The Power of the First-Person Perspective

A lot has been said about “clickbait” content from sites like Upworthy, whose headlines tug on (some say exploit) emotions and curiosity to lure readers to their content. While I don’t feel as strongly about these headlines as many do, one type of headline that particularly grates on me is the faux first-person headline. For example: A News Team Follows Potential Models For One Week. My Face Is Now Stuck In Disgust Mode. I’ve Tried To … [Read more...]

Best Practices for Email Newsletter Content Planning

Everyone loves to prognosticate about the future of email, including whether or not anyone still reads it or if we’ll soon be able to check it via our refrigerators. For better or for worse, email remains a ubiquitous form of communication today. According to a July 2012 report by the McKinsey Global Institute, we spend 13 hours per week dealing with email. Thirteen hours! That’s a whole season of “House of Cards,” you know. Not surprisingly, … [Read more...]

Power to the People at Confab Higher Ed

What happens when you bring more than 350 higher ed content professionals together? Amazing things — lots of knowledge sharing, a renewed sense of purpose, and a Bill Murray sighting. Confab Higher Ed, held November 11-12 in Atlanta, Georgia, has come to pass. But those who attended the inaugural event are still chewing on all the food for thought shared by speakers and attendees alike. Check out our recaps of sessions from day one and day … [Read more...]

Confab Higher Ed 2013: Session Recaps, Day 2

From November 11-12, more than 350 individuals representing more than 170 institutions gathered in Atlanta for the inaugural Confab Higher Ed. Alaina Wiens of the University of Michigan-Flint and Meg Bernier of St. Lawrence University share their recaps from some of the 33 speakers who shared content strategy knowledge at the event. Keynote: "Five Ways Digital Strategy Can Drive Excellence in Collaborative Content" with Perry Hewitt “Good … [Read more...]

Confab Higher Ed 2013: Session Recaps, Day 1

From November 11-12, more than 350 individuals representing more than 170 institutions gathered in Atlanta for the inaugural Confab Higher Ed. Alaina Wiens of the University of Michigan-Flint and Meg Bernier of St. Lawrence University share their recaps from some of the 33 speakers who shared content strategy knowledge at the event. Keynote: “Content/Communication” with Kristina Halvorson Much like other big higher ed buzzwords such as … [Read more...]