Don’t send links without context

Imagine this: you’re in the middle of something and suddenly you receive a text from a friend or coworker. They’ve sent you a link, with no further explanation or context whatsoever.

It might be to a news article, some video, a 10-page document or a business report. But it’s just a link and all you have is the URL, the title and description (because your chat app previewed this to you).

Now what are you supposed to do?

Why context matters

Without context, people won’t know what’s expected of them. This may leave them confused and wondering:

  • What do you expect me to do with this? Should I read this and give you my opinion on the matter, or are you just putting this on the radar to make me aware of it?
  • Is this important and/or urgent? Should I stop what I’m doing and look at it right now, or can it wait?
  • Did you find this funny and are you looking to make me laugh? Did it upset you and are you seeking emotional comfort?
  • If it’s shared in a group chat: is this actually aimed at me or relevant for me? Was this meant for another subset in this group?

Do this instead

If you’re going to share a link, include a bit of context. Tell people why you’re sharing it with them. You can keep this really short and to the point:

  • “Looks like it’s going to freeze tonight. Be careful on the roads tomorrow morning: {link to weather report}”
  • “Just read this article on wealth and poverty, which was super insightful to me. I learned that poverty negatively affects cognitive processes like decision-making. Check it out! {link to news article on newly published research into poverty}”
  • “Gartner just published their report on {some subject} and it shows the top 10% of businesses in our space adopted Y this year. Do you think we should start doing this as well? {link to report}”
  • “Hey, have you seen this video yet? It cracks me up: {fun video}”
  • “As discussed on the video call we just had, you can find more information here: {10-page business document}”

References