MEDIA CONTACT: Tory Olson, 515-271-1834, tory.olson@drake.edu
With the evolving communication industry in mind, Drake University is offering media professionals and students a workshop on Saturday, March 28, that will focus on writing for the Web.
The workshop, “Writers and the Web: Creating Content That Connects,” will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon in room 106 of Drake’s Meredith Hall, 2805 University Ave.
The workshop will provide journalists with information about search engine optimization (SEO) and what that means for writing lively content that connects with and builds an audience.
Some key questions the workshop aims to answer are:
- What is the best way to package your online message?
- How people actually use the Internet and how journalists can take advantage of that?
- What is SEO and why is it important?
- How do you test your site’s SEO ranking?
- How do you improve an SEO ranking?
A schedule of the day’s events is listed below:
- 8:30 a.m. — Coffee reception
- 9 to 10:15 a.m. — Creating content: How to write in a format Web users want
- 10:15 a.m. — Break
- 10:30 a.m. to noon — Making sure people find that content: An introduction to search engine optimization
Chris Snider, assistant managing editor for digital innovation at the Des Moines Register, will lead the workshop sessions.
The workshop is part of a series of classes and other events this spring aimed not only at graduating seniors who will soon be job-hunting, but also at professionals who want to update their skills.
Registration is free for Drake students and $50 for others. Participants can pay at the door with cash or a check payable to Drake University. No pre-registration is necessary.
For more information, contact Patricia Prijatel, director of the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies, at patricia.prijatel@drake.edu. The workshop is sponsored by the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies at the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication.