Category: Writing for Interactive Media

How writing for interactive media can differ from platform to platform.

When posting on social media, how would you describe the way you caption your posts or talk to your audiences? Is it conversation-like? Serious? This may also depend on the social media platform you use. To give examples, I drafted three posts on three different social media platforms: LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. The writing styles for these platforms are very different, as one platform may require you to engage audiences much quicker than others. All in all, it is important to understand these differences in writing styles for different platforms, to help audiences engage in your content and enjoy it across platforms.

The content I chose to share across platforms is my long form article, titled “Digital Media is Killing the Traditional Fashion Industry”. In the article, I discuss how digital media has led to many declines in the fashion industry; from the decline of print publications to fashion-related careers, and how the print industry struggles to keep up with digital media.

Writing for LinkedIn

LinkedIn, a much more professional-like platform, aims to promote leadership and help professional individuals connect with one another. With that being said, promoting special projects or long works would be perfect for this platform. When explaining writing for different social media platforms, Anastasia at SocialBee encourages readers to “use LinkedIn to spread your knowledge. Whether through a text post or by linking to articles from your blog, this can help position you as an authority in your niche” (2024). When writing on LinkedIn, I’ve come to realize how conversational the platform is, despite its professional reputation. As a result, a lot of emoticons and hashtags are used to promote the work towards the end of the post, and help the post reach the right audiences.

As an example, here is a post I wrote on LinkedIn promoting my work. While the link to the article itself is not visible, I did link it to the post using LinkedIn’s link feature. To the left is the image I attached to the post, and the right is what I wrote:

As you can see, posting on LinkedIn can be much more conversational, like you are pitching the article to someone in the industry. Though it is important to not get too conversational, as overly casual tones may not be taken seriously on LinkedIn. When writing the post, I pretty much felt like I was writing a blog post. The audience I aimed for were individuals in the fashion magazine industry, as this is a career I am aiming for in the future. When selecting my content, I chose the same image I used for my article. I really liked how this image captured the main point of my article, and fits pretty well with the post itself.

Writing for Instagram

When writing for Instagram, it is entirely up to the author how conversational the post should be. Instagram is known for its many “sides” of the platform – comedy, business, personal, and more. I realized it was important to share my article on this platform, as Instagram is heavily used in the fashion world. When creating a post for Instagram, I decided to create a collage for the post itself, as Instagram is a very creative platform.

To the left is the image I made and posted, and to the right is my caption for the post:

As Instagram is known as more of a creative outlet, I decided to get a bit more creative in my post. I put together a collage of various fashion influencers, and mixed in some magazine covers. In the middle, I put “the fashion industry is dying. thanks social media.” to give a main message to my article, and lure readers to my work. After giving a main summary, I informed readers that the article will be linked in my bio, where they can find on my account page. In the same article mentioned previously by SocialBee, Anastasia mentioned how writing for Instagram can include all types of interactive content, like tagging or using Instagram Stories. Using Instagram Stories can also help my content reach newer audiences, by incorporating polls, questions, or quizzes to encourage readers to view and interact with my content.

Writing for TikTok

Writing for TikTok can be much more challenging. TikTok is known and loved for their short form content, where users can enjoy copious amounts of information dialed down into 15-30 seconds. In turn, this has destroyed our attention spans. According to SG Analytics, in 2023 our attention span has reduced to only eight seconds. As a result, businesses are learning to adapt and create new business models because of this. Ultimately, writing for TikTok means capturing audiences as soon as you can. This would have to be through the content itself, as viewers’ eyes don’t tend to go towards the caption until after viewing the content. For more informational content, you would have to get really creative to capture your viewers.

Here’s what I wrote for TikTok:

I unfortunately could not include the content itself, but I would’ve posted multiple images for viewers to scroll through, starting at vintage magazines then transitioning to influencer-made fashion. In the last image, I would ask which was their favorite, gathering opinions in the comments. I used the title feature to hopefully grab readers’ attention for the caption, using a pretty dramatic caption. Then, in the smaller caption, I would inform readers of various facts surrounding the decline in the print industry and of my writing. I also used multiple popular hashtags on the fashion side of TikTok, to hopefully get the content on everyone’s algorithm.

Normally, lowercase letters are a big no in writing. There has, however, been a huge trend recently with using lowercase letters everywhere (which I have ultimately fallen victim for). I believe using lowercase letters can ultimately help me reach more audiences, as it seems a bit personal and stands out from other informational content. When writing for social media and short-form content, it is important to stand out and capture viewers in your writing. In just eight seconds or even shorter, viewers can easily skip to the next video.

Conclusion

Learning how to write for different social media platforms can be crucial to finding your right audiences. Understanding the specific tones that should be used for different platforms can help readers take your content seriously. Writing on TikTok, for example, is very different from writing on LinkedIn – TikTok is much less serious, more conversational, and many times comedic. Promoting professional work, no matter the platform, doesn’t have to be difficult. Understanding the platforms being used are crucial in knowing how or what to write, as platforms and the average attention spans tend to vary. Overall, as digital media continues to rise, being able to write for different social media platforms is crucial in successfully promoting any projects, and can be a very crucial skill to have.

Works Cited:

Anastasia. (2024, May). Social Media for Writers: Best Platforms and Strategies. SocialBee. https://socialbee.com/blog/social-media-for-writers/#linkedin-for-writers

SG Analytics. (2023, August 11). TikTok Scrolling Has Shortened the Attention Span of Students: How Can EdTech Help Solve the Crisis? Www.sganalytics.com. https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/tiktok-scrolling-has-shortened-the-attention-span-of-students-how-can-edtech-help-solve-the-crisis/

AI has shown as a helpful tool for many professional in varying fields, though has raised questions of its intentions. As someone who doesn’t use AI, I have never quite understood how the use of it is getting so popular today. So I decided to experiment on it. Prompting ChatGPT to write a blog post about my disconnection from home was such a weird feeling. How would AI know how I feel? How specific can they get?

To my surprise, AI succeeded in sounding exactly like me. I found it a bit creepy how many experiences it spoke about that I thought were very personal, such as the internal guilt and the effort of staying connected to my family. After my second prompt and providing the technology with a bit of my blog post to give an example of how I write, AI managed to record all of my personal experiences in moving away from home for college.

Some advantages of the technology include its speed for content, and consistency shown throughout the work. These advantages make it much easier for writers and other professionals to generate and expand on new ideas. A disadvantage may be the lack of personal touch, to where I had to edit the content to fit my personal life. This likely could’ve been due to me not being specific enough, and not the technology at all.

In the future, AI, if used in a beneficial way, can be a great tool or assistant in writing and generating ideas. It is important to create a balance between assisting and completely creating, so the technology doesn’t take your voice away. Ultimately, through this experiment, I was able to learn about AI’s abilities to create such unique content, and plan on using the technology in the future to assist myself in my ideas.

Thanks, AI!

Link to the AI discussion: https://chatgpt.com/share/67acf36f-c624-8008-937f-c553d1f666de

Here is the final prompt, given to me by artificial intelligence, but revised by me:

“Feeling Disconnected from Family After Moving to College”

Living in a world where we’re always connected through social media, FaceTime, and endless group chats, you’d think that moving to college wouldn’t make me feel so disconnected from my family. But here I am, a junior in college, only 45 minutes from home, and still feeling like there’s an emotional distance that wasn’t there before.

When I first moved into my dorm freshman year, I expected some changes. I knew I wouldn’t see my family every day, but I figured I’d visit home all the time. Forty-five minutes isn’t that far, right? I imagined weekend trips, home-cooked meals, and keeping up with everything like I never left. But now, three years in, I’ve realized that physical distance isn’t the only thing that creates space between people. Life moves on—for them and for me.

The Growing Disconnect

At first, it didn’t hit me. I was too busy adjusting to college life—meeting new people, navigating classes, and learning how to “adult” (kind of). But slowly, I started noticing the little things. My family’s routines changed without me. My younger siblings had new jokes I didn’t get. My mom started watching new shows that I never even heard of.

When I go home now, it doesn’t always feel the same. The house looks the same, smells the same, and the people are the same, but there’s this invisible gap that I can’t quite put into words. It’s like I’m visiting rather than returning. It’s not intentional, but it stings.

The Guilt of Growing Up

The weirdest part of all of this? The guilt.

I know my family misses me, and I miss them too. My mom still sends me texts asking how my classes are going, and my dad reminds me to call if I ever need anything. My sibling will send me a meme here and there, but our conversations aren’t like they used to be. And I hate that.

I feel guilty when I take too long to respond, but I also feel guilty when I don’t have much to say. “How’s school going?” is such a loaded question when every day feels like a chaotic mix of assignments, stress, and figuring out life one step at a time. And when they tell me about what’s going on at home, I sometimes feel like I’m listening in on a life that doesn’t quite include me anymore. It’s a strange feeling—being a part of something, yet distant from it at the same time.

Trying to Stay Connected

Even though I’ve been feeling this disconnection for a while, I’ve realized that I have to put in the effort to maintain my relationships. Staying connected isn’t just about proximity—it’s about making time and being intentional.

I’ve been trying to call home more often, even if it’s just for a quick check-in. I send random texts when something reminds me of them. When I visit, I try to be present—actually engaging in conversations instead of scrolling on my phone. It’s not perfect, and I know I could do better, but it’s a start.

I’ve also started to accept that change is normal. My family isn’t moving on without me; they’re just living life, just like I am. And even though it feels weird to not be as involved in their daily routines, I know that our bond is still there. It’s just evolving, just like everything else in life.

Finding a New Normal

Being in college—especially now, as a junior—has taught me that growing up comes with a lot of unexpected emotions. Feeling disconnected from my family wasn’t something I thought I’d struggle with, but here I am. And while it’s been tough, I know that this isn’t the end of anything—it’s just a new phase.

At the end of the day, my family is still my family. The love is still there, even if things feel a little different. And no matter how far life takes me, I know home will always be just a phone call (or a drive) away.”

Digital media has forever impacted how fashion magazines are viewed. How can print survive in today’s digital age?

When was the last time you picked up a print magazine at the store? Now when was the last time you used the internet or social media to view a magazine’s content? I’m guessing the second question’s answer is much more recent. Today, stacks of once-iconic fashion magazines now tend to collect dust in bookstores, while millions of people scroll through TikTok for the latest trends. From streetwear to balletcore to acubi style, the rise of social media has made print fashion publications a thing of the past in the industry they once ruled.

Digital media has influenced nearly every industry, and fashion is no exception. Once led by designers, magazines, and various celebrities, the fashion industry as a whole has now been taken over by many factors, such as social media influencers and fast fashion. These factors have resulted in many unfortunate declines surrounding the industry; from the decline of print publication to fashion-related careers that have declined by almost 30% since 2014, according to New York news outlet The City. As digital media continues to advance, can the fashion industry get back to its original ways, or will trends continue to take over?

Traditional Fashion Media

To offer a bit of context on how fashion was once consumed, fashion magazines were a major part. With the first American fashion magazine published in 1867 by Harper’s Bazaar, fashion magazines have come a long way since then. Around this time in the 19^th century, fashion magazines were used as an outlet for women to be heard and express their opinions. Explained by historian Serena Dyer, at this time “{Fashion magazines} provided a space for women writers and entrepreneurs to grow and share their work, and have promoted making skills.” In other words, in such a dark time for women, fashion magazines offered a space for them to share their hard work and thoughts to other women living similar lives. In an article by Fashinnovation, it is explained how fashion magazines start important conversations in “a very superficial and timid way”, though still make impacts to many important societal topics, such as freedom of expression, the queer community, and even today’s digital shift (Vilaça, 2022). However, although fashion magazines have come a long way, traditional media today has recently come under fire for the lack of diversity found among various publications.

The Lack of Diversity in Fashion

Diversity and inclusion have remained persistent challenges in the fashion industry, especially since the creation of digital media. From print publications to advertising to the runway, there is not much diversity seen throughout fashion. This is a major issue surrounding print publications, as newer generations generally aim for more diverse content. Newer styles, newer body types, newer faces – audiences prefer new content, hence why social media is receiving so much popularity. According to Maliha Shoaib of Vogue Business, Daniel Peters, founder of Fashion Minority Report, claims that “There has been a regression in terms of our commitment to tackling DE&I. It’s obviously been affected by what’s happening economically, but I think that’s been used as too much of a crutch.” This goes to show how brands may be aware of this lack of diversity, and should work on improving their diversity, equity, & inclusion (DE&I) efforts.

Cut Funding

Another major issue surrounding the decline of the print magazine industry today has been cut funding for many fashion brands. This is largely due to declining advertisement revenue and print publication sales. Many advertisers are also shifting to digital media, where it is much easier to access advertisements through easy-to-see layouts and hyperlinks for viewers. As one of their main forms of revenue, advertisements are crucial to the survival of print magazines. Subscription sales, another main form of revenue, are also seeing a massive decline due to the rise of digital media. Audiences are switching to digital subscriptions to save their money and space if subscribing at all, as digital subscriptions are usually made cheaper than print subscriptions, and everything is on just one screen. With funding being cut, many magazines have acted in the only way they can – ceasing print publication. An example of this is Vogue, when they announced that Teen Vogue, one of Vogue’s smaller spin-offs, would stop printing magazines and only be available online. One of today’s top fashion magazines, Vogue, have been directly impacted by budget cutting, which goes to show how significant these digital shifts can be to magazines.

Staying on Trend

One other way print publications struggle to survive is their inability to stay on trend. Social media thrives on microtrends; ranging from new slang to viral products shown on TikTok, microtrends come and go just as fast. This is heavily consistent in the fashion industry, as the fashion side of social media introduces many unique fashion trends and brands and includes many different aesthetics. Streetwear, a popular fashion style on social media, brings back 90s clothing and is inspired by comfort and hip-hop culture. Acubi style, a newer fashion aesthetic, comes from South Korea, and features many silhouettes including layering and experimenting with clothes to create a more minimalist look.

While these trends are all over social media currently, fashion magazines and their annual publications struggle to keep up with them. Many magazines prefer to experiment with more dramatic, editorial looks to capture audiences. While many of these looks work for their covers, the content within the magazines still do not cover these trends. To keep up with microtrends, magazines are turning to digital media, and publishing articles for audiences much faster that way. While this method works for the magazine, this leaves almost no need for print publications.

The Push of Influencer Media

With the rise of digital media came the rise of influencers. Social media influencers use their platforms to recommend or sell their followers certain products or brands that may target them. This is done through sponsored content, user-generated content, and more. These people usually hold influence over their followers, and persuade them to get these products because of their trustworthiness as a creator. With this influence, their loyal followers tend to listen to their advice or recommendations, and this translates to the fashion industry in many ways. Fashion creators today usually post a variety of content, ranging from “outfit of the day” videos to PR unboxings of free items they received from brands. In all of this, creators showcase their styles to their audience or new audiences, ultimately giving fashion inspiration. According to a report made by Internet Retailing, a majority of global online shoppers use social media to discover fashion, with 52.4% of shoppers using Instagram and 51.6% using Facebook. With this growth of using social media as search engines, print magazines have almost no competition as they can’t really keep up with such quick trends, and influencers continue to win over social media users.

Promoting Diversity and Societal Changes

As a plus to social media, digital content heavily encourages more diverse and unique creators into the fashion world. Looking at traditional print magazines today, a majority of the content includes celebrities and portray unrealistic body standards set by models. While some magazines have made efforts in more diverse content, they are minimal compared to the diversity that social media offers. Societal changes, such as sustainability, the democratization of setting fashion trends, and challenging gender norms have all been highlighted in social media. Many fashion creators view their social media platforms as a tool for activism, like creator Munroe Bergdorf (@munroebergdorf). Bergdorf uses her platform to right for trans rights and representation in fashion, and challenges racism among beauty and fashion campaigns. With over 542k followers, she has reached a large audience and informs them on these pressing issues. Compared to print fashion magazines Bergdorf is winning in educating audiences, as she continues to use her platform to create new projects – she is releasing her second book in June 2025 and is releasing a documentary with Universal focused on a call for change in the trans community, releasing in 2025. These accomplishments go to show how powerful social media platforms can be in educating audiences, as well as what issues are being talked about regarding fashion in social media.

Adapting to Newer Consumer Values

In a world dependent on impressing consumers, fashion brands must learn to adapt to their new values, many of which are learned on social media. On social media, many creators stress the importance of sustainability in fashion. This refers to practicing ethical labor practices, as well as minimal negative environmental impacts. This includes the decrease of fast fashion, as cheaply made clothes are resulting in overflowing landfills. This issue has also become large in social media, as many consumers are beginning to look for better quality and longer lasting pieces to add to their wardrobes. With this, some of the best quality items are unfortunately more expensive, forcing many to turn to fast fashion. To relate this to print publications, as print magazines no longer dictate trends, fast fashion heavily relies on social media trends to survive. While print fashion magazines first created trends among the wealthy, fast fashion allows everyone to enjoy their own styles, even if unethical.

Conclusion

Fashion magazines were once worshipped and loved among women looking to be heard. Today, one well-edited TikTok or Instagram post by anyone could create a new global trend overnight. Print fashion magazines have faced numerous challenges since the creation of digital media, and have since learned to adapt to today’s digital shift in a number of ways. The rise of influencer culture, fast fashion, and increased representation in social media has forever altered how print magazines are viewed. Social media, while aiding in the decline of today’s print industry, continues to be used as an effective tool for magazines and fashion brands to showcase themselves and their projects, as well as gain advertisers. The golden era of print is now fading, but its influence doesn’t have to disappear – as long as we help it evolve.