Crystal Paradis
  • Projects
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Crystal Paradis for Mayor
  • Projects
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Crystal Paradis

Strategic Communications and Community Engagement

Category

Featured

FeaturedFeminismSocial Justice

Feminism is empty without intersectionality and action

written by Crystal Paradis

The word “feminist” is on my business card. Not as a title I’m using to define myself, but because it’s in the name of my business. Even with its recent rise to acceptance in mainstream popular culture, the word “feminist” still prompts startled reactions most times I hand someone my card. Since I’m so frequently reminded of the baggage of this word, I’m also increasingly aware of my responsibility to define, and demonstrate by my actions, what I mean when I use the word “feminist.”

Feminist theorist bell hooks (no, the lowercase of her name isn’t a typo – she consciously declines to capitalize her name in favor of putting the emphasis on her ideas) defines feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.” Defining feminism as a commitment to end oppression is notable in that it is not (as it is sometimes misperceived to be) seeking to reverse it. Taking power from one group and giving it to another doesn’t solve the problem – it simply perpetuates domination and systemic injustice.

Feminist poet Audre Lorde wrote, “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” The goal of a hooks and Lorde kind of feminist movement is to dismantle systemic power structures altogether in favor of equity for everyone – all genders, all identities.

Continue Reading
Feminism is empty without intersectionality and action was last modified: January 4th, 2019 by Crystal Paradis
July 29, 2018
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
content managementFeaturedMarketingValues-Centric Work

WordPress Content Management for Socially-Responsible Businesses

written by Crystal Paradis

If you’re a business or nonprofit with a social mission, and you’re looking for some help managing your online presence, we just might be a perfect match.

You might need help with content management if…

  • If you have a website but people who visit it can never figure out how to find what they’re looking for
  • If *you* can never find what you need on your own website
  • If you know what you want your website to say, but don’t have time or skills to make the edits yourself
  • You want to figure out how to make it easier for website visitors to take an action (share a post, contact you, buy something, book a consultation)
  • You want social media to play nice with your website
  • You want to come up higher on the search engine / Google results pages (SEO Copywriting can help with that, too)

What is content management?

Content management is managing (editing, publishing, updating, rearranging, freshening up) your content (blog posts, web pages, photos, videos, infographics, memes, sidebars, menu items, forms, etc.) to help you reach more people more effectively online.

Content management is not a thing that non-techie folks are necessarily able to learn intuitively — and even if you are able to add or edit blog posts, you may not know enough about user experience (UX) or search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. That’s where a content manager — like me — comes in.

Okay, what’s WordPress content management?

“WordPress content management” simply means editing, updating and maintaining your website on the WordPress platform. Not sure if your website is on WordPress already? Well, since WordPress is still the most widely-used content management system (or CMS) out there, chances are good that your website is on it.

Why WordPress content management for socially-responsible businesses?

I care about helping teams that are working to create better communities.

Many socially-responsible businesses and organizations have service providing as a top priority, but their digital /online presence might be taking a back seat.

I’ve written before about how search engine optimization is community engagement optimization.  If people can’t find you online, they can’t advance your mission.

A robust communications strategy is really important. And, a fair amount of communications strategy can be demonstrated with a really clear website content strategy — and that includes everything from menu structure to clear and compelling calls-to-action.

Therefore, providing WordPress content management for socially-responsible businesses is critical to building better communities.

So, should we work together?

If you’ve ever worked with me before, you know about my commitment to working with socially-responsible, values-aligned organizations and businesses — aka values-centric work. If you’ve seen my Services page, you’ve seen the list of the types of organizations and businesses I will and won’t work with. Socially responsible is a category that encompasses many attributes that my favorite clients share.

So, if you’re part of a socially-responsible business or organization in need of some WordPress content management assistance, I’d love to talk. Since I work freelance, I can typically offer rates lower than agencies — and if all you need is content management (organization, re-organization or optimization of your existing site), you likely don’t need a pricey agency anyway.

Drop me a line, and I’d be happy to give you a free assessment, take a walk outside with you or grab a beverage and talk about your communications and marketing goals and whether I’d be a good fit to help you achieve them.

WordPress Content Management for Socially-Responsible Businesses was last modified: January 4th, 2019 by Crystal Paradis
October 8, 2017
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Domestic & Sexual ViolenceFeaturedGun ViolencePoliticsSocial Justice

Gun Violence is Our Responsibility

written by Crystal Paradis

It was easy to tell myself I wasn’t doing work that supported the NRA. Until a man walked into a club in Orlando and killed 49 people, injuring over 50 others. Once again, dozens of innocent people were dead. Our nation mourned. Vigils were held. Arguments raged. Who is culpable for letting this happen again?

I was. And I didn’t act alone.

Continue Reading
Gun Violence is Our Responsibility was last modified: January 4th, 2019 by Crystal Paradis
July 12, 2016
1 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

About Crystal

As a writer and organizer with a background in digital marketing, event organizing and community engagement, I help values-aligned individuals and organizations improve their message, online presence and reach.

More about Crystal

Search 🔍

Popular Articles

  • Gun Violence is Our Responsibility

    July 12, 2016
  • Equal Access to Abortion Matters — Repeal the Hyde Amendment

    March 15, 2016
  • Domestic Violence Survivors Deserve a Better Court Model

    April 27, 2016
  • The Global Refugee Crisis — And What You Can Do About It

    December 31, 2015
  • New Hampshire Women Deserve Equal Political Representation

    May 22, 2016

Get Updates ✉️

Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

Values-Centric Work

https://youtu.be/pflxpCI9pm8

More from Crystal Paradis:

  • Feminist Oasis
  • Social Justice
  • Copywriting
  • Marketing
  • Tech & Productivity
  • Women’s Health
  • Writing
  • #PortsmouthLOVE

New Post Alerts

Featured Services

  • Crystal Paradis for Mayor

Search

Crystal on Instagram

@2016 - PenciDesign. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign
Featured homepage image credits: Latest Projects by Raya on Assignment; Services & Feminist Oasis by Kate & Keith Photography.


Back To Top