You've Bought a CMS, Now How Do You

Make it Work?

Or: You don’t have a CMS yet, and you’re mildly embarrassed to admit it here, but

you hope you can learn some helpful information to perhaps purchase one.

Casey Paquet, Web Manager · Eckerd College727.864.7987 · paquetcd@eckerd.edu

We’ve all secretly hoped that a CMS is the answer to all of our content issues. The reality is that a CMS requires just as much management as the content it is designed to manage. Whether you are thinking about getting a CMS, or have one and are wondering if you’re alone in the struggle to manage it (and your content providers), this session helps ease your worried mind. And if you don’t yet have a worried mind, it may help prevent one in the future.

Show of Hands

The Facts‣Content Management Systems suck

‣Yours won’t work

‣Your people won’t work

‣You’ll spend too much time managing it

‣You are not alone

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Set Goals‣Determine your needs

‣Be specific

‣Take your time

Assess Your Content‣Determine what you have

‣Get rid of it

‣Reorganize it

‣Get smart about it

Involve People‣At your own risk

‣Keep group small

‣Clear leadership

Manage People‣Market the system

‣Train your users

‣Convince them it doesn’t suck

‣Remind them this IS their job

‣Repeat, repeat, repeat

Plan for the Future‣Before implementation

‣Block out all your content

‣Repurpose!

What Else?‣Do you need it?

‣Is it scalable?

‣Can you customize it?

‣Do they train?

‣Push, pull and ask

‣Offer to be a reference

‣Faculty buy in: good luck!

Now it’s Your Turn!