Sooner or later website owners realize they have much too much content on their website — too much redundant, outdated, irrelevant, off-brand content. More so than ever, organizations appreciate that less is often more on the web. Less content can improve communication, findability, usability and usefulness. Not to mention, less content is easier to maintain and measure. But trying to figure out what content to cut is daunting. You might be … [Read more...]
Content Strategy: The Case for Collaboration
August 30, 2012 by
During our webinar last week, Georgy and I talked about content strategy as change management—how content strategy can provide a framework for making positive changes with your organization. While discussing the current unchanging landscape in higher ed, one issue that topped the list was collaboration. Really? We're Still Talking About Silos? This week, a colleague said in a moment of exasperation, "When will we stop talking … [Read more...]
A Content-First Approach to Your Events Calendar
August 16, 2012 by
Ah, the events calendar. One of the most ubiquitous components of a university website, and often one of the most confounding. From wrestling with feeds and technical configurations to simply getting people to use the darned thing, a calendar can be a headache. Time to schedule some Excedrin. With the right approach, though, that headache can become a valuable asset. An events calendar is not just a software application, after all—it’s a rich … [Read more...]
Leading Successful Editorial Meetings
August 9, 2012 by
Communication is hard. And when you think about higher ed, where we’ve got both central- and unit-level communications staff—each with their own stories, platforms, priorities, and staffing—it is really hard. The oft-invoked analogy is “herding cats,” and it certainly applies in this instance. So, we organize an editorial meeting, inviting all the top cats. Finally, we’ll bring order to the editorial chaos! But it’s not that simple. Our feline … [Read more...]
Managing Content Workflow for Faculty
July 17, 2012 by
You’ve done it! You’ve captured the intricacies and practical applications of Professor Mumblemore’s groundbreaking work on glottochronology (or electrophysiology, or perhaps paleoentomology) in crisp, engaging, easy to comprehend prose (or a minute-thirty of video, if you prefer). Good work! All that’s left is to get his A-OK and we can get this puppy published. Wait… what’s this? Professor Mumblemore returned your piece with notes—lots of … [Read more...]