The document discusses how technical documentation and inbound marketing can work together more effectively. It argues that technical documentation provides essential information about product functionality and benefits that can be used to create high-quality inbound content. The document recommends that technical writers and marketers collaborate closely by sharing strategies and feedback to produce a single source of truth for content, which will improve the customer experience and lead to greater marketing success.
10. "Best way to sell something:
don't sell anything.
Earn the awareness, respect, and
trust of those who might buy.”
— RAND FISHKIN, MOZ
11. Inbound:
no interruptions,
just information
BUT INBOUND ISN’T FOR EVERYONE
Identify and dive deep into the challenges and
drivers of those your product offers value to,
then develop content that addresses them
THEN VISIBILITY, TRUST, LOYALTY
SEO gets your content found; quality earns trust
that leads to a purchase; fostering post-sale
success leads to loyalty
BEGIN BY UNDERSTANDING
Some orgs empower sales teams rather than
customers; others only use content for compliance
13. Technical vs. inbound
HOW vs. WHY
Solves problems for existing users and
customers post-purchase – it focuses on
answering HOW to do something
INBOUND CONTENT – ‘WHY’
Solves problems for those your product offers
value to – it focuses on explaining WHY to do
something (the benefit of taking action)
TECHNICAL CONTENT –‘HOW’
16. Teach your old docs
new tricks
MAKE THEM PART OF YOUR BRAND
Attract solution-seekers (SEO), build confidence
and trust; convince other org stakeholders to
respect docs’ power for sales
PUBLISH ON YOUR SITE, PROMINENTLY
Keep them on your website’s domain or a sub-
domain for SEO value; make them prominent
GREAT DOCS ARE A SALES ASSET
Logo and visual style along with tone of voice
must be applied consistently
17.
18.
19. Keyword up,
and be sociable
Apply keyword strategy from Marketing to doc
content and tag structure; develop clear link
strategy be disciplined with application (SEO)
SOCIALIZE YOUR DOCS
Your users want a say – provide feedback and
sharing channels to make them happy; host
forums and email groups to develop community
KEYWORDS, TAGS, LINKS – OH MY
20. Inbound that’s
better informed
FEEDBACK FROM INTERNAL TEAMS
Docs are a wellspring for best practice blog
posts, videos, webinars, white papers, even
success stories – but always explain WHY
INSIGHT FROM USERS
Reviews of doc comments, helpful ratings, and
page statistics reveal most important topics
TECHCOMM – AN INBOUND FOUNDATION
Marketing and techcomm must actively seek
feedback from sales, customer success,
support; use this
23. Create a
shared strategy
Docs and marketing must share vision and
understanding of business goals, human
resources/roles; collaborate closely on projects
HAVE A FUNNEL SUMMIT
Decide jointly what content applies to what
buyer’s journey stage, what’s missing, and how
to work together fill the gaps
TAKE IT FROM THE TOP
24. AND THE FUNNEL
TECH CONTENT
HTTPS://WWW.CHERRYLEAF.COM/BLOG/2015/11/HOW-TECHNICAL-DOCUMENTATION-HELPS-THE-CUSTOMER-JOURNEY/
SEE ALSO: SARAH RICHARDS’ PRESENTATION AT TCUK 2016
25. How tech writers
elevate marketing
Deep knowledge of product functionality,
benefits to users, use cases, and the ability to
verbalize it all clearly
CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT
Strategic alignment makes tech writers a key
part of the content engine, providing the basis
for many types of inbound marketing
FEATURES, BENEFITS, USE CASES
26. How marketing
elevates tech writers
Including ‘why’ benefit language where
appropriate in docs can build trust by showing
empathy for the user
EXPANDING THE VALUE OF DOCS
Demonstrating techcomm’s role in sales and
marketing success makes documentation more
important to organizational leaders
ADDING THE ‘WHY’
28. That was then,
this is now
A SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH
Wellspring to inform decisions, provide building
blocks; more accurate inbound content; more
efficient resource use
FEEDBACK IMPROVES CONTENT
Marketing content improves through insight and
feedback on features, benefits, use cases, and
behavior of solution seekers
SMARTER INBOUND CONTENT
With documentation as a single source of truth
and collaboration tools to allow close
partnership, better inbound happens faster
30. Quality
is job one
THE NOT-UNEXPECTED RESULTS
Potential customers will go where great content
is; when creating it, tech writers’ abilities to
inform are a powerful tool – just add ‘why’
A FORCE FOR GOOD (QUALITY)
Technical communication connects better
though empathy; inbound content is more
informative and useful; both are great for users
IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
Bring these two ideas together to deliver a
powerful experience for both your existing users
and your potential customers
31. Thank you!
Visit us at booth 2/E01 in Hall C2.
DAVIN PUKULIS | DIRECTOR OF MARKETING | K15T SOFTWARE | @DAVINDOES
getenlite.com