My first job out of college was working for the Boston Globe’s website, which afforded me the opportunity to write a lot of headlines. Perhaps the best (or worst) headline I ever wrote, after a Boston Celtics victory, was “Pierce nets 40 as Celtics pierce Nets.” Clever, eh? “Clever” could be an apt description for many headlines you read. The goal of the headline is to tell … [Read more...] about We Blog About Headlines. What Comes Next Will Amaze You
Content Strategy as Problem Solving
How many times has someone come to you and asked, “Can you make me a video?” or “Can you help me create this email newsletter?” or “We need a website, can you do this?” What do these requests have in common? In each instance, the requestor is leading with the solution, rather than articulating the problem. You might ask, why a video? What are you trying to communicate, … [Read more...] about Content Strategy as Problem Solving
Respect Your Audience With Readable Content
Recently, I was reviewing a website and came across a page geared toward international students. Reading the copy, I realized English would not be the first language for the target audience. Immediately, I felt my brain shift into a different gear. Beyond assessing the value of the content, I began closely scrutinizing diction and syntax. How many syllables in this word? … [Read more...] about Respect Your Audience With Readable Content
Results: A Look at Content Strategy in Higher Education
Last month, we opened up our inaugural survey looking at content strategy in higher education. The goal of the survey was to gauge exactly how content strategy is practiced in higher ed. Thanks to 130 of you, we have a lot of information to help tell that story. Here, we present the results from the survey, with some commentary of our own—but we’d love to hear your … [Read more...] about Results: A Look at Content Strategy in Higher Education
Content Strategist Job Descriptions in Higher Ed
From conversations with our peers and an occasional scan of the job boards, we observe that more universities are beginning to hire content strategists. This is great news! It means that administrators and senior leaders are recognizing the value of their web content and the work required to manage it well—and hiring accordingly. But what should go into that job description? … [Read more...] about Content Strategist Job Descriptions in Higher Ed