STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & THE WEB

Transcription

1 Workshop STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS & THE WEB presented by: 1

2 Agenda A Brief Profile of Digital Pulp Common Strategic Challenges Showcases Q&A Understanding Your Audience The Internal vs. The External A Commercial Approach Elevated & Liberated Content Web Substance Behind the Hype dotorganize 2

3 Strategic Communications & The Web A Brief Profile of Digital Pulp A New York-based Interactive Agency founded in 1996 with services in the following areas: Marketing Technology Design New Media Non-Profit Clients Include: Harvard University /0%. 3/#)%49 ).34)454% C L I N T O N G L O B A L I N I T I A T I V E 3

4 Strategic Communications & The Web A Brief Profile of Digital Pulp: Process QA Testing Stakeholder Meetings POV Documentation Metadata & Taxonomy Membership / Subscription Site Architecture Brand Review & Analysis Design Concepts Revise, Review & Approve Design Production Technical Review (w/hwp) Coding Strategy Global Template Coding & Optimization Grouped Template Production Code Integration Review Creative Assets Delivery CMS Customization & Integration CMS Testing Training Content Review Launch Coordination Post-Launch Support Process Flows Wire Frames Usability Testing Template Map Creative Brief Audience Definition Communication Strategy 4

5 Common Strategic Challenges Understanding Your Audience The Internal vs. The External A Commercial Approach Elevated & Liberated Content Web Substance Behind the Hype 5

6 Common Strategic Challenges: Understand Your Audience Core Principle: Never try to be everything to everyone Audience clarity lets you say more with less As long as communication methods are effectively labeled and presented, selfselection will act as a digital shepherd Methods for audience identification Traffic Analysis (clickstream) Membership (w/benefits) Surveys & Polls 6

7 Common Strategic Challenges: The Internal vs. The External Internal perceptions, personalities, traditions and bureaucracy contribute to this very common problem The user should always be the focus - the site is nothing if it doesn t connect with its intended audience An external perspective (e.g. grantees, media, potential donors, competitive organizations, etc.) can be the most helpful Always ask What s in it for the user? Common Symptom - a gateway page with far too much information on it 7

8 Common Strategic Challenges: A Commercial Approach Don t be afraid to be more commercial and targeted in communications - the web changes the relationship and demands a more aggressive approach No Mission Statements - Promote programs, tell stories, inspire, evoke emotion Be Innovative - Leverage emerging technologies and trends (RSS, del.icio.us, mashups, etc.) Engage - Don t be afraid to entertain and captivate - it doesn t dilute your message - it separates you from the crowd Be brand appropriate 8

9 Common Strategic Challenges: Elevated & Liberated Content A CMS is always a good first step and doesn t have to have a million bells and whistles - separate content from presentation Ensure proposed content strategies and types can be supported and maintained with the originally intended level of freshness Metadata is essential - the more you have, the more you can do with your content Leverage CMS to automate daily updates - a small staff can throw a large shadow 9

10 Common Strategic Challenges: Web Substance Beyond the Hype What is web 2.0? In the broadest sense, the web 2.0 is a paradigm shift - a new way of thinking about the web. It is a next step in net evolution. Web > DoubleClick --> Ofoto --> Akamai --> mp3.com --> Britannica Online --> personal websites --> evite --> domain name speculation --> page views --> screen scraping --> publishing --> content management systems --> directories (taxonomy) --> stickiness --> Web 2.0 Google AdSense Flickr BitTorrent Napster Wikipedia blogging upcoming.org and EVDB search engine optimization cost per click web services participation wikis tagging ("folksonomy") syndication 10

11 Common Strategic Challenges: Web Substance Beyond the Hype What is web 2.0? In the broadest sense, the web 2.0 is a paradigm shift - a new way of thinking about the web. It is a next step in net evolution. Web > Web 2.0 DoubleClick --> Ofoto --> Akamai --> mp3.com --> Britannica Online --> personal websites --> evite --> domain name speculation --> page views --> screen scraping --> publishing --> content management systems --> directories (taxonomy) --> stickiness --> Google AdSense Flickr BitTorrent Napster Wikipedia blogging upcoming.org and EVDB search engine optimization cost per click web services participation wikis tagging ("folksonomy") syndication 11

12 Common Strategic Challenges: Web Substance Beyond the Hype Powerful Tools There are many tools that are considered Web below are selected tools that can be truly powerful when implemented correctly: Blogs Hugely popular and continues to be one of the leading reasons for re-visits and qualified experts; term is overused and often misunderstood. Key considerations: - Is it unique content? - Can it be frequently and consistently updated? - Why do you want/need a blog? Wiki A powerful way for an organization to engage and connect its audiences, a Wiki provides a flexible and often evolving framework for knowledge and information. Key considerations: - It s a LOT of work to manage - dedicated staff is essential - It s a bit of a liability since it s community-driven - What are the goals for the Wiki? Keep them focused and you ll be more successful 12

13 Common Strategic Challenges: Web Substance Beyond the Hype Powerful Tools Mashups A method of fusing disparate and highly-effective technologies - leverage what others have invested significant time and resources into - Google Maps, YouTube, Flickr, etc. are great resources. RSS Arguably one of the most popular and flexible technologies right now, Really Simple Syndication gives you the ability to share, source and relate content easily and autonomously 13

14 Common Strategic Challenges: Web Substance Beyond the Hype dotorganize 14

15 Showcase Briefs The Open Society Institute Clinton Global Initiative 15

16 Showcase: The Open Society Institute The site operates in more than 40 countries, requiring fast page loads and flexible architecture Centralized control with distributed publishing Site Discovery reigned in the chaos Powerful, scalable solution with an aggressive budget Modular content, elegant design 16

17 Strategic Communications & The Web Showcase: The Clinton Global Initiative Content changes several times a day - fresh features are essential CMS supports a variety of media formats Staff of 3 managers all aspects of the site s development and management Commercial approach to CRM, membership and outreach C L I N T O N G L O B A L I N I T I A T I V E 17

18 Q&A 18

19 Gene Lewis Director of Interactive Development Digital Pulp, Inc. 19