Content Management 101 J. Todd Bennett Managing Partner decimal152

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The evolution of the college website

The evolution of the college website

How do we try to fix it? GET A CMS!

GET A CMS!

Reasons you get a CMS Ease the burden- more people lending a hand! WYSIWYG Easier updates, design changes More consistency and control Do cool stuff without knowing what you’re doing

Ease the burden- more people lending a hand!

WYSIWYG

Easier updates, design changes

More consistency and control

Do cool stuff without knowing what you’re doing

Beware of features Be careful with change

Beware of features

Be careful with change

No CMS will fix problems with your people or process

No CMS will fix problems with

your people or process

Dining Services Student Affairs Math Registrar English Maintenance

How do we harness their expertise for everyone’s benefit?

It’s time to rethink how we create and publish content.

www.flickr.com/photos/austin2179/

The long neck and tail Zipf Distribution www.useit.com/alertbox/zipf.html Page views Content

Freeing content

Bios Videos Images Stories Stats News Events Projects Platform for interacting with content

Content Reuse: the possibilities There are over 2000 different Lego parts in 55 colors and over 20 materials

There are over

2000 different

Lego parts in

55 colors and over

20 materials

Content Reuse: the possibilities Just 6 (2x4) bricks of the same color combine in 915,000,000 unique ways

Content Reuse A single piece of content is created once and used in multiple formats and contexts

A single piece of content is created once and used in multiple formats and contexts

The 3 Rs of Content Reuse

Re-use 1 piece of content, multiple contexts

Re-purpose use parts of a piece of content for different purposes

Re-package multiple documents created in multiple media types

Benefits of Reuse Quick and Easy Updates Consistency Knowledge Repository Extended Reach Do more with less (personalization)

Quick and Easy Updates

Consistency

Knowledge Repository

Extended Reach

Do more with less (personalization)

Content Reuse: Cautions Context reduces re-usability Lack of context requires branding of the content itself Decentralization requires consistency in structure, taxonomy, and tagging

Context reduces re-usability

Lack of context requires branding of the content itself

Decentralization requires consistency in structure, taxonomy, and tagging

What is Structured Content? A way of separating content from presentation A way of creating & storing information based on a predefined set of rules Content that can be parsed and formatted into just about any other structured (or unstructured) format

A way of separating content from presentation

A way of creating & storing information based on a predefined set of rules

Content that can be parsed and formatted into just about any other structured (or unstructured) format

What is the alternative? Unstructured Content Traditional HTML Static, freeform WYSIWYG

Traditional HTML

Static, freeform

WYSIWYG

Unstructured content is usually the result of an unstructured production process

Unstructured content is usually the result of an unstructured production process

Problems with unstructured content Difficult to make site-wide changes to content or layout Redundancies, inconsistencies, erroneous info Presentation often coupled with content Difficult to re-use content

Difficult to make site-wide changes to content or layout

Redundancies, inconsistencies, erroneous info

Presentation often coupled with content

Difficult to re-use content

Content is the sum of its parts What parts does your content have?

What parts does your content have?

When structuring your content Remember the 3 Rs Think beyond your singular purpose How granular should your content be? How will others find this content?

Remember the 3 Rs

Think beyond your singular purpose

How granular should your content be?

How will others find this content?

Use of Metadata Information used to describe & categorize content Album names Artists Song Titles Album Artwork Ratings Last Played Date Genre Playlists

Information used to describe & categorize content

Metadata Structured/controlled metadata Categories & Relationships Content Fields in the Structure Unstructured/ free form metadata Tags Ratings Usage Data

Structured/controlled metadata

Categories & Relationships

Content Fields in the Structure

Unstructured/ free form metadata

Tags

Ratings

Usage Data

Making it happen Start small Eliminate the fear of the technology Introduce new tools only after you have developed a culture of content contribution

Start small

Eliminate the fear of the technology

Introduce new tools only after you have developed a culture of content contribution

Questions? Contact me: [email_address] www.twitter.com/jtoddb 404-551-3915