Sarah O'Keefe presentation, first delivered at tcworld 2015, November 2015, in Stuttgart, Germany. Discusses how to unify content development across technical communication, marketing, and technical support organizations.

1. @sarahokeefe
Unified
Content
Development
flickr: youngandwithit
Sarah O’Keefe
Scriptorium

2. Sarah
O’Keefe
@sarahokeefe
flickr: johnloo, alicehenneman booleansplit
Likes
Dislikes

3. Slides
are
available
@sarahokeefe
❖ http://www.slideshare.net/Scriptorium/unified-
content-development-integrating-tech-comm-
marcom-and-technical-support
❖ or http://tiny.cc/integratingcontent

4. The
stereotypes
@sarahokeefe
flickr: mollystevens

5. Marcom
@sarahokeefe
flickr: Piutus

6. Techcomm
@sarahokeefe
flickr: thoth-god

7. Tech
support
@sarahokeefe
http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/606524-minecraft/answers/280618-how-do-you-get-the-when-pigs-fly-achievement

8. OK,
fine.
@sarahokeefe
❖ www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DbCB8freZs

9. Training
@sarahokeefe
flickr: ifindkarma

10. Nobody
tells
the
complete
story.
@sarahokeefe
flickr: dullhunk

11. Reality:
They
complement
each
other.
@sarahokeefe
❖ Marcomm goal:

12. Before
the
sale
or
after?
@sarahokeefe

13. Before
the
sale
or
after?
@sarahokeefe

14. @sarahokeefe
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Pre-sales Post-sales Return customer
Marcom Techcomm Training Tech support

15. @sarahokeefe
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
The Customer Conversation report: https://econsultancy.com/reports/the-consumer-conversation/

16. @sarahokeefe
Brands
have
a
holistic
view
of
customers
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
81%
The Customer Conversation report: https://econsultancy.com/reports/the-consumer-conversation/

17. @sarahokeefe
Customers
who
say
their
retailer
understands
them.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
37%
The Customer Conversation report: https://econsultancy.com/reports/the-consumer-conversation/

18. @sarahokeefe
Communications
are
usually
relevant.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
35%
The Customer Conversation report: https://econsultancy.com/reports/the-consumer-conversation/

19. @sarahokeefe
If
the
instructions
are
confusing
or
incomplete,
how
does
that
make
you
feel
about
the
products
you
buy?
(Choose
all
that
apply)
http://www.sharonburton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ConsumerPollResults2012-2013.pdf

20. @sarahokeefe
http://www.sharonburton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ConsumerPollResults2012-2013.pdf

21. @sarahokeefe
Source: http://www.bain.com/Images/BB_Closing_delivery_gap.pdf, 2005

22. @sarahokeefe
Source: http://www.bain.com/Images/BB_Closing_delivery_gap.pdf, 2005

23. Closing
the
delivery
gap
@sarahokeefe
❖ “They focus, above all else, on treating their
most profitable customers in ways that ensure
that they come back for more and recommend
the company’s products and services to their
friends.”
Source: http://www.bain.com/Images/BB_Closing_delivery_gap.pdf, 2005

24. Comparing
marcom
and
techcomm
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

25. @sarahokeefe
Marcom Techcomm
Details? Few Many
Impact
on
revenue? Lots None
Purpose Persuade Inform
Analytics Yes Rarely
Affects
product
positioning
Yes Not on purpose
When
read? Before buy After buy

26. @sarahokeefe
Marcom Techcomm
Details? Many Many
Impact
on
revenue? Lots Lots
Purpose Persuade/inform Persuade/inform
Analytics Yes Increasing
Affects
product
positioning
Yes Yes
When
read? Before buy Before & after

27. @sarahokeefe
Techmarcom(m)
Details? Many
Impact
on
revenue? Lots
Purpose Persuade/inform
Analytics Yes
Affects
product
positioning
Yes
When
read? Before & after

28. What
are
the
obstacles
to
unified
content
development?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

29. Obstacles
@sarahokeefe
❖ Culture
❖ Staff background, focus, interests
❖ Silos
❖ Reporting structure
❖ Attitude
❖ Perspective
Photo: Ildar Sagdejev

30. Obstacles
@sarahokeefe
❖ Culture
❖ Staff background, focus, interests
❖ Silos
❖ Reporting structure
❖ Attitude
❖ Perspective

31. How
do
we
address
the
organizational
problem?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

32. @sarahokeefe
The
organizational
problem
Marcom
CEO
CTOCOOCIOCMO
TechcommSupport Training

33. @sarahokeefe
The
organizational
problem
Marcom
CEO
CTOCOOCIOCMO
TechcommSupport Training
CCO?

34. @sarahokeefe

35. @sarahokeefe

36. @sarahokeefe

37. @sarahokeefe

38. @sarahokeefe

39. Can
you
envision
a
chief
content
officer?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

40. Obstacles
@sarahokeefe
❖ Culture
❖ Staff background, focus, interests
❖ Silos
❖ Reporting structure
❖ Attitude
❖ Perspective
P

41. “An
information
silo
is
an
insular
management
system
incapable
of
reciprocal
operation
with
other,
related
information
systems.”
@sarahokeefe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_silo

42. Your
silos
are
of
no
interest
to
customers,
except
when
they
cause
problems.
@sarahokeefe

43. @sarahokeefe
Credit:Victor de Schwanberg/Science Photo Library

44. @sarahokeefe
Credit:Victor de Schwanberg/Science Photo Library
PowerPoint

45. Why
do
silos
exist?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

46. @sarahokeefe
1. Department
2. Channel
3. Discipline
4. Customer/user phase
5. Feature
http://review.content-science.com/2014/02/5-types-of-content-silos-to-break-down/

47. @sarahokeefe
Dear
Sarah,
Should
user
docs
use
the
same
fonts
as
marketing
collateral
or
instead
use
fonts
that
cater
best
to
usability
and
platform
(web,
mobile,
etc.)
support?
Signed,
Anxious
in
Anonymity

48. @sarahokeefe
Dear
Sarah,
Should
user
docs
use
the
same
fonts
as
marketing
collateral
or
instead
use
fonts
that
cater
best
to
usability
and
platform
(web,
mobile,
etc.)
support?
Signed,
Anxious
in
Anonymity

49. How
can
you
remove
silos?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

50. @sarahokeefe
Silo Silo
Silo Silo

51. @sarahokeefe
SiloSiloSiloSilo

52. @sarahokeefe
Silo Silo
Silo Silo

53. @sarahokeefe
Silo Silo
Silo Silo

54. Obstacles
@sarahokeefe
❖ Culture
❖ Staff background, focus, interests
❖ Silos
❖ Reporting structure
❖ Attitude
❖ Perspective
Flickr: ricardo

55. @sarahokeefe

56. @sarahokeefe
Design
is
the
process
of
deciding
how
information
is
presented
to
the
person
who
needs
it.
flickr:paulk

57. Automation
applies
design
to
content
without
human
intervention.
@sarahokeefe
flickr:spenceyc

58. Snowflakes
are
a
problem.
@sarahokeefe
Wikimedia Commons

59. @sarahokeefe

60. @sarahokeefe

61. @sarahokeefe

62. @sarahokeefe

63. @sarahokeefe

64. @sarahokeefe

65. @sarahokeefe

66. @sarahokeefe

67. @sarahokeefe

68. @sarahokeefe
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Disruptivetechnology.png

69. @sarahokeefe

70. How
can
we
move
toward
unified
content
development?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

71. flickr: sv1ambo
Content
strategy
assessment
@sarahokeefe
❖ Content inventory/audit
❖ Business goals
❖ Gap analysis
❖ Recommendations
❖ Requirements
❖ Roadmap

72. Content
inventory/audit
@sarahokeefe

73. How
bad
is
your
content?
@sarahokeefe
http://www.scriptorium.com/2015/10/content-strategy-triage

74. Minimum
viable
content
@sarahokeefe
http://www.scriptorium.com/2013/12/minimum-viable-content/

75. Alignment
of
business
objectives
@sarahokeefe
flickr: jsjgeology

76. Content
strategy
roadmap
@sarahokeefe
flickr: sv1ambo

77. Content
strategy
roadmap
@sarahokeefe
❖ Goals
❖ Constraints
❖ Budget
❖ Phase 1: Pilot
❖ Phase 2: Main effort
❖ Phase 3: Advanced effort

78. What
are
some
examples
of
business
goals?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

79. Confronting
external
dependencies
@sarahokeefe
flickr: valeriebb

80. @sarahokeefe

81. @sarahokeefe

82. @sarahokeefe

83. @sarahokeefe

84. @sarahokeefe

85. Other
people’s
data
@sarahokeefe
❖ Extract
❖ Modify
❖ Connect
flickr: heipei

86. Other
people’s
platform
@sarahokeefe
❖ Publish your information to their platform?
flickr:Wellness GM

87. Other
people’s
content
@sarahokeefe
❖ Put in your repository?
❖ Create a connector to different repository?
❖ In which direction(s) does information flow?
flickr: epsos.de

88. Not
dependency,
integration!
@sarahokeefe
flickr:Trevor Botting

89. @sarahokeefe
Do
you
need
better
systems?
flickr: jpgufffogg

90. Vendor
assessment
@sarahokeefe
flickr: jawsnap

91. What
are
the
risks
of
integration?
@sarahokeefe
Your turn

92. @sarahokeefe

93. Content
convergence
is
happening.
Slowly.
@sarahokeefe

94. Questions?
@sarahokeefe

95. @sarahokeefe
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