The ongoing challenge we face in creating content -- whether it's yet another alumni profile or a description of student life on campus -- is to be compelling and engaging. But what does that really mean, and how can we meet this expectation? Copyblogger's Brian Clark breaks the formula down to two components: meaning and fascination. The most effective content, he argues, has a balance of both. How do you strike that balance in your content? … [Read more...]
Web Professionals as Change Management Specialists
April 7, 2011 by
In an interview with Randall Snare from the CS Forum in London, content strategist Karen McGrane compares her work on the web to change management—a concept that hits home for academia. Generally, colleges are slow to adopt web strategy. As higher ed web professionals, we're not just content, design, development and marketing experts—we're also change management specialists. We help web stakeholders adapt and better utilize the web … [Read more...]
Who is the Hero of Your Press Release?
April 5, 2011 by
The press release is one of the most ubiquitous elements of higher ed communications, but it is also one of the most static. Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about how to bring the press release into the 21st century. But how about looking for inspiration from centuries past? In this blog post for PR Newswire, VP of user experience design and workflow Rod Nicolson draws on the insights of mythologist Joseph Campbell to outline the … [Read more...]
Content Strategy… Mmm Mmm Good
April 1, 2011 by
If there’s one thing we can all identify with, it’s not having enough time to do everything that needs to get done -- even the most important things. But, if you’re willing to eat lunch at your desk for a week (which you very well might do anyway), C.C. Chapman (co-author of "Content Rules") offers a starting point for getting a hold on your website’s content strategy. How do you make the time to get your content under control? People hope and … [Read more...]
Are We Talking Content Strategy or Content Marketing?
March 31, 2011 by
Content strategy and content marketing are often used interchangeably when in fact they're distinct practices. I don't like to get hung up on titles—it's more important that the content work gets done than properly labeling the job—but it confuses the work required when these terms are merged. On the iMedia Connection blog, Rebecca Lieb offers some clear distinctions regarding these terms. How do you define them? What titles do you use in your … [Read more...]