The other day I was discussing with a colleague about content
management in higher education and how it is becoming much more
complicated.
When we talk about web content, typically we refer to the pages
on our website; what I call "on-site" content. However with the
emergence of Web 2.0, web content has exploded beyond our .edu
domains; what I call "off-site" content. How many institutions have
a YouTube channel, manage or participate in blogs, and have a
presence on Facebook, mySpace or LinkedIn?
Just as technology has evolved, so must our concept of content
management. Currently, a "CMS" describes a piece of software.
Something that allows text and images on a website to be easily
manipulated and retrieved dynamically from a data system. Let's
call that CMS 2.0. (CMS 1.0 is an HTML-only website.)
The goal of CMS 1.0/2.0 is largely to keep on-site content
up-to-date. However, in the socially connected world of Web 2.0 the
goal is not just to be current but to stay relevant. This requires
constantly adding new, sometimes smaller, and more widely
distributed bits of content off-site.
For example, a news story posted on your website (CMS 1.0/2.0),
is re-purposed as a blog post, updated Twitter entry, turned into a
vod or podcast, and used as a point of discussion for members of
your various online communities. Managing on-site and off-site
content is the next evolution of content management; what I'm
calling CMS 3.0.
For me, CMS 3.0 is a management concept, not simply a piece of
software. It's an approach in which we choose to manage certain
online content, both on- and off-site, as part of our institution's
overall web presence.
It is a management concept because
- There is no software on the market today that seamlessly
integrates the management of on-site and off-site content. With the
creation of gadgets and use of APIs, I don't think it will be too
long before some smart company tries to do this though.
- University web teams are already struggling just to manage
on-site content, and many rely on a distributed network of web
editors to stay afloat. (See
Management Models in CMS) Now add the need to re-purpose and
maintain off-site content...that means more support, training and
monitoring.
- Participating in the online social network elevates the
importance and influence of an institution's content. Distributed
web editors now need training not only in software systems, but
also on the institution's brand and core messages.
CMS 3.0 is a combined function of IT and marketing
communications. Institutions that have or are moving toward
integrated web teams will be in the best position for success.