Breaking News: Context Rules

I've written before about how the Associated Press crafted a digital strategy in 2008 to reflect the changing online news marketplace. Well, they're at it again. This time, as PR consultant, Lou Hoffman relates, they're mapping out how to achieve success beyond breaking news. A memo by senior managing editor Michael Oreskes outlines how the AP should embrace "journalism that’s more analytical, maybe a fresh and immediate entry point, a move … [Read more...]

Finding Focus, Making Progress

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Try to clear your mind of the 87 to-do list tasks competing for your attention. It's hard, isn't it? We don't have a lot of time, but we want to be content entrepreneurs, so we may reach too far, take on too much, adopt too early because we feel like we should. And that's when we reach the point of 87 voices screaming in our brain, each one asserting their priority over the others. Enough is enough, says … [Read more...]

A Business Case for Higher Ed Content

Higher ed is often troubled by talk of business objectives when it comes to web content. How can we make a business case for content if we're not a business? But, it’s an important question to answer if you want to gain support for quality content and demonstrate value. Content strategist Colleen Jones tackled this topic in a recent blog post, offering advice on pairing content to cost savings and results. Business or not, a business case for … [Read more...]

Empathy as Content Strategy

Thanks for reading this post. Are you at a computer? Maybe you're using an iPhone. If so, should I assume you're on the bus or walking down the street? Maybe you're not. Maybe you're just on your couch and too lazy to grab the laptop. How should I, as a content creator, anticipate and prepare for that? When thinking about what mobile means, web content expert Gerry McGovern urges us not to make assumptions about context and intent. "Mobile is … [Read more...]

Toward Future Friendly Content

The set of principles known as Future Friendly compels mobile web developers to 1) acknowledge and embrace unpredictability 2) think and behave in a future-friendly way and 3) help others do the same. Dave Olsen of West Virginia University took those principles and applied them to higher ed, painting a picture of the future-friendly campus. And several of these principles tie back to the role of content. Among the points in Olsen’s “manifesto” … [Read more...]