diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f7ca5d7..11674a4 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -125,22 +125,27 @@ impl BlogdorTheAggregator {
         Ok(feed_results)
     }
 
+    // will also update the successful_runs table if it posts to zulip
     pub async fn post_entries(&self, posts: &[FeedEntry]) {
         let FeedEntry {
             feed_id, received, ..
         } = posts.last().unwrap();
         let mut success = true;
         for post in posts.iter() {
-            let body = post
-                .body
-                .iter()
-                .next()
-                .cloned()
-                .unwrap_or("Blogdor Says: NO BODY!".to_string());
+            let body = post.body.as_deref().unwrap_or("Blogdor Says: NO BODY!");
+
+            let tail = if body.len() < ZULIP_MESSAGE_CUTOFF {
+                ""
+            } else {
+                "..."
+            };
+
             let content = format!(
-                "{body} ...\n\n---\noriginally posted to {}, on {}",
-                post.post_url, post.published
+                "{body}{tail}\n\n---\noriginally published on [{}]({})",
+                post.published.format("%B %e, %Y"),
+                post.post_url
             );
+
             let msg = ZulipMessage {
                 to: self.channel_id,
                 typ: "stream",