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
User Feedback, Where? Right There!
Understanding our users’ needs and evaluating the efficacy of our web content is an ongoing challenge. But sometimes the most relevant, valuable insights are right in front of us. In her post, "Revisiting the cliché, 'the customer is always right,'" Tara DeMarco reminds us to make use of everyday user feedback. Just like customers, our web users are always … [Read more...] about User Feedback, Where? Right There!
This Must Be the Place
Location-based services (LBS), writes Leen Jones, offer a powerful way to take our content marketing on the road, engaging users with content that is relevant to their physical location. Rick wrote last month about the importance of planning for the context in which content is consumed, and LBS is a prime example. She cites North Carolina State University's customized … [Read more...] about This Must Be the Place
Information Is Not Inherently Useful or Usable
A common perception in higher ed is that the role of content owners is to simply publish information. If it's on the website, they’ve done their job. How many times have you been told, "Well, did you look on our website? It's there"? As part of a collection of humorous cartoons on content challenges, Bruce Ryan of 4 Syllables highlights the importance of content … [Read more...] about Information Is Not Inherently Useful or Usable
Seeing is Believing
"Show, don't tell" is a tried and true adage for storytelling. But as UK video journalist Adam Westbrook points out, many stories that purport to be visual "[let] the words lead the way, dragging pictures along behind them." Westbrook challenges us to explore truly visual storytelling, where words are not required to understand the message being conveyed. He offers us some tips … [Read more...] about Seeing is Believing
A Multidisciplinary Mindset
This week, Georgy and I attended Confab 2011: The Content Strategy Conference. For content-lovers like us, it was heaven. Two days, four tracks, all content. However, it wasn't just the shared ideas that made it great — it was the many unique perspectives challenging the way that we work and think about content strategy. One of the themes of the conference was working … [Read more...] about A Multidisciplinary Mindset