Thanks to everyone that attended the 7/14/20 session. If you were unable to attend and would like to get up to speed or have further questions, please email your strategist for more information. Below are some of the great questions we addressed during our live sessions.
Q: Should everything be a CTA?
A: Not everything should be a CTA, however, your page should have a clear goal or answer a specific question or set of related questions. This FAQ page is a great example.
Q: How do we decide what the reader wants to know?
A: This is typically indicated by the data of how a user comes to the site, what they click through or interact with and what actions are taken after visiting the page. If we’re looking at creating a new page, we should refer to similar pages within a college or department to identify if the information is otherwise available, but not optimized for our audience.
Q: Are spaces counted in meta description character counts for maximum characters allotted?
A: Yes! Spaces are counted in the 160 character limit.
Q: How can I be sure I’m writing in an active voice and not a passive voice?
A: Consider reading your piece of writing out loud and listen if it’s conversational. Passive voice is when you emphasize the action instead of the subject.
Example: Passive – Traveling was something we enjoyed prior to the pandemic. Active – We enjoyed traveling prior to the pandemic.
Q: Do we have to write everything at an eighth-grade reading level…we’re a higher education institution…?
A: Generally, yes! Writing at this reading level allows visitors to “grab and go” as they are searching for specific pieces of information and we need to provide the content in a digestible format to accommodate busy and distracted readers.
Q: When do we want to start using We do and I can (the new branding)?
A: September 1st is the new brand launch! Please wait to incorporate We do and I can until 9/1/20. It is recommended to remove “stamp on the world” as soon as possible from your materials. Assets like email signature graphics will be provided on or before 9/1/20.