Technical content creators and documentation teams are usually company cost centers. Web 2.0 changes this landscape. With research, strategic planning, and customer analysis, you can take your legacy content and turn it into a revenue-generating corporate asset. This session will provide research and details surrounding one or two such implementations. Additionally, the session will provide implementation ideas, ideas for generating revenue with your content, and typical cost savings.
Using Web 2.0 to Turn Legacy Content into a Revenue-Generating Corporate Asset
1. Using Web 2.0 to Turn Legacy Content into a
Revenue-Generating Corporate Asset
Pam Noreault
pamnoreault@gmail.com
Twitter pnoreault
2. About Pam
• 20 years experience in communications, content management, and technical
writing
• Specializes in content reuse, topic-based content creation, DITA conversions, and
trends in user assistance
• Researches and implements new ways to involve customers in user assistance
• BS in English/Spanish Education from The Ohio State University
• MA in English/Professional Writing from Wright State University
• SR STC Member
• UXPA Member
• Sr. User Experience Content Specialist (aka – Information Architect) at ACI
Worldwide
3. Session Results
• Discuss research surrounding implementations
• Partner with your service and support organization
• Generate ideas for how your content can generate revenue
• Create a strategic plan
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• Complete customer analysis
• Complete research
• Understand available options and tools
• Implement in phases
• Measure success
4. Web 2.0 Definition
• Platform for information sharing, interoperability, user-
centered design, and collaboration on the web. A Web 2.0 site
enables users to interact and collaborate with each other in a
dialog as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a
virtual community, in contrast to websites where users are
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limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for
them. (wikipedia)
• Examples include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video
sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups
and folksonomies (tagging, such as photo tagging).
5. Legacy Content Definition
• Static content in the form of PDFs, Word documents, etc.
• Content that is not interactive
• Content that requires customers to download it before they
can read it
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• Passive viewing of content
6. Web 2.0 with Legacy Content
• Do a mind shift – You have the legacy content
• As a consumer, how do you prefer to consume content? Do
you use Web 2.0-enabled sites?
• Google search (Search Engine Optimization – SEO)
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• Social media (LinkedIN, FaceBook, Google+, Twitter, YouTube)
• Forums and groups
• Favorites
• Trending issues
• Wikis
• Knowledgebase
7. Why Do This?
The key enabler
is knowledge,
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gathered,
applied,
Enable Reduce the maintained,
Drive customer
customer self- number of integrated with Content is key
success
support support calls business
processes, and
improved with
every customer
interaction
8. Current Implementations
• Different Web 2.0 delivery models are out there:
• Software Industry – Content married to services and support
• Marketing/Advertising Industry – Content married to sales,
marketing, and advertisements
• Mass Media Industry – Content streamed as digital media
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• Session Focus: Software industry and marrying content to
services and support
9. Software Industry Research/Info
• David Kay and Tim Hinds Making Service and Support Your
Revenue Engine
(www.crm.consona.com/content/whitepapers/consonarevenu
eenginewhitepaper.pdf)
• B-A-M! Bust a Myth: Delivering Customer Service in a Self
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Service World by Barry J Moltz and Mary Jane Grinstead
• MindTouch Software (www.mindtouch.com/resources) -
White papers, webinars, statistics
10. Generating Ideas
• Research what others are doing in your industry
• Socialize the ideas with others in your company
• Engage the masses in your company for ideas, feedback, and
company metrics
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• Seek out and secure an executive sponsor
• Create a team that spans multiple sites and business groups
(create partnerships)
• Avoid working in a silo
11. Create a Strategic Plan
1. Complete audience analysis and research to determine
audience needs (know your customers)
2. Write business objectives that are results based and
measurable
3. Complete project requirements
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4. Document the customer and employee communication
timelines
5. Determine the implementation phases
6. Determine the revenue/profit model
7. Research and evaluate tools and technology
8. Pilot prior to the first phase and complete UX testing
9. Iterate and roll out to customers
10. Document how you will measure success
12. Audience Analysis
Determine customer talking points
Talk with customers in person and on the
phone
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Sit with customers as they use your
products or do a webex
Create personas from those customers
Involve the same set of customers during
your implementation (customer partners)
13. Research
• Data mine the support organization’s data
• Research what other companies are doing and have done
• Determine one or two model companies
• Aggregate your research results
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• Complete a report
• Define the pilot project and the report out
• Share the report with your customer partners
14. Options
Options based on business requirements, audience, audience needs,
and research
• Tiered levels of support based on need
• Integrated case management, content and knowledgebase
• On-demand publishing of content
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• Promotion of self-help with enabled chat
• Trending of issue resolutions
• Integrated eLearning
• Active community forums
• Customer feedback mechanisms
• Customer subscriptions – subscribe to content and share it
• Content reputation and ratings tracking
• Availability on multiple platforms and multiple languages – mobile
15. Software
Integrate with the systems your
company already has in place
Publish content directly to systems
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wherever possible
Provide content reuse wherever
possible
Tie into existing analytics and
System Usability Scale (SUS) scores
Know your budget and explore the
options
16. Software Options
• Open Source – WordPress site, Drupal site, or Joomla site
• Salesforce
• MindTouch
• SDL Live Content
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17. Rollout Solution in Phases
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Prioritize the
Deliver results by
implementation from
establishing realistic
audience analysis,
phases and milestones
research, and data mining
18. Phase 1 Pilot
Pilot with customer partners
Seek feedback
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Complete user experience testing
Iterate until satisfied
Measure success and complete a report
Share report with your company and your customer partners
19. Phase 2 Initial Rollout
Roll out to customers
Gather feedback and review results
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Iterate as needed, but keep changes focused
Measure success
Complete the report
Share the report
20. Phase 3 and Forward
Add the next tier of features
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Measure success
Complete the report
Share the report
21. Determine the Revenue Model
Tiered support - First level is free and the other levels
are not
Free model - Measure savings in other ways
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• Reduced support calls
• Increased number of customers using self-support
• Increased chatter on social media about your company’s content
and support
• Increased sales that can be attributed to your implementation
• Increased customer involvement with content
• Decreased customer requests for content that they want to
customized themselves
22. Keys to Success
• Solid business objectives and requirements
• Company support and executive sponsorship
• Results that can be measured and tracked
• Revenue model that is supported by your company
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• Customer involvement and feedback during your
implementation – they are your advocates
• Reporting and sharing the results
• Telling the success story at every turn
23. Measuring Success
• Revenue model – customized content, tiered eLearning,
virtual classroom,
• Reduced support calls
• Increased number of customers using self-help
• Decreased time from when a customer enters the site and
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then finds an answer
• Increased customer satisfaction on third-party surveys and
content feedback
• Increased revenue from support contracts
• Increased number of customers who are repeat customers
signing support contracts
• Increased chatter on social networking sites about customer
satisfaction
24. Session Results
• Discuss research surrounding implementations
• Partner with your service and support organization
• Generate ideas for how your content can generate revenue
• Create a strategic plan
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• Complete customer analysis
• Complete research
• Understand available options and tools
• Implement in phases
• Measure success
25. Thank You
• Pam Noreault
• pamnoreault@gmail.com
• Twitter – pnoreault
• LinkedIN – Pamela Noreault
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• Please share your successes and your frustrations with me