In 2013, Elizabethtown College launched E-town NOW, an online news website telling the college's story through a variety of ways. Please note that these slides were uploaded primarily for conference attendees and that a lot of context and stories will be lost.

1. No Better Time
Than ‘Now’
Telling the Story of How We’re Telling our Story
E-town Now – Elizabethtown College
Donna Talarico | @donnatalarico | talaricod@etown.edu | #mcs5

2. @donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 2

3. 3
Immediate Inspiration….
… sometimes requires incredible patience
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu

4. 4
In the
meantime, we
did an
occasional
“happy
medium”.
I kind of went
rouge.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu

5. Getting There: Then to NOW
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 5

6. Why NOW?
 Dynamic, interactive
 Quicker turnaround
 Higher frequency
 Larger audience
 Searchable
 Real-time, yet timeless
 Plan for “real-time” when
you suspect a trend…
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 6

7. Building the Publication
 Editorial focus
 Strategic plan and
mission driven
 Site structure
 Org Structure
 Editorial process
 “Integratedness”
 Launch plan
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 7

8. Building the Team
 Managing editor
 Editor
 Student writers
 Videographer
 Designers
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 8

9. Managing & Training a Team
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10. From the Pages of NOW
In addition to regular content,
we published a few feature
series.
 Summer Series
 New Spaces & Faces
 Hobbies & Hidden Talents
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 10

11. From the Pages of NOW
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12. From the Pages of NOW
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 12

13. Many Ways to Tell a Story
 Video features – How
do you say it?
 Video teasers –
companion interviews
 Social tie-ins
(moved to NOW from
Social Life blog)
 http://bit.ly/1vXbfew
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 13

14. @donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 14

15. 15
Start
spreading
the…
Yeah… you get it.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu

16. 16
Social
Web
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu

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20. 20
Consider your tweet a
headline.
Don’t just say, “Here’s the
latest news…”
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu

21. How do we get stories?
Creating a culture of sharing.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 21

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23. Our Homerun.
ALWAYS
wear your
glove.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 23

24. Sometimes things
just erupt:
Riding the News
Keep your eyes and ears
peeled to local, regional,
national and world news.
You’ll never know what
random event will become
relevant to your institution.
And, think ahead when you
know something is
happening, even cyclical
things.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 24

25. Experts. Everywhere.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 25

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29. A Twitch?
The social media pitch!
Promotion NOW on social
media, one-on-one with
reporters.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 29

30. Press Check Yourself: Challenges
 “I was already interviewed about that” OR confusion with
student newspaper
 “Where did my Achievements go” OR change management
 “Oh my gosh! This is great. How did I not know about this?” OR
varying visibility
 “I sent the source my questions” or working with students in
interviewing skills.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 30

31. A Year in Review: Some Stats
 Created about 200 stories the
first academic year and
summer after
 Most popular stories – 2,394
and 1,634 (the more mass
appeal, the more visits)
 87,000 total views
 Time on page less than two
minutes
 Aside from direct, most traffic
from .edu followed by
Facebook
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 31

32. Next for NOW
 More academics
 Voices & Experts
 More video
 More “reprints”
 Advanced training
 Increased promotion
internally and to alumni
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 32

33. Questions?
Stories to share?
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 33

34. Bonus Slides
We have time to fill, so here is more data.
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 34

35. A Year in Review
@donnatalarico | #mcs5 | #heweb15 | talaricod@etown.edu 35