Project Building 101

Websites are neither books nor government reports. You have less than ten seconds to convince an audience to stay. Write punchy copy that tells a compelling story. Every word counts.


PROJECT INTRO

  1. What are you engaging on/what do you already know?
  2. Why are you engaging?
  3. How should the community interact?
  4. (Why should they care?)

CONTENT GUIDELINES

  1. Shorter/digestible/chunked is better.
  2. Keep it at an 8th-10th grade reading level (Hemingway editor or Readable).
  3. Keep it free from jargon/technical language.
  4. Use rich media if possible.

DON'T FORGET ACCESSIBILITY

  1. Add the alternative text for your images (and graphics) for people who are blind or visually impaired.
  2. Use the built-in headers in the paragraph format button to change text sizes.
  3. Do you have subtitles and/or closed captioning on videos for people who are deaf or hearing impaired (or may struggle with language)? (Youtube does this for you.)

A REMINDER ABOUT THE TOOLS

  1. You can add multiple instances of the Open and Closed Environment tools (but not the Mixed Environment tools).
  2. Give a clear question or prompt. (We have a great guide to help!)
  3. If you have ground rules or expectations, communicate them.
  4. Registration is required (or not) at the tool level.
  5. Always check the tool settings!
  6. You will not be able to delete a tool from the project IF you have gathered ANY input. (You can unpublish it, though.)

Websites are neither books nor government reports. You have less than ten seconds to convince an audience to stay. Write punchy copy that tells a compelling story. Every word counts.


PROJECT INTRO

  1. What are you engaging on/what do you already know?
  2. Why are you engaging?
  3. How should the community interact?
  4. (Why should they care?)

CONTENT GUIDELINES

  1. Shorter/digestible/chunked is better.
  2. Keep it at an 8th-10th grade reading level (Hemingway editor or Readable).
  3. Keep it free from jargon/technical language.
  4. Use rich media if possible.

DON'T FORGET ACCESSIBILITY

  1. Add the alternative text for your images (and graphics) for people who are blind or visually impaired.
  2. Use the built-in headers in the paragraph format button to change text sizes.
  3. Do you have subtitles and/or closed captioning on videos for people who are deaf or hearing impaired (or may struggle with language)? (Youtube does this for you.)

A REMINDER ABOUT THE TOOLS

  1. You can add multiple instances of the Open and Closed Environment tools (but not the Mixed Environment tools).
  2. Give a clear question or prompt. (We have a great guide to help!)
  3. If you have ground rules or expectations, communicate them.
  4. Registration is required (or not) at the tool level.
  5. Always check the tool settings!
  6. You will not be able to delete a tool from the project IF you have gathered ANY input. (You can unpublish it, though.)

  • The Newsfeed is great for updates!

    This is the latest article. You can use this space to let your community know what's new on the project. You can publish articles with or without images. You can also open up your Newsfeed article(s) to allow comments (see the next article) or leave it closed to comments (as is this article).

  • The Newsfeed is great for meetings + events!

    Use the newsfeed to link people to your virtual meetings or events.

    • You can provide the info and a link to register.
    • Once the event has taken place, publish the video here so your community can view it anytime.
    • Allow comments if you want your community to give you input—before, during, or after the event.


    EngagementHQ 4min Demo

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  • The Newsfeed is great for profiles!

    supporting image

    You can use the articles to profile individuals, such as your city council or steering committee members.


    You won't be able to edit your image after adding it as a supporting image. You can size / adjust it appropriately before uploading it (recommended is 200 x 150 px). Thumbnails won't show up on the article's page (click on the title link above). Add an image within the body of your article if you prefer.