November 2012: Our "On Topic" link blog has been retired. Below is an archive of published On Topic posts. To keep up on news, resources, and ideas about content in higher ed, check us out on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
On Topic
Success with Student-Generated Content
Student-generated content sounds like a great idea–it’ll be authentic, passionate and uniquely voiced. However, making it happen—and happen well—is easier said than done. Communications consultant Liz Allen recently kicked off a series of blog posts on how to integrate student-generated content into our web communications, particularly social media. In her most recent post, … [Read more...] about Success with Student-Generated Content
Brand on the Run?
Does the social media landscape on your campus resemble the wild west? That is to say, does your institution lack coordination and consistency when it comes to branding? Boston University’s Nathaniel Boyle - one of the panelists at our Meet Content launch event tomorrow in Cambridge, Mass. - details the BU approach to maintaining brand identity across various social media … [Read more...] about Brand on the Run?
Packaging Is More Important Than Content (Without Context, That is)
A clever video by book publisher Dorling Kindersley, The Future of Publishing, is the perfect conclusion to a week spent talking about transmedia storytelling and content delivery. If we've learned anything this week, it's that context is key to creating relevant content and clear messaging. Oh, and books are dead and boring. Right? This is the end of … [Read more...] about Packaging Is More Important Than Content (Without Context, That is)
How to Hire Your Content All-Star
Are the budget purse strings loosening at your institution? Have you lobbied to get some of those newly available dollars thrown in the direction of improving content on your university’s website? Yes? Excellent! Now, who to hire? This decision is made more challenging by the always-evolving nature of the web and the many hats we in the content world are often forced (or … [Read more...] about How to Hire Your Content All-Star
Don’t Serve Web Users, Partner With Them
On Seth Godin’s blog, he relates aligning your brand with customers to relationship building. Indeed, this partnership is the foundation of effective web content. Only when your content meets both your institution’s website goals and your users’ needs can it be called effective. This is a powerful mindset: Partnering with your users is more valuable than serving them because … [Read more...] about Don’t Serve Web Users, Partner With Them