The following guest post was written by Lisa Maria Martin, a content strategist and information architect in higher ed. Lisa Maria will be speaking at Confab Higher Ed in Atlanta, GA this November. I’ve spent time in academia, and I’ve spent time in content strategy, but never before had I mixed the two. Then, last winter, I began working at a large, private university, handling content strategy and information architecture for websites … [Read more...]
Content Strategist Job Descriptions in Higher Ed
From conversations with our peers and an occasional scan of the job boards, we observe that more universities are beginning to hire content strategists. This is great news! It means that administrators and senior leaders are recognizing the value of their web content and the work required to manage it well—and hiring accordingly. But what should go into that job description? What are the key responsibilities and tasks we need to … [Read more...]
Portal Websites: The Great Content Divide
In the Star Trek universe, a "portal" is a doorway to another dimension, connecting two points in space-time. In higher ed, a portal is just as fantastic — an internal website intended to better target users, remove content clutter and improve content governance. Voila! Well, maybe. Portal websites aim to meet these goals by dividing content directed at external audiences (such as prospective students, parents and media) and internal … [Read more...]
Improv and Content Strategy
The following guest post was written by Amanda Costello, Lead Content Strategist at the University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development. Collaboration and listening are at the heart of both improv comedy and content strategy. You might have seen improv on stage or on “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” In improv, while it doesn’t hurt to have a mind stuffed with trivia or an ear for a good pun, you must listen to your fellow … [Read more...]