Accessibility Updates

Recap: Making Your Statement in a Digital World, Spring 2018

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Kevin Agee and Kai Raymer recently presented Making Your Statement in a Digital World. It was a comprehensive training session for Missouri State website, blog and social media managers.

Access the presentations

We presented the Feb. 23 training session in four parts.

Key takeaways

Brand storytelling

  • Having a brand is a great start. But you need more than that. You need stories to execute it.
  • The problem is most higher ed stories aren’t stories at all, such as …
    • “Your professors will really get to know you.”
    • “You’ll get hands-on experience.”
    • “This is where you’ll discover your calling.”
  • A great Missouri State story does three things:
    • Makes an emotional and rational connection.
    • Builds meaningful relationships.
    • Is authentic.
  • Lead with the most interesting message. Not the most important.
  • Your voice is unique. Say it that way.

Readability

  • For better readability, use concise text and a scannable layout. Keep your message short and give readers an easy way to find the information they want.
  • Newspapers aim for a 7th-grade reading level. So should you. Approximately 70 percent of people read at an intermediate (6th-8th grade) level.
  • Make sure your content looks good on mobile. Current and future students are researching your department/program on their phones.
  • Improve your content’s readability with tools like Hemingway App and Yoast SEO.
  • Better readability gives your message more impact. You’ll improve audience reach/growth, audience action and efficiency (save $$$).

Social media

  • Use Instagram as a window into your department or organization. Strong, high-quality visuals are a must. Tell your story through pictures and videos and allow users to derive meaning.
  • Twitter is best used for conversation, not promotion. Don’t be afraid to let go, have fun, and be transparent with your audience. Customer service happens here.
  • Don’t believe what you’ve heard: Facebook still reigns supreme. Share news, human interest stories and your successes. Deal with negativity in a transparent fashion.
  • Worry not about your number of followers. Want to increase your base? Be good. Deliver interesting content people will want to consume.
  • Aim for the heart with all of your platforms. Be the account that makes people feel like they’ve picked something special to them.

Accessibility

  • Accessibility helps people with disabilities or limited abilities better use the web.
  • There are legal, ethical and beneficial reasons to maintain an accessible website. Accessibility makes your website better.
  • Three staples of accessibility: alt text, headings and descriptive links.
    • Alt text is the text equivalent of a photo. Imagine you were describing the image to someone via text message or phone call.
    • Headings are vital for screen readers and give all visitors an easy outline of your website.
    • Descriptive links explain what the link offers. You shouldn’t have to read surrounding content for context. Don’t write “click here” for your links.
  • Use tools like WAVE and Web Press’ accessibility checker. They’ll find accessibility issues on your website.
  • Follow our ongoing Accessibility blog series for the latest tips and strategies.

Recap: Making Your Statement in a Digital World – Sept. 29, 2017

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We recently presented Making Your Statement in a Digital World, a comprehensive training session for Missouri State website, blog and social media managers.

Still have questions or need help?

We’re hosting two post-training open labs, to answer your questions and provide support. Please join us. No preregistration is required.

Key details

  • Dates: Friday, Oct. 27 and Friday, Nov. 10
  • Time: 2-4 p.m., both dates
  • Location: Meyer Library 106 Cheek Hall 100
  • About: Both sessions will be held in conjunction with the Web Help Desk open lab.

Access the presentations

The Sept. 29 training session was presented in four parts.

wideshot of people walking on campus

Key takeaways

Readability

  • Use concise text and a scannable layout to make your content more readable. Put the most important information at the top.
  • Always ask, “how does this look on mobile?” Current and future students are researching your department/program on their phones.
  • Write less, people will read more. People will read more of a 300-word article than they will a 600-word article.
  • No one wants to put extra effort into reading. Seventy percent of people read at an intermediate (middle school) level. Newspapers aim for a 7th grade reading level.
  • Headings, bulleted lists and visual elements. Use them.
  • The YoastSEO plugin for WordPress is a great tool for improving your writing.
  • Improving your content readability has many benefits, including audience reach and audience action.

Blogging

  • Does your blog tell a story? Who is speaking in your story and how are you conveying that meaning? It’s important to start in the action and develop some sort of conflict that is resolved.
  • Be sure you are defining your audience; alumni, faculty, staff, and/or students?
  • Utilize the formatting strategies from readability while adding photography and pull quotes.
  • Update your blog with engaging stories at least once a month, if not more.

Students taking photo with Boomer

Accessibility

  • Accessibility means people with disabilities can use and navigate your website.
  • There are federal guidelines for accessibility. MSU, which receives federal funding, falls under WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
  • Think of your website as a public space (i.e. a courthouse or city hall). Make accommodations for all.
  • Accessibility overlaps with readability and best practices for websites. Having an accessible website means your website is better overall.
  • Alt text, headings and descriptive links are crucial for accessibility. Our Accessibility blog series also covers these topics, and more.

Social media and visual platforms

  • Share human – don’t be afraid to act like a human and interact with your audience one-on-one.
  • Set up a Facebook business account where people can find your contact information. Be prepared to respond to their questions.
  • Think visual – when on location for an event share raw photos, but when promoting the event utilize photo services to help boost your presence.
  • Video is king across all platforms. Be sure to add captioning for accessibility and to increase views.
  • Measure your success based off the goals your team sets: more followers, increased engagement, more views, etc. Keep a log of your analytics so you can compare data from previous years.

Students in computer lab