You have a precious few seconds to make an impression on your most important, and most impatient, users. Is your content doing everything it can to attract, engage, and connect with them, or are you diluting your message by trying to be all things to all people? Going "all-in" means focusing exclusively on your prospective students, quickly distinguishing your institution through meaningful content, targeted messaging, and an emphasis on interactivity.
Presented at the eduWeb Digital Summit in Denver, August, 2016
This document provides an overview of content strategy. It defines content strategy as planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of content to help achieve business goals. It discusses the many disciplines that fall under content strategy, including branding, information architecture, and editorial style guides. The document then covers why content strategy is needed, how to analyze existing content and user needs, how to plan new content through governance models and content architecture, how to design and create new content, and how to evaluate content through measurement and testing.
Richard von Kaufmann Sauna Safari Social Media Presentation 8 May 2014Zipipop Freud
This document provides guidance on using social media successfully. It discusses the importance of having the right attitude and clear goals. Content is key, and the document outlines a model for creating proactive, latent, and reactive content. It also emphasizes the need to understand one's target audiences and changing perceptions through strategic, valuable content shared at the right time and place. Telling stories through social media can communicate an organization's values and build influence. Metrics should track whether content achieves strategic goals of changing perceptions.
This document discusses content strategy as a methodology rather than a practice. It proposes that content strategy involves common elements of having a body of tactics for working with content, establishing measurable goals and strategic initiatives, and making decisions with a user-centered focus through interdisciplinary collaboration. Describing content strategy this way provides implications for how different roles can apply a content strategy methodology to their specific practices in a consistent yet tailored way. It also discusses how this perspective on content strategy as a methodology can help with hiring, project scoping, and advocating the value of content-related work.
Presentation prepared for a webinar hosted by the International Association for Information & Data Quality (www.iaidq.org)
It looks a a few low cost, high practicality approaches to driving Information Quality change in your organisation.
SharePoint Saturday New york City - The importance of metadata #spsnycVincent Biret
This document discusses the importance of metadata for improving search, navigation, and discoverability of information. It defines metadata as data that describes content and relationships between files to facilitate search, discovery, and management of information. It provides examples of different types of metadata like bibliographic, administrative, technical, and descriptive metadata. It also discusses metadata standards like Dublin Core and how to structure metadata through controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, thesauruses, ontologies, and folksonomies. Finally, it discusses how SharePoint can leverage metadata through features like folders, taxonomy, keywords, document sets, content types, and facets to improve search and governance of information.
Content modeling involves determining the structure of content in a content management system (CMS). This includes defining content types and their component fields. Content types correspond to types of content, like blog posts or events. Fields represent the individual chunks that make up each content type, such as title, body text, images. Defining a content model up front allows content to be stored and presented in a structured way, enabling many potential uses like calendars or feeds. It requires balancing current and future needs as well as different stakeholders. Content models can range from simple to complex and should be tested and revised as needed.
Generating Sales Ready Leads Through Content MarketingGreg Shuey
In my SMARTcon presentation you can learn how to generate more brand awareness, more website traffic, more leads, and more revenue through content marketing strategy and execution.
Introduction to seo keyword and content strategyROI Logic
An introduction to the art and science behind the process of moving beyond keyword research into keyword mapping, strategic topic planning, and general content strategy. These slides will serve as a visual guide into what's involved and how the process works.
This document provides an overview of content strategy. It defines content strategy as planning for the creation, delivery, and governance of content to help achieve business goals. It discusses the many disciplines that fall under content strategy, including branding, information architecture, and editorial style guides. The document then covers why content strategy is needed, how to analyze existing content and user needs, how to plan new content through governance models and content architecture, how to design and create new content, and how to evaluate content through measurement and testing.
Richard von Kaufmann Sauna Safari Social Media Presentation 8 May 2014Zipipop Freud
This document provides guidance on using social media successfully. It discusses the importance of having the right attitude and clear goals. Content is key, and the document outlines a model for creating proactive, latent, and reactive content. It also emphasizes the need to understand one's target audiences and changing perceptions through strategic, valuable content shared at the right time and place. Telling stories through social media can communicate an organization's values and build influence. Metrics should track whether content achieves strategic goals of changing perceptions.
This document discusses content strategy as a methodology rather than a practice. It proposes that content strategy involves common elements of having a body of tactics for working with content, establishing measurable goals and strategic initiatives, and making decisions with a user-centered focus through interdisciplinary collaboration. Describing content strategy this way provides implications for how different roles can apply a content strategy methodology to their specific practices in a consistent yet tailored way. It also discusses how this perspective on content strategy as a methodology can help with hiring, project scoping, and advocating the value of content-related work.
Presentation prepared for a webinar hosted by the International Association for Information & Data Quality (www.iaidq.org)
It looks a a few low cost, high practicality approaches to driving Information Quality change in your organisation.
SharePoint Saturday New york City - The importance of metadata #spsnycVincent Biret
This document discusses the importance of metadata for improving search, navigation, and discoverability of information. It defines metadata as data that describes content and relationships between files to facilitate search, discovery, and management of information. It provides examples of different types of metadata like bibliographic, administrative, technical, and descriptive metadata. It also discusses metadata standards like Dublin Core and how to structure metadata through controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, thesauruses, ontologies, and folksonomies. Finally, it discusses how SharePoint can leverage metadata through features like folders, taxonomy, keywords, document sets, content types, and facets to improve search and governance of information.
Content modeling involves determining the structure of content in a content management system (CMS). This includes defining content types and their component fields. Content types correspond to types of content, like blog posts or events. Fields represent the individual chunks that make up each content type, such as title, body text, images. Defining a content model up front allows content to be stored and presented in a structured way, enabling many potential uses like calendars or feeds. It requires balancing current and future needs as well as different stakeholders. Content models can range from simple to complex and should be tested and revised as needed.
Generating Sales Ready Leads Through Content MarketingGreg Shuey
In my SMARTcon presentation you can learn how to generate more brand awareness, more website traffic, more leads, and more revenue through content marketing strategy and execution.
Introduction to seo keyword and content strategyROI Logic
An introduction to the art and science behind the process of moving beyond keyword research into keyword mapping, strategic topic planning, and general content strategy. These slides will serve as a visual guide into what's involved and how the process works.
Experiential entrepreneurship education -state of the art (Coneeect Sofia)Norris Krueger
The document discusses teaching entrepreneurship by focusing on developing an entrepreneurial mindset rather than teaching skills or information. It advocates for experiential learning approaches like problem-based learning, immersion in entrepreneurial activities before concepts are introduced, and mentorship from experts and peers. This allows students to gain critical developmental experiences that change how they think in deeper, more experiential ways about entrepreneurship. The role of instructors is to accelerate this learning process through connecting students to real-world entrepreneurial ecosystems and facilitating opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences and change their mindsets.
This document discusses planning for a new member orientation for MNISPI. It suggests including 3-4 chunks of essential content and delivery methods. It prompts the reader to consider what new members need to know, why they are not already doing it, and how to address knowledge, skills, environment, and motivation. It also discusses using rehearsal techniques like simulations and scenarios to plan for opportunities and obstacles when orienting new members. The document promotes Cathy Moore's action mapping model and having participants identify observable behaviors, tools used, who they interact with and why, and obstacles arising. It defines rehearsal as simulations, scenarios, action planning, and teach-back. It encourages the reader to make a specific action plan for orienting
Intro to Content Strategy: January 2013James Callan
This document summarizes a workshop on content strategy held on January 25, 2013. It introduces content strategy and discusses evaluating existing content through inventories and audits, defining key messages, and using content strategy to plan new content creation and governance. Content strategy is presented as a process to ensure an organization's content is useful, usable and helps achieve its goals.
The document provides information about Andrew Chow, an expert in social media and PR strategies. It outlines his background and qualifications, areas of expertise in social media and branding, and lists the various social media platforms where he maintains a presence to engage in conversations and share his knowledge. The document also outlines his approach to winning on the social media "chessboard" through developing content, managing conversations, and engaging communities.
Training: The Missing Element of Content GovernanceRick Allen
When we think about content governance, we tend to consider roles, responsibilities, workflow, and documentation. But there’s an element to content governance that is equally important and often overlooked: training.
Fundamentally, content governance requires educating everyone involved in the publishing process—including content planning, creation, editing, publishing, and measurement. All this while considering numerous publishing channels and communication goals. To be successful, content relies on a cultural support for governance with active sharing and learning.
Building a content governance culture means we all need to be teachers—and students.
• Learn to assess content governance readiness, including existing expertise and knowledge gaps.
• Find out how to strengthen your content governance plan by making good use of staff resources.
• See how to create a scalable content governance training model.
• Discover how to foster a content culture and empower content contributors to do great work.
Companion website of the book: http://createtolearn.online
Information is power. There are many ways to create information but people find statistics, data, and facts especially compelling. When data is presented visually, it can compel our interest and illustrate complex ideas. Simple online tools make it easy to design infographics, and online aggregation services can make these images go viral. Much important data is publically available from national and city government but it isn’t always easy to use. Online firms have created tools to help people access data but these can be behind expensive paywalls because they are presumed to have competitive value in the business marketplace. But infographics always have a point of view: like all media, they are inherently selective and incomplete. They are often used for persuasive purposes because people find information that is presented in visual and numerical form to be trustworthy. Infographics and data visualizations can be used as a form of beneficial or harmful propaganda.
This presentation contains 100 hand-selected inspirational quotes on creativity and innovation. A few have never been published elsewhere. While this is a PDF version, there are instructions at the end about obtaining the PowerPoint version of this slide deck.
Don’t Let Someone Else Tell Your Career StoryHannah Morgan
Ideas for building online visibility
Your career is too important to be a well-kept secret. Today’s hiring managers are searching online to find their next great hire so it’s time for you to take control. This presentation will look at tools and tips for you to document your career story so that it will stand out and catch the attention of your potential new boss. From portfolios to social networking, you owe it to yourself to showcase your marketable assets. We’ll break down the elements of a compelling career story, brainstorm ideas for what to include and browse creative examples to inspire you to take action.
For #Spectrum16
FutureCasting provides a systematic framework that enables individuals to navigate the environments they encounter, achieve the goals they set, and establish a network of support for both personal and “professional” advancement. The program results in tangible outcomes related to personal brand, digital footprint, citizenship, and online presence.
"The Self-Directed Strategist: Building a Practice and Managing Organizationa...Blend Interactive
This document is a presentation by Corey Vilhauer on being a self-directed strategist and managing organizational change. Some of the key points discussed include:
- Being self-directed means deciding what work to do and directing projects.
- Effective communication, managing expectations, and clear deliverables are important for managing change.
- A methodology was presented that includes discovery, governance, strategy, and execution phases for content strategy projects.
- Inclusion, deliberate practice, and explaining tracks are important for communicating and leading change.
- Self-direction involves defining goals and carrying a project through to completion as a leader.
Using social media to develop a professional online presenceSue Beckingham
Invited Speaker at University of East Anglia
The exponential growth of social media and ubiquitous use of mobile technology has changed the way we communicate both socially and for many also professionally. It is important to consider the implications and the impact of the digital footprint our online interactions leave behind. This workshop will help you to reflect on what your online presence looks like when viewed by others, consider who your audiences are and how you can develop your digital profile in a positive way.
Compelling content needs a strategy, and content strategy needs governance in order for it to "stick." Learn about content governance and the opportunities and challenges it presents for organizations. Guest lecture for University of Washington content strategy course
The document discusses how communication and information can be used to enact social change. It explains that metacognition and critical reflection allow people to transform ideas into actions that improve society. Various competencies are outlined that involve understanding different perspectives, applying ethical judgment, and using communication to address important issues. The document also discusses how both "thin" and "thick" engagement are important for social and political change. It provides examples of how internet memes and parody can be used to comment on and challenge social norms. Risks of online civic participation, such as harassment, are also addressed. Throughout, the document emphasizes how the power of communication can be harnessed to imagine new possibilities and promote positive change.
Sarah GoodwinThiel discusses using the Harwood Approach and Design Thinking methodology to engage communities. These approaches emphasize listening to community aspirations, finding common goals, and creating user-centered solutions. She provides examples of how libraries could work together in Lawrence, Kansas by understanding each other's goals and collaborating on services, collections, and programming to better meet community needs. The key is shifting conversations from problems to possibilities through creative, empathetic thinking and partnership.
Justin Darley and Clare Reucroft describe some key content design concepts and techniques. They also share how this approach has helped mental health charity Mind deliver critical services.
Take us through the challenges of applying content design to existing content
The document discusses teaching digital citizenship skills to students using the BIG SIX research model. The BIG SIX is a six-step process for effective online research that includes defining tasks, seeking information, locating sources, using information, creating a product, and evaluating work. The document advocates for teachers and librarians to model these skills and have students apply them to various projects involving online research and collaboration in order to prepare them for an information-rich world.
The document discusses mentoring students in the information profession. It outlines the changing nature of the field and students' uncertainty about career paths. To help, the author developed an 8-week course pairing students with over 30 speakers from various information jobs. Student feedback showed the course helped explore options and allay anxiety. Next steps include expanding mentoring and connecting with potential students to promote the profession. The goal is to nurture the future of the field through guidance and collaboration.
CISV's educational approach focuses on learning by doing through goals and indicators. Participants experience an activity, reflect on what they learned, generalize the lessons, and apply them. This helps participants gain the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to meet CISV's goals of educating and inspiring action for a more just and peaceful world. Profile raising training prepares trainees in several goals, including using CISV's active global citizenship approach, undertaking practical responsibilities, contributing to CISV's development, and interacting in diverse environments.
Experiential entrepreneurship education -state of the art (Coneeect Sofia)Norris Krueger
The document discusses teaching entrepreneurship by focusing on developing an entrepreneurial mindset rather than teaching skills or information. It advocates for experiential learning approaches like problem-based learning, immersion in entrepreneurial activities before concepts are introduced, and mentorship from experts and peers. This allows students to gain critical developmental experiences that change how they think in deeper, more experiential ways about entrepreneurship. The role of instructors is to accelerate this learning process through connecting students to real-world entrepreneurial ecosystems and facilitating opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences and change their mindsets.
This document discusses planning for a new member orientation for MNISPI. It suggests including 3-4 chunks of essential content and delivery methods. It prompts the reader to consider what new members need to know, why they are not already doing it, and how to address knowledge, skills, environment, and motivation. It also discusses using rehearsal techniques like simulations and scenarios to plan for opportunities and obstacles when orienting new members. The document promotes Cathy Moore's action mapping model and having participants identify observable behaviors, tools used, who they interact with and why, and obstacles arising. It defines rehearsal as simulations, scenarios, action planning, and teach-back. It encourages the reader to make a specific action plan for orienting
Intro to Content Strategy: January 2013James Callan
This document summarizes a workshop on content strategy held on January 25, 2013. It introduces content strategy and discusses evaluating existing content through inventories and audits, defining key messages, and using content strategy to plan new content creation and governance. Content strategy is presented as a process to ensure an organization's content is useful, usable and helps achieve its goals.
The document provides information about Andrew Chow, an expert in social media and PR strategies. It outlines his background and qualifications, areas of expertise in social media and branding, and lists the various social media platforms where he maintains a presence to engage in conversations and share his knowledge. The document also outlines his approach to winning on the social media "chessboard" through developing content, managing conversations, and engaging communities.
Training: The Missing Element of Content GovernanceRick Allen
When we think about content governance, we tend to consider roles, responsibilities, workflow, and documentation. But there’s an element to content governance that is equally important and often overlooked: training.
Fundamentally, content governance requires educating everyone involved in the publishing process—including content planning, creation, editing, publishing, and measurement. All this while considering numerous publishing channels and communication goals. To be successful, content relies on a cultural support for governance with active sharing and learning.
Building a content governance culture means we all need to be teachers—and students.
• Learn to assess content governance readiness, including existing expertise and knowledge gaps.
• Find out how to strengthen your content governance plan by making good use of staff resources.
• See how to create a scalable content governance training model.
• Discover how to foster a content culture and empower content contributors to do great work.
Companion website of the book: http://createtolearn.online
Information is power. There are many ways to create information but people find statistics, data, and facts especially compelling. When data is presented visually, it can compel our interest and illustrate complex ideas. Simple online tools make it easy to design infographics, and online aggregation services can make these images go viral. Much important data is publically available from national and city government but it isn’t always easy to use. Online firms have created tools to help people access data but these can be behind expensive paywalls because they are presumed to have competitive value in the business marketplace. But infographics always have a point of view: like all media, they are inherently selective and incomplete. They are often used for persuasive purposes because people find information that is presented in visual and numerical form to be trustworthy. Infographics and data visualizations can be used as a form of beneficial or harmful propaganda.
This presentation contains 100 hand-selected inspirational quotes on creativity and innovation. A few have never been published elsewhere. While this is a PDF version, there are instructions at the end about obtaining the PowerPoint version of this slide deck.
Don’t Let Someone Else Tell Your Career StoryHannah Morgan
Ideas for building online visibility
Your career is too important to be a well-kept secret. Today’s hiring managers are searching online to find their next great hire so it’s time for you to take control. This presentation will look at tools and tips for you to document your career story so that it will stand out and catch the attention of your potential new boss. From portfolios to social networking, you owe it to yourself to showcase your marketable assets. We’ll break down the elements of a compelling career story, brainstorm ideas for what to include and browse creative examples to inspire you to take action.
For #Spectrum16
FutureCasting provides a systematic framework that enables individuals to navigate the environments they encounter, achieve the goals they set, and establish a network of support for both personal and “professional” advancement. The program results in tangible outcomes related to personal brand, digital footprint, citizenship, and online presence.
"The Self-Directed Strategist: Building a Practice and Managing Organizationa...Blend Interactive
This document is a presentation by Corey Vilhauer on being a self-directed strategist and managing organizational change. Some of the key points discussed include:
- Being self-directed means deciding what work to do and directing projects.
- Effective communication, managing expectations, and clear deliverables are important for managing change.
- A methodology was presented that includes discovery, governance, strategy, and execution phases for content strategy projects.
- Inclusion, deliberate practice, and explaining tracks are important for communicating and leading change.
- Self-direction involves defining goals and carrying a project through to completion as a leader.
Using social media to develop a professional online presenceSue Beckingham
Invited Speaker at University of East Anglia
The exponential growth of social media and ubiquitous use of mobile technology has changed the way we communicate both socially and for many also professionally. It is important to consider the implications and the impact of the digital footprint our online interactions leave behind. This workshop will help you to reflect on what your online presence looks like when viewed by others, consider who your audiences are and how you can develop your digital profile in a positive way.
Compelling content needs a strategy, and content strategy needs governance in order for it to "stick." Learn about content governance and the opportunities and challenges it presents for organizations. Guest lecture for University of Washington content strategy course
The document discusses how communication and information can be used to enact social change. It explains that metacognition and critical reflection allow people to transform ideas into actions that improve society. Various competencies are outlined that involve understanding different perspectives, applying ethical judgment, and using communication to address important issues. The document also discusses how both "thin" and "thick" engagement are important for social and political change. It provides examples of how internet memes and parody can be used to comment on and challenge social norms. Risks of online civic participation, such as harassment, are also addressed. Throughout, the document emphasizes how the power of communication can be harnessed to imagine new possibilities and promote positive change.
Sarah GoodwinThiel discusses using the Harwood Approach and Design Thinking methodology to engage communities. These approaches emphasize listening to community aspirations, finding common goals, and creating user-centered solutions. She provides examples of how libraries could work together in Lawrence, Kansas by understanding each other's goals and collaborating on services, collections, and programming to better meet community needs. The key is shifting conversations from problems to possibilities through creative, empathetic thinking and partnership.
Justin Darley and Clare Reucroft describe some key content design concepts and techniques. They also share how this approach has helped mental health charity Mind deliver critical services.
Take us through the challenges of applying content design to existing content
The document discusses teaching digital citizenship skills to students using the BIG SIX research model. The BIG SIX is a six-step process for effective online research that includes defining tasks, seeking information, locating sources, using information, creating a product, and evaluating work. The document advocates for teachers and librarians to model these skills and have students apply them to various projects involving online research and collaboration in order to prepare them for an information-rich world.
The document discusses mentoring students in the information profession. It outlines the changing nature of the field and students' uncertainty about career paths. To help, the author developed an 8-week course pairing students with over 30 speakers from various information jobs. Student feedback showed the course helped explore options and allay anxiety. Next steps include expanding mentoring and connecting with potential students to promote the profession. The goal is to nurture the future of the field through guidance and collaboration.
CISV's educational approach focuses on learning by doing through goals and indicators. Participants experience an activity, reflect on what they learned, generalize the lessons, and apply them. This helps participants gain the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to meet CISV's goals of educating and inspiring action for a more just and peaceful world. Profile raising training prepares trainees in several goals, including using CISV's active global citizenship approach, undertaking practical responsibilities, contributing to CISV's development, and interacting in diverse environments.
Activities and Exercises for Workshops that Work (Confab 2019)Tracy Playle
How do you design exercises and activities for content strategy workshops? In this presentation designed for Confab 2019, Tracy Playle shares a host of activities and tips for delivering successful content strategy workshops
This document discusses the importance of content strategy and outlines key principles for developing effective content. It defines content as words, photos, videos, social media, and emails and emphasizes that a content strategy is needed to ensure these elements effectively represent a brand and support user experiences. The document provides definitions of content strategy and lists factors like authenticity, clarity, and responsiveness that are important for successful content. It also offers tips for developing content like understanding the target audience and creating calls to action.
The document discusses Design Thinking and its application in education. It defines Design Thinking as a prescribed process for creating solutions to problems that emphasizes empathy, observing user pain points, iterative prototyping and feedback. The document then shares the experience of Forest Hills Public Schools which used Design Thinking and identified eight key competencies including curiosity, creativity, collaboration and more. It encourages readers to apply Design Thinking to their own work by identifying problems, leveraging existing resources, and getting started through an iterative process.
Make fans & influence people using Facebook & other social media (NTRLS TechN...Arlington Public Library
Libraries exist to connect with people and help them to connect with their world. Social media gives us new tools to help carry out that mission by allowing us to be more engaging, conversational and playful. Arlington Public Library staff wants people to see the library subconsciously as their trusted smart friend who steers them toward ideas and resources which they might not encounter on their own. Learn how to broaden your patron base and deepen connections by putting a human face on your institution.
Objectives: Recognize ways social media can help promote library services; Identify tools for library fans which can multiply a library’s message; Examine social media's promise for delivering personalized customer service; Acquire practical tips and tricks for connecting with library fans and for handling administrative tasks.
The document summarizes notes from the Computers in Libraries 2012 conference. It discusses keynotes on creating innovative libraries and strategic planning goals. Notes cover trends in library services like meeting users wherever they are, enriching campus programs, and ensuring equitable access to knowledge. The conference reinforced ideas like using technology initiatives, capturing ideas, and providing opportunities for users to create content.
We face problems in our day-to-day work that we don't have all the necessary information to solve. In addressing those problems, we can guess, estimate, experiment, or even try to "fail fast" our way to success (good luck to you brave souls who choose this). But, especially where users are concerned, we can also choose understand what we're trying to accomplish, identify where the risks & gaps are, and develop our high priority questions for the work at hand. This is what we need to shape effective research. In this talk, we'll cover:
the idea of research as it applies to user experience / interaction work,
the unusual nature of the User / UX Researcher specialist role,
the type of questions we ask & evidence we gather in user research,
how to use that to make the work work.
It's a mostly-practical and slightly theoretical look at research and the mindset that can turn interesting human data into successful products and services.
Toronto Public Relation is a Discipline of Depthrobinmethew
The document discusses several topics related to peer research, including:
- The benefits of having lived experience when conducting research with communities.
- Challenges that can emerge around roles, responsibilities, and power dynamics between peer researchers and academic researchers.
- The importance of training, support, and clear communication throughout the peer research process.
Innovation Boot Camp: Fostering a More Innovative Workplace (PPT)M.J. D'Elia
This PDF document provides some summary notes from our presentation at the CPSI conference in Buffalo. You can also find our PPT from the session on Slideshare.
This document summarizes a workshop on content strategy given by James Callan. The workshop introduced content strategy and discussed key concepts like the content inventory and audit. It was explained that content strategy involves evaluating existing content, designing new content, and executing an ongoing content plan. Various tools for content strategy were also outlined, including message architecture, editorial style guides, templates, and editorial calendars. The workshop emphasized that content strategy is a long-term process focused on creating and maintaining useful, usable content over time.
[Webinar Recap] How to Create The Most Memorable Content ExperienceScripted.com
In order to succeed in content marketing, you have to give your audience an unforgettable experience. Watch Scripted's webinar with Uberflip to find out how!
Don't Interrupt, Attract! Content Strategy is the Hidden Engine of the Librar...IntelliCraft Research
At Library Marketing and Communications Conference 2017, a presentation and discussion of content marketing, mistakes to avoid, and how to craft a content strategy to drive a more successful marketing plan Save time and resources through better upfront planning, creation of a brand voice, understanding of content ownership, and workflow.
Building your brand – A practical guide for nonprofit organizations4Good.org
This "brand 101″ session is designed to help nonprofit leadership and board members understand the basic concepts around developing and maintaining a strong brand.
Similar to Going All-in On Prospective Students (20)
Gen Z and the marketplaces - let's translate their needsLaura Szabó
The product workshop focused on exploring the requirements of Generation Z in relation to marketplace dynamics. We delved into their specific needs, examined the specifics in their shopping preferences, and analyzed their preferred methods for accessing information and making purchases within a marketplace. Through the study of real-life cases , we tried to gain valuable insights into enhancing the marketplace experience for Generation Z.
The workshop was held on the DMA Conference in Vienna June 2024.
Discover the benefits of outsourcing SEO to Indiadavidjhones387
"Discover the benefits of outsourcing SEO to India! From cost-effective services and expert professionals to round-the-clock work advantages, learn how your business can achieve digital success with Indian SEO solutions.
Ready to Unlock the Power of Blockchain!Toptal Tech
Imagine a world where data flows freely, yet remains secure. A world where trust is built into the fabric of every transaction. This is the promise of blockchain, a revolutionary technology poised to reshape our digital landscape.
Toptal Tech is at the forefront of this innovation, connecting you with the brightest minds in blockchain development. Together, we can unlock the potential of this transformative technology, building a future of transparency, security, and endless possibilities.
HijackLoader Evolution: Interactive Process HollowingDonato Onofri
CrowdStrike researchers have identified a HijackLoader (aka IDAT Loader) sample that employs sophisticated evasion techniques to enhance the complexity of the threat. HijackLoader, an increasingly popular tool among adversaries for deploying additional payloads and tooling, continues to evolve as its developers experiment and enhance its capabilities.
In their analysis of a recent HijackLoader sample, CrowdStrike researchers discovered new techniques designed to increase the defense evasion capabilities of the loader. The malware developer used a standard process hollowing technique coupled with an additional trigger that was activated by the parent process writing to a pipe. This new approach, called "Interactive Process Hollowing", has the potential to make defense evasion stealthier.
2. “The more people you cater to,
the less relevant and
meaningful your content
becomes—for everyone.”
Rick Allen, “Defining Target Audiences: Who Are We Talking To, Really?” 7/28/15
meetcontent.com/blog/defining-target-audiences-who-are-we-talking-to-really/
4. That’s relative;
this is absolute
Traditional thinking:
“Prioritize
content for your
primary users”
Going
5. Going All-In means focusing on
one user group
(…at a time)
What does it mean to go “All-In”?
6. Focusing on one user group
“We know who you are,
we know why you’re here,
we have what you’re looking for,
and we’re going to help you.”
7. “Students perceive the audience
to be students, but still find the
messages mostly to be about
marketing the institution”
Katrina A. Meyer, Stephanie Jones, “Information Found and Not Found: What University Websites Tell
Students,” Fall, 2011
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall143/meyer_jones143.html
8. (Do they know why I’m here?)
(Do they know who I am?)
Were they all-in for me?
(A CASE STUDY)
(Are they going to help me?)
14. Removed a university
from consideration after a
bad experience with their website
Emily Cretella, 7 content marketing stats that should shake higher education – and 5 ways to act on them
http://cursivecontent.com/
15. Removed a school from
their prospect list because
of a bad experience
Katrina A. Meyer, Stephanie Jones, “Information Found and Not Found: What University Websites Tell
Students,” Fall, 2011
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall143/meyer_jones143.html
20. Properly positioning your
institution takes work,
but will improve your marketing
by reducing
the alternatives.
Philip Morgan, “Positioining Crash Course,”
philipmorganconsulting.com
21. What are we doing that
makes sense? Do we have the
right people in the right
seats? How much content
do we really need to create,
and how often?
— Kristina Halvorson
Marcia Riefer Johnston, “Content Strategy for Marketers: Insights From
Kristina Halvorson”
contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/09/content-strategy-halvorson/
24. Always include students in
that process
Up-front
In-process
Pre-launch?
Post-launch
(Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think)
Building a process, not a website
29. Writing for your mom :
Start at the very beginning and
don’t leave out a thing
Emphasize all the best things
about you
And she’ll read every word. Twice.
30. Start with their situation and get
to the point
Emphasize and contextualize
what’s important to them
And they’ll still read as little as possible
Writing for prospective students :
35. Narcissistic,
overconfident,
entitled, stunted, and
lazy
Ashley Hennigan, The Prospective
Student User
Cornell University
www.slideshare.net/ashleyhenn/ux-
and-the-prospective-student-user
Millennials in particular…
Nice, accepting,
informed but
inactive, cooperative
Josh Sanburn, “Millennials: The
Next Greatest Generation?”
Time Magazine
nation.time.com/2013/05/09/millennials-
the-next-greatest-generation/
The “most
educated generation
to date”
Kate Meyer, “Millennials as Digital
Natives: Myths and Realities”
Nielsen Norman Group
www.nngroup.com/articles/millennials-
digital-natives/
38. Everyone can be
primary, in their
own place
Traditional thinking:
“Establish
primary,
secondary, and
tertiary users”
Going
39. A place for everyone
Why should we isolate content
for different users?
For ME
For EVERYONE
40. A place for everyone
What should we put there?
User-specific content
(But not ALL of it)
Guidance
Feeds
41. “[exclusively] Audience-based
navigation demands additional
cognitive effort from users”
Katie Sherwin, “Audience-Based Navigation: 5 Reasons to Avoid It”
www.nngroup.com/articles/audience-based-navigation/
42. A place for everyone
User types are defined not only
by who they are, but by what
they are trying to do
43. Northampton Community college
Cornell University
Harford
Community College
Central Carolina
Community College
University of
Pennsylvania
University of Tulsa
Harvard University
53. Getting burned by lack of focus?
(ANOTHER CASE STUDY)
Partonize me >
Tell me what to do >
Congratulate yourself >
Alert me about a potential danger >
54. (Guess which one had been sued)
Getting burned by lack of focus?
(ANOTHER CASE STUDY)
61. Pick up or create
the content called
for by the new
structure
Traditional thinking:
“Apply existing
content
according to the
new structure”
Going
62. What about the rest?
What are we going to do with all this
content? (ONE LAST CASE STUDY)
“Shouldn’t we start working on
these (80,000) pages?”
63. Reasons to include certain content
It will engage the people
we need in order to fulfill
our objectives
According to our plan
Validated through testing
65. But what do you tell people?
“We have what you’re looking for”
66. What do you tell people?
Appeal to a higher authority
Share the responsibility
67. What do you tell people?
We have to stick to the plan
(You approved it; we’ve been sharing it)
Shall we add all this other stuff too?
We do have a place for this… (maybe)
And my personal favorite…
68. What do you tell people?
“We’ll have to test that!”
69. Focus on the people you need
Build a process, not a website
Include your students
Write for them, not for you or your mom
Make everyone else primary too
Share the responsibility
Stick to the plan and evolve (the exceptions may be your downfall)
The bottom line
“We know who you are, we know why you’re here,
we have what you’re looking for, and we’re going to help you.”
Digital Wave: User-centered consultation, design, and development for web and mobile apps since 1993, part of Antech Systems, Inc.
Specialists in improving complex web experiences for higher ed, from small colleges to major universities including Rutgers, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson
Tony Rose: Principal and executive consultant in user experience and content strategy
Challenging conventional thinking…
It’s not about making the primary users’ content “stand out” from the rest
It’s about putting the rest in its own place in order to focus on the primary user
Students don’t want the burden of figuring out which content is for them
Primary doesn’t mean “mostly”
Other users understand and support this (more on that later)
You have a precious few seconds to capture their attention
If you immediately convey these four points (through context), that time window will increase dramatically
If you only take away one thing today, this would be the one
Article determined that prospective students should be the focus, but self-promotion is the reality
“[Only] 34% of the links on the home pages dealt with student needs”
Why do you think I needed AAA?
My car broke down, just like the guy in the picture
They seem to know who I am and why I’m here
So why WOULDN’T they help me?!?
People are reluctant to self-identify, but I had to
Now that I’ve told them who I am, their content suggests that they don’t know what to do about it
If I’m on the side of the road, I’m using the mobile view, which isn’t any better
Hmm… this page says it’s under 24-hour roadside assistance; so where is the help?
Oh, I had to log-in (still have to tell them who I am)
But the content is the same, and still not for me or my situation
AFTER scrolling down, I finally find the help I need – under QUICK links?!?
OK but if they say their service will be QUICK, forget it, because we have very different definitions for the word “quick”
When it comes to higher ed, this type of experience causes people to give up
This content marketing firm reported that “One out of five students removed a university from consideration after a bad experience with the school’s website.” (2011 E-Expectations Report sponsored by Noel-Levitz and the National Research Center for College and University Admissions; Zinch, 2012; UMass Dartmouth, BestCollegesOnline.com.)
They didn’t give up on the website; they gave up on the institution itself!
Referencing a Noel-Levitz survey (2007), the article reported that one in four students reported “removing a school from their prospective list because of a bad experience on that school’s Web site” and referencing a follow-up survey (Noel-Levitz 2010), the article reported that “92% said they would be disappointed with a school or remove it from further consideration if they “didn’t find the information they needed on the school’s Web site”
Challenging conventional thinking…
Vision and purpose define your objectives
Objectives define your target users
Users need to become your team mate in fulfilling them
Vision and purpose: What are we all about?
Objectives: Why do we have a website? (What will result?)
Users: Who do we need to team up with to make this happen?
Your plan connects your vision with the way you serve it to your users
Branding: Students connect with those who exhibit what they value and respect
Marketing: Exhibit it through context, but don’t BE it (“That’s just marketing”)
Positioning: How are you positioned to address their needs and opportunities?
Messaging: What will they infer about your institution, people, and website?
Positioning is often overlooked, but critical
Philip Morgan specializes in positioning for IT professionals, but his philosophy rings true…
Positioning: know who you serve, what you have to offer them, what qualifies you to do so, and what makes you better than the alternatives
You’ve probably heard for Kristina, who “wrote the book” on content strategy
In an interview with the Content Marketing Institute, it’s her plain talk about content strategy that we need to keep in mind…
“HOW will you use content to align your vision with the needs of your users?“
Content strategy is where this happens
Launch is not the finish line; it’s just one big step in an ongoing process
We need to put the right people in place and give them the authority and the standards to protect our investments
Put your constituents on the team in order to leverage their experience and also give them a vested interest in the outcomes
Share progress with the community such that they understand why you’re doing this
Thereby elevate content strategy to a cultural level, not just somebody’s job
Executive sponsorship (/buy-in) for the authority you need to stay the course
Upfront: Baseline testing / focus groups will give you a standard against which to measure your improvement
In-process and post-launch testing (agile, iterative)
Pre-launch: Will you REALLY have time to make the changes you uncover?
Pre-launch testing should just be the latest in-process testing
Representation on the web team
Invite feedback and commentary on the website itself
Challenging conventional thinking…
Your users’ habits may change before you finish your redevelopment project
Begin student testing early in the process, keep it going after launch
Maintain = stay the same (must evolve to keep up with student expectations)
Don’t rely on BEST practices – what’s right for our users, our situation? Still? (keep revisiting)
Back to one of our key questions, here are a few things to keep in mind about your key target users (prospective students)…
I don’t mean to say the whole industry is wrong here, we all say “audience,” but…
You don’t really have an audience
If you earn their interest and trust, you will have USERS – people who use (interact with) your content in order to get things done
CAN ANYBODY TELL ME why we shouldn’t think of our users as an audience?…
They’re not PASSIVE
They’re not INVESTED (didn’t pay for a ticket) and will leave at any time
They’re not looking to be ENTERTAINED
And IF they stay to the end, they’re certainly not going to APPLAUD!
CAN ANYBODY TELL ME why we need to be reminded of this?
Because we tend to write as if our reader will hang onto every word
That’s like writing for mom…
I’m often invited to attend a career day at colleges and high schools
When the kids ask me what’s the most important thing about what I do, I say
“Being able to think from someone else’s perspective”
It’s harder than you’d think, and it’s the essence of user-centered thinking
My wife and I were preparing snacks before watching a movie one night
She was spreading the cheese all the way to the outside of the crackers
I was plopping a blob in the middle
We questioned and teased each other, and finally agreed to disagree
Then when we started eating, she went “nibble nibble nibble” and I went “GULP”
And we looked at each other and said “Ahhhhhhh!”
We’re mainly talking about millennials, here…
A presentation by Cornell’s Ashley Hennigan cited an important Time article that pointed out what we all think of in relation to prospective students
When I ask my clients, they say “yeah, that pretty much says it”
When I ask the STUDENTS, they say… “yeah, that pretty much says it”
(60% believe that they will be able to “feel what is right”)
But the article also points out the positive, constructive attributes of millennials
(They believe in the future and see themselves as its cutting edge)
Jakob Nielson calls them the most educated generation to date
(They “rarely blame themselves” when interfaces disappoint)
When something has gone wrong in a user test, I find that the older participants say “OOPS, I did something wrong” or “I can’t find it”
But the younger participants say “there’s something wrong with the site,” or “it’s not here”
See my commentary on the Nielsen article at http://www.guestroom.com/tonyrose/nielsen-millenials/
Wait, “the most educated generation to date”?!?
“Informed” and “educated” are two different things
Access to information is the new “knowledge”
So in my mind, they’re really the most IMPATIENT generation to date
We have to serve our key users without compromising our ability to interact with many other important user types
Challenging conventional thinking…
Remember Rob Humphrey’s talk on Monday morning?
How he said his daughter was his favorite kid? Why did we laugh at that?
No one wants to feel second best or feel that they are getting less than your full attention when you’re with them
Different demographics, needs, habits, expectations, quirks, influences
Different institutional relationships and objectives
Different content, contributors
Clearly labeled, easy-to-find destinations = “I don’t have to pick through someone else’s content”
Navigation: anyone can find what they want
Content area: focused on ME
Resident content: Just for them (but not ALL of it)
Guidance: Where to find other content that may interest you
Feeds: Filtered news, events, etc.
(When an alum goes to the news section, she has to look through it all, but on the alum page, it’s prioritized according to her interests)
Jakob Nielsen points out the danger of using EXCLUSIVELY audience-based navigation
Pointing out that it forces users to wonder which to choose, what to expect, and what they might be missing
I would add that they kind of resent you deciding which content is for them, they hate to self-identify as a prerequisite to accessing content,
AND they want to see everyone else’s content too
(e.g. “For parents” vs. “Are you a parent?)
Happy to “lurk” (“over-the-shoulder” user)
Someone may be a different user type from one visit to the next
Content is not about who they are, it’s about what they are trying to do – that has to be kept in mind
e.g. recent alumni are put off when an ALUMNI link takes them directly to donor information (”I have enough trouble just making my student loan payments!”)
A typical user menu (Cornell)
Adding “for” says the destination content isn’t ABOUT these groups (e.g. graduate students are particularly interested in info about faculty) (Harford)
Providing options in a dropdown or flyout menu (Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences) accomplishes the same thing while using up less space
Can also be in a main menu
Check out the great (eduWeb 2016) presentation about this project by Victoria Merriman of Digital Loom
User selection can also be offered in the content area (Northampton)
Once in a dedicated section (Penn, Tulsa), the navigation should be all about the selected user type
Groups within the group can then be addressed according to their specific needs in the content area (Central Carolina)
Challenging conventional thinking…
If you populate your main home page content with whatever is new, that’s the impression they will get after a few seconds, and it may be the only impression they get
It doesn’t have to be the ONLY content, it just has to be the main content
When we reviewed these pages with students, this is what they took away
Conversely, these sites position themselves by exhibiting specific attributes that set them apart…
We will work with you...
This is a great place to be...
We know what we’re about...
Taking in the first person (it’s all about us / we don’t need you)
Structuring by org chart (you have to be one of us in order to find anything)
Jargon/lingo – Geno’s steaks
You can test this really easily: “what would you expect to find when you click on this term?”
Starbucks
“We pride ourselves…” – they’re both the subject and the object of the sentence!
WHY do we try to simplify our websites?
“It’s simple” = “I know what my options are”
Why is Waldo so hard to find?
Structure and present according to what students they are trying to accomplish
Be their partner in fulfilling the tasks that brought them
Lead to next steps and interactoin, not just user satisfaction
(If you just provide information, you may never know who your most interested prospects are)
How many things do we think are more important than an urgent message to our users?
(Meanwhile, I’m spilling coffee in my lap, because it’s written around the bottom and I’m like…)
How many things do we think are more important than an urgent message to our users?
(Meanwhile, I’m spilling coffee in my lap, because it’s written around the bottom and I’m like…)
Challenging conventional thinking…
It’s natural to just organize everything we’ve got
But you don’t really have to do all that work, because much or most of your content is extraneous…
In our own survey (available until September, 2016 at dw.guestroom.com/what_are_students_looking_for), half said they wanted information, and they prioritized that information according to what helped them choose an institution
Popular: Costs, academics/outcomes, scholarships, etc.
Less interested in news, history, mission, etc.)
Getting information is DOING something! (We know why you’re here)
One client (George Mason University) found that students were having trouble identifying the right academic programs
You know there’s a problem when Folklore studies is listed under B – the only way to find it is to read the whole list (but they’re not your mom, so…)
And they don’t know the names of your individual schools
Some people browse, some search, some follow their nose
THEY MAY NOT KNOW what they want/need to study!!!
But they know what they want to accomplish (or the job they want)
George Mason attracts students who want to make a difference in the world, so their new site guides them accordingly, linking to destinations that outline their various options, including inter-departmental combinations
Challenging conventional thinking…
“No, just the pages needed for the new architecture”
Finished site: <2,000 pages (2% of original volume)
Choose content because…
It’s consistent with our plan
It serves our users toward our institutional objectives
It’s been validated by our users
It supports our objectives and branding
It leads to positive action/interaction
What these have in common: NOT part of the plan, NOT validated
“People want it” (because…?)
“It’s important” (to whom?)
Higher authority: users (testing), standards,
AND all the people who support you because you kept them in the process (constituents, campus community, execs)
Share the responsibility:
NEVER let it be “just between you and me”
A single person can destroy a website (it might even be you)
You MUST have an oversight team whose job it is to protect your investment by staying the course and adjusting with intelligence, not guesswork
Here’s what you can specifically say when people ask for exceptions to your content plan:
We have to stick to the plan (which you approved) in order to properly assess its effectiveness
Remember why we had to redo our website? This is it!
Our old habits will take us right back where we came from
We do have a better place for this content (maybe)
Emphasize the new culture – everything has a basis in strategy and validation
When we find the need to change, based on analysis and testing, we modify our standards accordingly
Your idea might just be as awesome as you say… we’ll find out
Brave volunteers – let’s look at your website and assess their focus on prospective students