Jester

05/13/2026

If you work in the public sector or nonprofit world, you already know this challenge:

You have important information to share… but social media rewards clarity, rhythm, emotion, and speed, not institutional language.

On May 27, I’ll be delivering an online workshop with CEPSM on writing more effective social media content for public sector and non-profit organizations.

We’ll cover:
• Writing clear, engaging content without sounding robotic
• Turning jargon into concrete, human language
• Adapting your writing across different platforms
• Using principles from marketing, copywriting, neuroscience, and behavioural science to improve engagement
• Creating social content that people actually stop to read

This is a practical, hands-on workshop designed for communicators, marketers, program staff, and anyone responsible for social media content.

📅 May 27, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
💻 Online

More information and registration:

Boost your social media writing skills with our expert-led, live online workshop for public sector & non-profit professionals. Register today!

05/12/2026

There's a layer of communications work that nobody talks about because it doesn't look like work.

It sits between gathering information and producing output. It's where you decide who you're writing for, what you actually think, and what you want the reader to do when they're done.
We're calling it the figuring-out layer.

More here:

This post was inspired by David Armano's recent essay, "The Most Human Person in the Room," published on his Substack, David by Design. Go subscribe to his stuff. Do it now. I’ll wait.

05/07/2026

Read a piece in the Ottawa Citizen this week about public servants worrying that AI adoption is moving faster than governance can keep up, and it took me right back to 2009.

Back then it was social media. Communications teams were told to "be on the platforms" while the rules for using them were still being written. So people improvised. Some of it was great, and some of it ended up on the news for all the wrong reasons.

The lesson from that era was not that governance should have come first, it was that governance written without the people actually using the tools tends to miss the point. The teams doing the work know what's risky, what's useful, and what's just hype.

We're at the same fork in the road with AI right now. Leaders can hand down policy from above, or they can build it with the teams who'll live inside it every day.

If you're navigating this in your own organization, I'd genuinely love to hear how it's going. The pattern is the same, but every team's version of it is a little different.

05/07/2026

Read a piece in the Ottawa Citizen this week about public servants worrying that AI adoption is moving faster than governance can keep up, and it took me right back to 2009.

Back then it was social media. Communications teams were told to "be on the platforms" while the rules for using them were still being written. So people improvised. Some of it was great, and some of it ended up on the news for all the wrong reasons.

The lesson from that era was not that governance should have come first. It was that governance written without the people actually using the tools tends to miss the point. The teams doing the work know what's risky, what's useful, and what's just hype. The smartest organizations brought them into the room when the rules were being drafted.

We're at the same fork in the road with AI right now. Leaders can hand down policy from above, or they can build it with the teams who live inside it every day.

If you're navigating this in your own organization, I'd genuinely love to hear how it's going. The pattern is the same, but every team's version of it is a little different.

Here's the article if you're interested: https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/public-service-artificial-intelligence-ai

05/04/2026

If your nonprofit is investing in AI training and policy work right now, you're doing the right thing. But there's a second question many organizations haven't gotten to yet.

When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI to tell them about a cause your organization works on, does your nonprofit show up? And if it does, what does it say?

The way Canadians find information is shifting fast. 57% have already used an AI tool. Almost half are now using generative AI as a search engine. The traditional website-as-front-door model is changing in real time.

This isn't a tactical problem; it's a strategic one, and it's worth looking at before your audience moves on without you.

New on the Jester blog:

https://www.jestercreative.com/insights/canadian-nonprofits-are-renovating-the-back-office-but-the-front-door-is-moving

Is your organization showing up where your audience is now looking?

05/02/2026

One of my favourite parts of the new Jester website is the AI Clarity Hub, and I'd love for you to check it out.

It's a free collection of tools and resources built around a simple idea: you don't need more AI content; you need AI confidence. The kind that comes from understanding what you're doing and why, not just copying prompts off the internet.

The tools in the Hub are free to use and updated frequently. Have a look here: https://www.jestercreative.com/ai-clarity

04/30/2026

Stanford published something this month that's been making the rounds. People using AI are 76 to 176% more efficient on digital tasks, but the catch is that they spend that saved time on leisure rather than learning or anything particularly strategic.

What do you think? With all the time savings that AI keeps promising, are we REALLY making our work more productive?

Link to the Stanford article is in the comments.

04/28/2026

Google and Snap shared some compelling AI productivity numbers recently, and they do look impressive on the surface. But here’s a question worth sitting with before you act: are you actually measuring the right things?

Read "The Wrong Efficiency" and let us know what you think. https://www.jestercreative.com/insights/the-wrong-efficiency-what-ai-productivity-numbers-arent-telling-you

04/17/2026

We just published something we think is genuinely useful for anyone navigating AI adoption in a mission-driven organization.

The AI Readiness Framework covers five dimensions of organizational readiness, with honest reflection questions and a companion checklist that helps you identify where you're strong and where the gaps are.

It's free, it's practical, and it's a much better starting point than anything a vendor is going to hand you.

Grab the framework here: https://www.jestercreative.com/download-jesters-ai-readiness-framework

04/16/2026

Style applies to so many aspects of life, but when it comes to brands, style is everything. The messaging you use and the brand style you present can make a huge difference to the way you are perceived online.

Our Algonquin College student Jessica is back with four reasons brands should care about style. Read more here:

https://www.jestercreative.com/insights/how-do-i-look-4-reasons-brands-should-take-style-seriously

When it comes to branding, looks are everything. Your brand’s style is just as serious as the products you sell or the services you provide.  When you put care into your look and messaging, consumers notice and it can really make a difference when it comes to your brand’s success. Here are