Maintaining current, high-quality content within a decentralized content management model is simple…if you are adept at herding cats. For the rest of us, helping hundreds of content managers—who are distributed across campus and have wildly diverse skill, availability and interest levels—to tend their pieces of the university or college’s website is more of a Sisyphusean endeavor.

Still, there is hope. What if Sisyphus had broken the boulder into smaller rocks and tried carrying a few at a time?

Rather than promise a one-size-fits-all solution, this presentation will share specific, scalable tactics to help ease the pain points we often encounter when content management is decentralized. Attendees will learn how to promote long-term progress by improving communications and visibility with content managers; adjusting training topics to encourage more substantial—and smarter—content edits; harnessing rather than fighting the enthusiasm of content managers who have just enough CMS knowledge to be dangerous; and developing strategic collaborations with administrators and other web service providers on campus.

• Slides

Notes

• Decision makers arn’t content managers (or web savvy).
• When a centralized web team is not in the cards, what can you do?
  • Small things can make a difference
  • Communication
    • Meet and greet
    • Monthly email tips (reminders)
    • Monthly working group sessions (with a topic and theme)
• Year of yes
  • Or at least reframing the no reply