Monday, November 28, 2011

We've Moved!

Our blog has moved to our new Web site. You will be automatically redirected to this site, but if for some reason you are not please click here.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

During this time of Thanksgiving we send each of you warm wishes. We count our readers and clients among our blessings during this holiday and always.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Communication Trends—How Google and Facebook Are Shaping Your View of Reality



In this TED Talk, Eli Pariser pulls back the curtain on the filtering techniques of Google and Facebook, reminding us that your news and information is now being filtered by someone else. Searches now bring up information tailored to you—so two people sitting next to each other and searching for the same thing will get entirely different results.

Pariser says the torch is being passed from human gatekeepers to algorithmic gatekeepers, which don’t have imbedded the ethics that humans are capable of. Right now these algorithms decide what we get to see—and what we don’t get to see—based on relevance to us. What they don’t show us are differing points of view, information that is important, uncomfortable and perhaps even challenging—creating a reality with us as the center.

Pariser suggests that these algorithms must be coded in a way that supports a sense of public life, a sense of civic responsibility—and that they are transparent enough so that we can both understand and have some control over the kinds of information we access.

This 8-minute video is a must-see.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Showcase: Scholarship Worksheet Keeps it Simple

Walla Walla University’s new scholarship program gives students instant feedback on what they’re eligible for—and has proven to be an important part of their marketing successes.

When they asked us to develop a simple piece to communicate this complicated message—we recommended an interactive visual piece that is available in print and on-line (click here to view the online version).

Very often, a visual is the best way to convey complex information quickly.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Building Better Facebook Pages

Lauren Fisher advises those managing Facebook pages to write for the news feed, not your wall.

When you write an update for your Facebook page, the update will most likely appear on the page’s wall by default. It can be confusing however, to consider that the wall is not the place where 99 percent of your fans will see the update. Though a link or ad will lead some people straight to the wall, your existing fans will see the update in their news feed.

Remember to include links in your update if you want to drive the reader to a specific page—and don’t reference something that won’t appear in the news feed. For example, telling them to “Check out our tab on the side” is out of context for people seeing this update in their news feed.

To see all 8 of her tips, go to http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/43066.aspx.

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