CONFERENCE WRITING RIGHT FOR THE WEB: IMPROVING YOUR ONLINE CONTENT

Transcription

1 WRITING RIGHT FOR THE WEB: IMPROVING YOUR ONLINE CONTENT July 13-14, 2015 San Diego, CA

2 This workshop was a practical use of time and resources and a great opportunity for real professional development. -Traci Crockett Associate Director, Alumni Communications American University OVERVIEW Your web content should be clean, simple, and helpful in a way that allows your visitors to accomplish their top tasks. This is easier said than done when users are accessing your website on computers, tablets, and phones. Join higher education marketing expert, Bob Johnson, to learn and apply key web writing principles that will help improve your institutional website. You will come away from this event prepared to make your web content more useful, scannable, concise, and engaging. LEARN AND WORK EVENT This conference is designed to give you time on-site to apply the principles you will learn and get immediate feedback from an expert in the field. This format is right for you if: You desire a mix of presentation, discussion, and working time. You have specific web content from your institution that you want to improve. You want to receive feedback on your own web content from Bob Johnson and your peers You wish to see and hear examples of what others are doing with their own web content After you register, you will receive more information on what you need to bring to the conference. WHO SHOULD ATTEND This event is intended for communication directors, web editors, web writers, web communications managers, online marketing specialists, and others who regularly work with content on institutional websites. Those who are planning to embark on a revamp of their institutional website in the near future will also gain unique value from this conference. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 2

3 LEARNING OUTCOME After participating in this conference, you will be able to apply content presentation and writing principles to your web content to increase its marketing strength. GET EXPERT MARKETING ADVICE When you register for this conference before June 26th you are invited to send Bob Johnson one question on digital marketing strategy. In exchange for permission to feature your question at the conference itself (anonymously, if you wish), you will receive a personal response from Bob via before the event takes place. CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Sarah Seigle, Assistant Conference Director at Sarah@academicimpressions.com or if you d like additional information about the program. SAVE $100 ON THIS EVENT WITH AI PRO! Available with: AI Student Affairs Pro AI Pro offers your institution access to over 200 hours of training opportunities on topics that will help you and your team achieve institutional goals and more. Click here or contact Bridget@academicimpressions.com for more information about AI Pro. 3

4 AGENDA MONDAY, JULY 13, :30-9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast (included in registration) 9:00-9:15 a.m. Conference welcome 9:15-10:30 a.m. Making Your Web Content Useful 10:30-10:45 a.m. Morning break Identifying appropriate web content for varying audiences and sites is challenging. This session will provide guidance on content selection using concrete examples of institutional websites. You will gain tips for organization and management of content as well as knowledge to ensure that the content you publish allows visitors to better accomplish their top tasks. 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Making Your Web Content Scannable: Exercise Included The way you structure content on the page heavily influences the experiences of your visitors. This session will detail how to organize and present content and offer concrete guidelines for headings, subheadings, paragraphs, sentences, lists, links, and pictures. You will have a chance to apply what you ve learned to your own content and share out with the group. 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch (included in registration fee) 1:00-2:15 p.m. Making Your Web Content Concise: Exercise Included Keeping the information on your website clean and simple can be tricky, and the constraints of smallscreen environments only compound the challenge. This session will address the balancing act of retaining important detail in your content while expressing it in fewer words. This session will also include a content-shortening exercise where you will condense a block of your own copy for either a large-screen or small-screen environment. 2:15-3:15 p.m. Making Your Web Content Engaging 3:15-3:30 p.m. Break No matter which devices you re creating content for, your first priority should be to help your visitors complete the tasks most important to them. This session will detail how you can use both content presentation and writing principles to help visitors complete top tasks. You will learn how to engage your visitors by using Carewords and calls to action. 3:30-4:15 p.m. Exercise: Making Your Web Content Engaging 4:15-4:30 p.m. Day 1 Wrap-Up Armed with tips for making your web content more engaging, you will be given time to rewrite a block of content from your website that needs a greater focus on task completion. The exercise will close with a review of a few samples from the group. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Networking reception (included in registration fee) 4

5 AGENDA TUESDAY, JULY 14, :30-9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast (included in registration fee) 9:00-10:00 a.m. Showcase and Critique of Attendee Web Content We start day two of our conference by pulling up some of your institutional websites on the big screen. In this showcase and critique session, you will be given the opportunity to: Solicit and provide feedback 10:00-10:30 a.m. Mini Case Studies 10:30-10:45 a.m. Break Apply the web writing principles you have learned Draw inspiration from your peer websites To conclude the showcase and critique session, Bob Johnson will highlight two case studies of web content that do an exemplary job at integrating the four principles (useful, scannable, concise, and engaging) discussed in the conference. 10:45-11:50 a.m. Addressing the Politics of Content Strategy Change 11:50 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Closing Comments Implementing new web content and writing principles can be difficult because of the many different stakeholders that you must collaborate with throughout the process. What is the best way to effectively steward this process for your department or your campus? In this final session, we will discuss best practices for implementing website changes in a variety of campus cultures, including those with decentralized structures and numerous content contributors. POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: ACADEMICS AND AFFORDABILITY: CRAFTING KEY WEBSITE COMMUNICATIONS CONTENT 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch for post-conference workshop attendees 1:00-4:00 p.m. Post-Conference Workshop (includes catered afternoon break): Academics and Affordability: Crafting Key Website Communications Content Academics and affordability are continually two of the top items that visitors want to learn about when they visit your institutional website. The way you choose to deliver information about each is thus of paramount importance. In this session, Bob Johnson will present case studies of institutions that are exemplifying best practices in their academics and affordability-related web content. You will be challenged to critically examine your institution s own web content in these areas. You will also be given time to workshop that content and receive feedback from both the instructor and your peers. 5

6 INSTRUCTOR ROBERT E. JOHNSON, PH.D. / President Bob Johnson Consulting Bob Johnson is president of Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC, where he has worked with 78 colleges, universities, and professional associations since 2006 to develop strong online marketing communication programs. Specialties include Customer Carewords top task research to better engage website visitors, marketing communication reviews of college and university websites, and Writing Right for the Web workshops. He is a partner with Gerry McGovern at Customer Carewords, Ltd in Dublin, Ireland. Bob is the editor of the popular newsletter Your Higher Education Marketing Newsletter, sent monthly to 3,600 subscribers; Twitter site, with more than 6,800 followers; and Bob Johnson s Blog on Higher Education Marketing. He is also the author of chapters in Advancement and the Web: Thriving in a New World and Transforming Your Web Site into a Collaboration Marketing Tool, and co-editor of Integrated Marketing Communication, A Practical Guide to Developing Comprehensive Communication Strategies. 6

7 HOTEL RESERVATIONS The conference will be held at: Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa 1775 E. Mission Drive San Diego, CA To reserve your room, call Please indicate that you are with the group to receive the room rate of $199 + $12.00 resort fee for single or double occupancy, plus applicable tax. A room block has been reserved for the nights of July 12 and 13, Reservations must be made by June 23, There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early. Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa, situated on the beautiful sands of Mission Bay, is centrally located to all of San Diego s top attractions and six miles from the San Diego International Airport. Celebrating over 50 years as a legendary San Diego resort, this 18-acre recreational paradise is only one mile from SeaWorld San Diego. Enjoy close proximity to the famous Gaslamp District and La Jolla, only a 12-minute drive away. Experience an array of on-site services such as Mantra The Art of Spa, a full service marina, modern fitness center, beautiful guest rooms, plus seasonal live music while overlooking the water. From an award-winning wine list and championship tennis courts, to one of the top conference centers in Southern California, Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa is your destination and retreat. Transportation: SuperShuttle: $12.00 per person, one-way. Reservations are required. Please visit SuperShuttle s website for more information. 7

8 PLEASE FAX ALL REGISTRATION PAGES TO: Questions about the event? Call us at to help determine if this event is right for you. Register online at REGISTRATION FEES Your registration fee includes: Full access to all conference sessions and materials, breakfast, lunch, and access to the networking reception on Monday, breakfast on Tuesday, as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the conference. Best Values Conference Workshop Conference + Post Conference Workshop - $1395 USD # of attendees Conference only - $1095 USD # of attendees Post-Conference workshop only - $395 USD # of attendees Total Total Total EARLY BIRD PRICING Postmarked on or before June 26, For registrations postmarked after June 26, 2015, an additional $100 fee per registrant applies. Visit our website to register online: 8

9 PLEASE FAX ALL REGISTRATION PAGES TO: CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFORMATION Print Name Job Title Institution/Organization What name do you prefer on your name badge? Address City State/Province Zip/Postal Code Country Telephone IF THIS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT HAS ANY DIETARY OR ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS, PLEASE LIST THEM IN THE SPACE BELOW. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ACCOMMODATE THESE NEEDS. How did you hear about this event? ( from AI, ACPA, colleague forwarded , The Chronicle, etc.) If you would like us to send a copy of your registration confirmation or receipt to someone else, please complete this section ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION Additional Contact Name Contact Phone Additional Contact Additional Contact Title EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION Emergency Contact Name Emergency Contact Phone 9

10 PLEASE FAX ALL REGISTRATION PAGES TO: PAYMENT METHOD We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. To pay by check, include the check with this form or select the invoice me option. Fax form to or mail form along with payment to:, 4601 DTC Blvd., Ste. 800, CREDIT CARD Name on Card Account Number Billing Address Billing City Billing State Billing Zip Code/Postal Code Exp. Date Security Code (last 3 digits on the back of Visa and MC or 4 digits on front of AmEx) CHECK/INVOICE AMOUNT TO CHARGE: My check is included and covers registration(s) Check # Please invoice me, Purchase Order # (PO # not required to receive invoice) FREE HIGHER ED NEWS AND ANALYSIS Each conference registration includes a subscription to Higher Ed Impact, a free industry scan of news, trends, and research on higher education, delivered in an easy-to-scan . Higher Ed Impact (HEI) includes: (Check the boxes for the editions you would like to sign up for) HEI: Daily Pulse impactful news, trends, and practices, sent daily HEI: Weekly Scan the week s most critical news, with analysis of top stories and trends, sent on Fridays HEI: Monthly Diagnostic practical takeaways addressing a strategic challenge facing institutions of higher ed, sent 9-12 times/year List the names of the registrants you d like to sign up: Note if you do not provide any names in the above space, all attendees will be signed up for the options selected. 10

11 ACADEMIC IMPRESSIONS CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICIES 100% SATISFACTION PROMISE SATISFACTION PROMISE We want you to be satisfied with your learning experience. If the program you purchased fails to meet your expectations, please contact us within 30 days and let us know. We ll credit the full amount you paid toward another AI program that may better fit your needs. CONFERENCES For in-person conferences, substitute registrants are welcome and may be named free of charge at any time. If you cancel 8 weeks or more prior to the first date of the conference, you will receive a full refund, less a $ service charge per attendee. If you cancel within 8 weeks of the first date of the conference, you are not entitled to a refund. However, as a courtesy, we will allow you to apply your payment, less the service charge, toward a future purchase within one year from the date you cancel. Your payment is transferable to another person from your institution if you wish. Please note that if you do not attend and you do not contact us in advance to cancel as described above, you are responsible for the entire payment. In case this event is cancelled, liability is limited to a refund of the registration fee only. ONLINE TRAININGS CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE LIVE TRAINING DATE You will receive a full refund (less a $75 service charge) if you cancel 8 weeks or more prior to the first live training date. If you cancel within 8 weeks of the first live training date, you are not entitled to a refund. But as a courtesy, we will apply your payment (less a $75 service charge) towards a future purchase within one year from the date you cancel. Your payment is transferable to another person from your institution if you wish. You may name a substitute primary participant free of charge at any time prior to the first live training date. If available, you may switch the live training format to a self-paced format (such as a CD-ROM Recording or On-Demand Download) free of charge. (Shipping charges will apply to CD-ROM Recording orders outside the U.S. or Canada.) ONLINE TRAININGS WHICH ARE PURELY SELF-PACED All sales are final. No cancellations or refunds are provided. RECORDINGS, ON-DEMAND DOWNLOADS, MONOGRAPHS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS All sales are final. No cancellations or refunds provided. 11