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

February 26, 2018 by Web Strategy and Development

Students dressed in Missouri State shirts taking a selfie with a pink phone

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.

  • Brand storytelling (adapted from Ologie)
  • Readability
  • Social media
  • Accessibility

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.

Filed Under: Accessibility, Social media, Training, web strategy and development Tagged With: Accessibility, Office of Web and New Media, readability, Social Media, Social Media Boot Camp, Training, web and new media

Improve your digital marketing strategies Feb. 23

February 14, 2018 by Web Strategy and Development

Students taking a selfie

Join us for a free half-day session about best practices for websites, blogs and social media. We’ll offer tips and tricks for online marketing and communications. This training is a terrific opportunity for faculty, staff and students who didn’t attend the session last September.

Making your statement in a digital world

You’ll learn practical strategies for managing websites, blogs and social media. We’ll answer questions like:

  • How do we repurpose our website and blog content and distribute it on social media?
  • What do users want my website, blog or social media to provide?
  • How do we become better strategic storytellers?
  • How can we utilize the newest features of the upgraded blog themes?
  • What are some tips and tricks we can use to make sure our site is accessible for all users?
  • How do we manage messaging on multiple social media channels?
  • What are some advanced strategies to increase our effectiveness on Facebook, Twitter
    and Instagram?
  • How can we best leverage photo and video content?
  • What can we do immediately to make our digital communications more strategic?

Key details

  • What: Making Your Statement in a Digital World, a free training session on websites and social media presented by Kevin Agee and Kai Raymer
  • When: 1-5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23.
  • Where: Karls Hall, room 102
  • Who: Open to faculty, staff and students who manage content for Missouri State University websites, blogs and social media platforms.
  • How: This event is free; registration though My Learning Connection is requested. Please feel free to bring your own laptop or tablet.

Filed Under: Social media, Training, web strategy and development Tagged With: blog, blogging, Blogs, content, facebook, Social Media, storytelling, Training, Twitter, web and new media

Social Media Kit: Fall 2017 #BearGrads

November 28, 2017 by Web Strategy and Development

Graduates walk out of JQH Arena

Missouri State University’s fall 2017 commencement ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, 2017 at JQH Arena.

Share your story

Help us celebrate #BearGrads by sharing your experience on social media. If you are graduating or attending graduation to celebrate with someone, we want to hear about it. You may even see yourself featured on Missouri State’s social media channels.

We encourage you to join the conversation before and during commencement by posting about it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and tagging your posts with the official hashtag: #BearGrads.

Make your posts social media savvy

  • Tag your posts with the official commencement hashtag: #BearGrads
  • Share your experience with us by tagging Missouri State University or @missouristate
  • Tag your posts with the Springfield, Missouri hashtag: #SGF
  • If you would like to provide a link for more information on the event, please link to http://www.missouristate.edu/commencement/fall-2017-commencement.htm
  • When you post to Facebook, boost your status update by sharing with a photo or video.
  • Nothing beats a first-hand perspective. If you attend commencement, share photos from or quotes about your experience.
  • Follow the #BearGrads conversation on Tagboard

Visual assets

Live video

Snapchat

Look for our #BearGrads geofilter on Snapchat Dec. 15 in Hammons Student Center and JQH Arena.

Commencement Snapchat geofilter example

Facebook timeline photos

Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo Spring commencement Facebook photo

Twitter timeline photos

Spring commencement Twitter photoSpring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo Spring commencement Twitter photo

Instagram photo

Spring commencement Instagram photo

GIFs

Download and share GIFs from Missouri State’s GIPHY channel.

Digital wallpapers

Add #BearGrads digital wallpaper to your desktop or phone screen.

Sample social media posts

  • Congratulations to our #BearGrads! We’re proud of you!
  • Can’t make it to commencement? Watch the ceremonies live online at YouTube #BearGrads
  • #BearGrads has a new member, and it’s my (son, daughter, friend, etc.) (@TagThePerson).
  • What’s your favorite college memory? Share using #BearGrads.
  • Graduating on Friday? Share your photos from the day using #BearGrads.
  • Explore what our #BearGrads have to say about commencement day: http://bit.ly/1Hlgn1C. Join the conversation with #BearGrads

Filed Under: Social media, Social media kit, web strategy and development Tagged With: BearGrads, commencement, Social Media, Social Media Kit, Web, web and new media

Are you the next new media specialist intern?

November 13, 2017 by Amanda Isaacs

Web and New Media intern Amanda Isaacs.

Apply for the job

I was the first new media specialist intern for the office of web and new media, so my time here has been like a test drive for them.

And I like to think I was at least a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

My experience

During my internship, I have been able to experience Missouri State like never before.

I was very surprised to see that I was given a lot of creative freedom. Whenever I spoke, they not only heard what I had to say, but really listened. So much so that whenever I had an idea for something, instead of turning it down or just nodding their head, they found ways to help me bring my projects to life.

Some of those projects included: Every Bear from Everywhere, which highlighted students and faculty about why they chose Missouri State, new segments for Missouri State Snapchat and creating social media calendars and campaigns for homecoming, to just name a few.

And now after all that, they are trying to replace me.

But no worries, it’s only because my time at Missouri State is coming to an end after 4.5 years. Yes, I took a victory lap because I just love this place so much.

Intern Amanda Isaacs working on computer

So, what do you need to be?

Yourself.

Bring your personality to this position and put your touch on all things Missouri State. Besides that, you need to love social media and engaging with others, like enjoy using social media so much that you’re interested in pursuing a career in social media marketing.

As the new media specialist intern, you will get the chance to contribute to a variety of university projects.

  • You’ll be writing blogs, using Snapchat to engage with MSU students, and even developing social media campaigns for university platforms including Missouri State Facebook and Twitter.
  • They are also looking for versatile storytellers, so you’ll be able to write content for university blogs, edit photos and interview newsmakers.
  • You’ll also receive the keys to MissouriState.edu. You’ll update photos, videos and text as needed on university websites.
Web and New Media social media student Amanda Isaacs.

What you will gain

A really great resume.

Besides that, you will gain valuable experience in real-world settings and walk away with several benefits:

  • A professional portfolio that includes at least two social media campaigns, four blog posts and two visuals
  • An insider’s access to best practices about social media, writing and website content development
  • An opportunity to display skills in a professional setting, which will place the intern’s resume above their peers’

What are the qualifications?

A jacket.

No seriously, when it’s warm outside it’s like visiting the North Pole in here. No worries though, because in the winter, just leave that jacket at home because it gets nice and toasty and you won’t be needing it.

But really, here’s a list of the desired skills and experience they are looking for:

Education

Well first off, you have to actually go here, like be a student. If you’re pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism or related areas, that’s ideal.

Skills

You’re going to writing…like a lot, so it needs to be your biggest strength. That also means you should have demonstrated knowledge of AP style. Another thing is WordPress. Everything that is published is written on WordPress, so knowing your way around it is ideal.  We’d also love to have someone who is interested in social media marketing, photography and videography. It would be really beneficial to have some photo editing skills and basic knowledge of Web best practices.

Other

The internship requires some evening and weekend work, but don’t let this turn you away. The events you will have to go are exciting and you’ll get to experience Missouri State from behind the scenes. You must be able to work at computer workstations for extended periods of time, but they provide a big comfy chair so don’t fret. Additionally, applicants must have visual and audio acuity within normal ranges.

You must also be committed to working with our diverse student and community populations.

Applying for the job

It may seem like a lot, but it’s been one of the best experiences I’ve had at Missouri State. Week after week, this internship confirmed that Missouri State is home and that I made the right/best decision to attend college here. I’m not sure I would have gained the same experience and advice I received here at any other internship.

If you’re in, fill out an application and email these things to web@missouristate.edu. We’re accepting submissions until Nov. 30.

  • Resume
  • Cover letter
  • Two writing samples

Good luck and go Bears!

Filed Under: Social media, web strategy and development Tagged With: internship, jobs, Social Media, Web, web and new media

Tips for applying the new blog theme to your site

October 25, 2017 by Web Strategy and Development

person at computer

Blogs are a beautiful way to share timely and engaging stories about your organization. The new theme offers ways you can improve your posts, design your site and track stories.

  1. The blog’s features provide a creative way to tell a dynamic story which is easy to read.
  2. Plugins and widgets offer customization of your site and social sharing.
  3. Your team can access real time analytics to help improve your digital strategy.

With the new blog theme, you can enhance your posts and utilize additional features like plugins, syndication and design for improved quality.

Post features

All university blogs are using the Magazine Pro theme. It provides us with a lot of great features you can use to make your story more engaging.

Structuring the blog

The use of headings allows readers to easily scan related content to find relevant information. Use headings and sub-headings by clicking the format button at the top of the blog text.

image of dropdown from the format button at the top of the blog to the headings sub-menu
Using the format tool allows all your blog posts to maintain the same structure and flow.

Another feature Amanda Isaacs, new media specialist intern for the office of web and new media, uses in her posts is block quotes.

“Block quotes grabs the reader’s attention and it draws them in to read the story,” Isaacs said.

image of adding block quotes by clicking the double quotes in the menu bar at top of the blog
Highlighting interesting or persuasive content with the new blog theme helps readers digest the information.

The new theme also provides a variety of ways you can display and upload photos. Adding photography of the subject helps the audience connect with your story.

Students take a selfie
Students participate in campus activities.
John Q. Hammons Fountain Facebook image
The Hammons Fountain is one of the favored places on campus by students and alumni.
Students participate in Playfair for Welcome Weekend.
BearGrads GIF
During graduation students take the stage to become alumni.
Big events like #BearsHomecoming offer another way you can connect with students, faculty, staff and alumni.
During campus events students often take to social platforms to share their experience.

The blog theme allows for a titled mosaic such as the one above or you can also use slideshows, circle cuts and other formats to layout photos for your story.

Photography is extremely important to storytelling today.

Another improvement of this blog theme is the feature image. It sets at the top of your post, giving readers a reason to scroll down. It’s also used on social platforms as the main photo and shows up on your blog feed. You can access it on the right sidebar below the tags and categories field.

image of featured image upload with upload files highlighted
When uploading your feature image, the best practice is to use a 1920 x 1080 crop for your photos. Also, be sure to add alt-text for screen readers.

These are some of the structural pieces you’ll want to use to make your blogs more dynamic and easier for the audience to read.

Setup, plugins and syndication

Probably one of the most exciting aspects of the Magazine Pro theme is setting up your homepage and pulling in related content. To access the setup page, go to the left sidebar and select appearance -> widgets. This section allows you to add a calendar widget, subscription box, social feed and select which categories you want featured on the homepage.

 

image of the categories widget for the blog
Each drop down offers ways you can display each category. The order it appears here is how it shows on the site.
image of sidebar widgets for blog
These are the sidebar content areas where you can add your calendar widget and social feed.
image of primary sidebar widget for blog
This is an example of how to add your calendar widget to your blog.

Now that your blog is setup, let’s use some added features to enhance your writing.

The most with Yoast

Yoast is a plugin that appears at the bottom of your text box within a blog post. It offers help with readability, social sharing cards and more.

As you write, you can access your readability score on the right sidebar and in the bottom window of Yoast. By clicking on each eyeball, the plugin shows you what to improve.

image of Yoast plugin
The Yoast plugin shows what areas of the copy and structure need improvement.
image of highlighted text by Yoast plugin
The highlighted text shows what needs improvement when you select one of the eyeballs in the plugin.

Now that your post is well organized and easy to read, you’ll want people to see it on social media. Use the social sharing cards in Yoast to setup a headline, introductory text and image for all posts on Facebook and Twitter. This way, no matter who shares it, the post has the right message and photo.

image of yoast plugin for social cards
We encourage you to keep the headline the same, but change up your message in the description. You can use different photos for each platform.

The best part is you can toggle over to Twitter and do the same. Now you have a great blog post and strong social cards to encourage people to read the post.

Syndicate relevant content

The CyberSyn plugin allows you to pull in specific posts from other university blogs, like the news blog. This is really helpful for organizations with smaller staffs because it offers more content without much work.

Installation

  1. Upload ‘cybersyn’ to the ‘/wp-content/plugins/’ directory
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress

Apply the plugin

  1. Go to “CyberSyn (in the left sidebar) -> RSS/Atom Syndicator”.
  2. Find the “New Feed URL:” copy/paste your RSS feed URL there (e.g.: http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_latest.rss) and click “Syndicate”. You should see the feed settings menu.
  3. Select a “Feed title:” Headlines – News, for example.
  4. Set the necessary options.
    1. We recommend picking one category for it to feed into. Like university news feeds into the headline category.
    2. For the “attribute all posts to the following user” section, select university communications in this scenario. See image below.
    3. In the “Post thumbnail” section, select generate from media attachment thumbnail.
    4. The rest of the plugin options are up to your discretion. Feel free to play with this.
  5. Scroll down the page and click “Syndicate This Feed.” Now the feed is added to CyberSyn.
  6. Enable the check box on the left of its name and click “Pull selected feeds now.” And now you have new posts pulling into your blog.

For more help with developing your syndication, access the ‘Experts’ file on customizing blog feeds.

image of cybersyn plugin
Cybercyn allows you to customize posts and choose when it is displayed on your page.

Measure your success

First your organization needs to decide what analytics you’ll want to capture. We can measure just about everything when it comes to digital content, from what device was used to access the information, to which platform it was found. Here is how WordPress can help you measure the outcomes of your blog posts.

  • Using the Jetpack plugin in the top left sidebar, select the drop down “Site Stats.”
  • Here you’ll see several content areas with the overall reach of all the posts in the top bar graph.
  • In the “Top Posts & Pages” tab click on the smaller bar graph on the far right to view a breakdown of specific blog posts.
    • The summarize link in the top right corner offers a breakdown of top performing posts by week, month, quarter, year and all time.
  • You can also view where people got your blog from on the “Referres” tab on the left side.
image of site stats
Use these different views to help you setup your measurements.

The new blog theme provides a variety of ways you can display content, organize your story and keep track of performance.

Filed Under: web strategy and development Tagged With: Accessibility, Blogs, readability, Social Media, WordPress, Yoast

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  • Last Modified: October 25, 2017
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