid style16. Consider creating multiple profiles or accounts, such as for various geographic areas, to help target information17. Vary the messages sent on different social networks18. Don’t post Twitter messages on Facebook, especially if they contain Twitter lingo19. Send unique messages20. Be careful when sending out messages that build upon one another21. Avoid posting information that’s only valuable to staff or employees22. Vary the types of information you send23. Use videos to provide supplemental information, but provide essential information in text24. Accurately describe video contents25. Don’t overuse videos26. Provide valuable advertisements, deals, and specials if users expect them27. When advertising or promoting, be discrete28. Alternate sales and promotional messages with informational messages29. Avoid strange characters or strings of characters30. Proofread your messages for spelling and grammatical errors31. To draw attention or create emphasis, write keywords in all capsMessage Frequency and Timing32. Send messages regularly. Base message frequency on how often you can provide unique, compelling, timely content33. Allocate appropriate resources to send regular messages34. Don’t send messages too frequently35. If possible, send messages on with a consistent frequency36. Send timely messages37. Send messages at the time of day when users are likely to access social networks38. Consider posting some messages on the weekendVoice and Tone39. Have a voice and personality that is appropriate for your company or organization40. Be conversational and informal41. Make sure informal updates or messages contain some information of value42. Use “we” and “our” in messages to convey the messages come from the company, rather than an individual at the company43. Be careful with humor44. Write messages in title case or sentence case45. Don’t use shorthand or abbreviations for words46. Don’t “sign” messages47. Only “retweet” messages on Twitter that match your company or organization’s voice and toneEngaging Followers and Facilitating Discussion48. Engage in a two-way conversation49. Respond to questions from followers and fans within 24 hours50. Monitor what Twitter users are saying about you51. Be selective in what you respond to52. Be careful with replying to followers on Twitter. Users don’t have the context of the discussion53. Solicit feedback or information from followers when appropriate54. Don’t ask for input or suggestions on something you are considered an expert on55. Be careful with posting user-generated content56. Be a thought leaderProfile Information and Design57. Include your company or organization name in your username58. If possible, use a short, concise username59. Use your official name on your profile page, especially if you use an acronym or unofficial name as your username60. Use title case for your company or organization name61. Include a brief mission statement or summary of what you do in your profile62. Include a URL to a relevant page or website63. On Twitter, use a short URL that will show fully in the available space on the profile page (if possible)64. If an individual or team provides the messages, identify them by first name, last name, and job title65. Avoid associating your company or organization with an age or gender66. Choose a meaningful and eye-catching profile picture67. Choose one icon or picture for a profile picture68. Only use an image of a person as your profile picture to represent a company or organization if the individual is very well-known and recognizable69. Create a profile design that matches your brand70. If you have a presence on Facebook, create an official fan page71. Use a short, readable, and predictable URL for your page on social network sitesBuilding a Following and Promoting a Social Network Presence72. Accept friend requests within 24 hours73. Try to attract a high number of followers, fans, and friends74. Follow your followers on Twitter75. Follow, friend, or become fans of reputable companies and organizations76. Place links to follow your company or organization on social networks on your homepage or within your footer navigation77. Pair calls to action on your homepage or within your footer navigation with appropriate logos78. Place links to social network content within the main site navigation79. Include a page on your site dedicated your company’s presence on social networks80. Explain the types of information users will receive through social networks81. Ensure that searches for social networking related terms return the page describing your presence on social networks82. Provide information about your social network presence in email correspondence, especially newsletters83. Place information about your presence on social networks on purchase confirmation pages84. Occasionally mention your presence on social networks through your messages85. If your social network presence can no longer be supported, provide details on how users can continue to receive information
Design Guidelines: RSS/News Feeds
News Feed Content86. Focus on one topic in each item87. Include no more than 10 words in each headline, and place information carrying words at the beginning88. State the key point of the content in the headline89. Include a 2- to 4-line explanatory blurb for each item that supplements the headline and summarizes the article90. Write a blurb specifically for use in the news feed. Do not use the first paragraph of the story as the blurb91. Push information-carrying words to the beginning of the blurb92. Do not repeat the headline in the blurb93. Consider placing the location of a news story (a dateline) within the blurb94. Restrict the length of longer items, such as blog entries, with concise editing. Use formatting to help users scan content quickly95. Include a relevant and informative image, as appropriate96. Avoid placing advertisements within news feed itemsNews Feed Frequency97. Send news feed items on a regular basis. Base message frequency on how often you can provide unique, compelling, timely content98. Don’t send too many news feed items at once99. Send updates when readers likely access their feed readersPromoting RSS News Feeds100. Place links to RSS content and subscription information in the main site navigation or at the bottom of each page of the site101. Use the term news feed or feed in links to RSS content102. Link to RSS feeds via a news feed icon (), rather than an XML or RSS icon103. Ensure that the page describing your feed(s) appears on top of your site’s search results listings for common queries104. Include an explanation of RSS on your site, with information about what it is and how to use it105. Don’t interrupt users with interstitial advertising if they click through to your RSS page106. Clearly name RSS feeds. Provide descriptions of each and, if possible, content from the current feed107. Clearly indicate if any feeds require site registration or a paid subscription108. Avoid referencing other methods of communication, such as newsletters and social networks, on the RSS subscription page, and vice versa109. Link to RSS feeds on the unsubscribe confirmation page for email newsletters as an alternate method of information delivery

Subjective Satisfaction: Message Ratings
UsefulnessInformationWritingTrustValue
Methodology: First Study (RSS Feeds)
One-on-One Usability Test SessionsParticipantsRecruitment and ParticipationPilot StudyTasks & QuestionsTask 1: Explore tool and read items of interestTask 2: Locate a headline from a specific sourceTest Logistics & ConsiderationsUsing the Eyetracking TechnologySetting up RSS readersField StudiesParticipants
Methodology: Second Study (Social Networks and RSS Feeds)
One-on-One Usablity Test SessionsParticipantsRecruitment and ParticipationTasks and QuestionsPre-AssignmentTask 1: Message expectationsTask 2: Review messages received as part of the studyTask 3: Review messages received from companies and organizations (for personal or business, work, or career reasons)Task 4: Find a way to receive updates from a company or organization through social networks and/or RSSTest Logistics & ConsiderationsSelecting Companies and Organizations for the TestMatching Users’ InterestsSending Pre-Assignment and Follow-upKeeping Track of MessagesClearing Cache, Cookies, and Browsing History from BrowserUnsubscribing from Messages from Companies and OrganizationsDiary StudyParticipantsRecruitment and ParticipationPilot StudyAssignments & Sample EmailsPre-AssignmentMessage Evaluation Assignment: Sent on Mondays and ThursdaysSurveys of General Usage: Sent on TuesdaysTest Logistics & ConsiderationsSetting up an Email AccountCreating Online SurveysSigning Up to Receive Messages from Companies and OrganizationsReceiving Signed Consent FormsSending Assignments & RemindersResponding to Participant EmailsSending Incentives
Companies and Organizations Included in StudyFacebookTwitterMySpaceRSS
Acknowledgements
About the Authors

Content preview from Streams, Walls, and Feeds: 109 Design Guidelines for Improving Notifications, Messages, and Alerts Sent Through Social Networks and RSS

Appendix .

Companies and Organizations Included in Study

For our lab study, we asked users to sign up to receive updates from companies and organizations two weeks prior to their session through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and RSS. (An asterisk next to the company or organization name indicates that we asked users to sign up to receive information from them through social networks or RSS.)

In our lab and diary studies, we also reviewed messages and updates users already received from companies and organizations through social networks and RSS feeds. In total, we reviewed messages from more than 120 companies and organizations through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and RSS. Most companies and organizations included in the study are listed below.

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Streams, Walls, and Feeds: 109 Design Guidelines for Improving Notifications, Messages, and Alerts Sent Through Social Networks and RSS

by Nielsen Norman Group

Appendix .