The hottest digital platform today arguably isn’t Periscope, Snapchat, or Yik Yak. In fact, it was invented in 1972. Yes, friends, I am talking about email. Email is experiencing a renaissance thanks in large part to a surge of popular newsletter products, whether it is the personal newsletter of a respected writer or a clever newsletter product written in a distinctively personal voice. The revival of email comes down to two things: 1) a … [Read more...]
Defining Target Audiences: Who Are We Talking To, Really?
July 28, 2015 by
When I ask higher ed web teams who their primary audience is, inevitably the answer is "prospective students." Makes sense, right? Since higher ed websites are such an important marketing tool, most people will agree prospective student is an appropriate primary audience. Yet, when you navigate college websites, how well does content speak to this audience? And what about other audiences? How do they fit in? The reality is we cater to … [Read more...]
Ask Me Anything: How Can Higher Ed Use Reddit AMAs?
January 19, 2015 by
The following guest post was written by Ryan Morejon, social media community manager, and Angeline Evans, former digital media manager, at Florida International University. You never want to dive into a new social channel without a strategy just because it’s new or just for the sake of being there. That’s why, at first, we were hesitant to experiment with Reddit at Florida International University. For one, we didn’t know much about it, … [Read more...]
A Closer Look at Shorthand Visual Communications
January 12, 2015 by
Let's put ourselves in the shoes of one of our students. A graduating student, let's say. Perhaps their feelings are best represented like this: Or like this: (•_•) <) )╯College / \ \(•_•) ( (> is finally / \ (•_•) <) )> over. / \ Or perhaps they would feel more like this: Why are we talking about GIFs, emoji, and ASCII art in a space where we typically discuss CMS workflows and … [Read more...]
Optimizing Your Content for the Social Feed
January 5, 2015 by
The following guest post was written by Mike Petroff, digital content strategist, Harvard University. Content strategy typically starts with planning for and managing content on your own website. Words, images, videos, and other elements all fit within your carefully constructed design. But, what happens when people discover your content in spaces like Facebook and Twitter? How can we prepare our content to visually stand out when it … [Read more...]