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Combining Social Media with Help Authoring

Combining Social Media with Help Authoring Tom Johnson The Allure of Social Media Wikis Advantages of Wikis Wisdom of users Group collaboration Easy updates Visible writing process SME contributions Transform the tech writer role Integrate user's perspective

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Combining Social Media with Help Authoring

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  1. Combining Social Media with Help Authoring Tom Johnson

  2. The Allure of Social Media

  3. Wikis

  4. Advantages of Wikis • Wisdom of users • Group collaboration • Easy updates • Visible writing process • SME contributions • Transform the tech writer role • Integrate user's perspective • Simple tools

  5. Drawbacks of Wikis • Primitive formatting • Simple website • No single sourcing • Printed manuals difficult • Infrastructure limitations • Marginal user contributions • Requires a leader • Inaccuracies problematic • Resistant corporate culture

  6. Blogs

  7. Advantages of Blogs • Communication venue • Convert users to power users • Feature requests/bugs • Connection with users • SEO Power • Personalized company face

  8. Drawbacks of Blogs • Not integrated with online help • Requires a blogger • RSS ignorance • Comment spam • Getting the right tone is tough

  9. Social Networks

  10. Advantages of Social Networks • Visual pictures of users • Niche conversations • Another contact point

  11. Drawbacks of Social Networks • No one goes there • Another login • Only web-based

  12. Podcasts/Videocasts

  13. Advantages of Podcasts/Videocasts • Engaging format • Users have rich media devices • Great blog content

  14. Drawbacks of Podcasts/Videocasts • Time consuming • Lengthy to watch or listen to • Equipment costs

  15. Forums

  16. Advantages of Forums • Comfortable atmosphere • Empowers enthusiastic users • Increases your support resources • One-to-many communication

  17. Drawbacks of Forums • Unanswered questions sour users • Not integrated with online help • Updating is a nightmare • Gives voice to frustration • Another hat to wear

  18. Interactive Help

  19. Interactive Help

  20. Advantages of Interactive Help • Another point of interactivity • Topic ratings potentially useful

  21. Drawbacks of Interactive Help • No one uses it

  22. Transformations for Tech Writers • Less technical writing • Multiple hats • Expert knowledge about users • Product leader and influencer

  23. Tom Johnsonwww.idratherbewriting.com801-822-2241tomjohnson1492@gmail.com

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