A vital step in the creation of a web page or site is an assessment of your resources — what you have and what you'll need.
The team putting together an event should start looking at their resources and needs from the first planning meeting. You can't wait until a few days before the event to pull things together. You’ll need:
Skilled writers who can follow strategic guidelines to craft content to help meet your goals.
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Is there existing information that can be used as the foundation of content for the site?
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Do you have people on staff to write/edit the site text?
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If so, are they trained/familiar with writing in the style of Mason’s content strategy?
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Do they have the skills and experience to adapt their writing to fit the style?
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If not, do you have a budget to hire an outside writer?
Images that tell your unit’s story and the story of Mason.
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Are there existing photos from Mason Creative Services that can be repurposed on the site?
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If not, do you have enough time to request photos from Creative Services?
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Does Creative Services have the time to shoot the images by your deadline?
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If not, do you have access to a stock art account, such as Getty Images/iStock, etc.?
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If not, do you have a budget to hire an outside photographer? Do they have time to shoot what you want?
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Do you need photos? You might not.
Videos that tell your unit's story and the story of Mason
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Can you repurpose existing videos on Mason's YouTube and Vimeo channels, or through GMU-TV?
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If not, do you have enough time to request a video through Creative Services?
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Does Creative Services have the time and resources to conceptualize, write a script, create a storyboard, find a cast, scout locations, shoot, and edit a video by your deadline?
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If not, do you have a budget to hire an outside vendor to create a video? Do they have time to do it?
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Do you need a video? You might not.