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It’s All Marcomm

A Tech Writer Goes Fluffy

• For audio choose “Use Mic & Speakers” or “Use Telephone” in your Audio window

• Submit your text question using the Questions pane

• Note: A recording will be made available

How to participate

• Plain Talk Series Webinar

Housekeeping

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It’s All MarcommA Tech Writer Goes Fluffy

Paul Holland, ModeratorMarketing Manager, Federal Equipment Company

Manager, STC MarCom SIG

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It’s All MarcommA Tech Writer Goes Fluffy

Joe Staples, PresenterSenior Information Architect, Prowess Consulting

Joe works with a small but potent team of writers at Prowess Consulting, where they produce technical and marketing communication for some of the world’s largest IT-industry firms. When not working, he hikes, plays racquetball, and plays with his family.

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How To Move from This…

• UI documentation

• Management and configuration guides

• Procedural documentation

• Courseware

• Lab manuals

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…to This

• Marketing collateral:

Web copy

White papers

Solution briefs

Data sheets

Email copy

Animation scripts

What has been your experience?

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What Do We Mean by MarComm?

Some defining traits:

Technical Communication Marketing Communication

Post-sale audience, especially usersPre-sale audience, especially decision makers and influencers

Objective, detached style Personal (or personable), engaging style

Primary goal: inform the reader Primary goal: inspire the reader to take action

Example: Configuration guide Example: Solution brief

TC MC

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What’s This About Fluff??

Perceptions of MarComm

Lacks technical

depth

Careless with truth or facts

Anyone can write

it

Takes little time

or skill

Lighter look and

feel

Others?

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Take Your Tech Comm and Fluff It

MarComm does substantive work

• Projects the company’s image

• Reinforces its brands• Inspires action• Enables an emotional

connection• …much more

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MarComm Is Tough

• It’s all MarComm

• Good technical documentation encourages brand loyalty

• It inspires action: buy from us again

• Your TechComm skills add big value

• Uncover hidden information• SME collaboration• Depth of engagement

But take a deep breath…

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Transfer These Three Skills First

• Technical Aptitude

• “Fluff” is pure sales talk written by someone with little technical acumen.

• You can write impactful pieces because of your ability to grasp and distill difficult technical concepts (the opposite of fluff).

• Attention to D&P

• You can help your clients tune their message and its delivery.

• You can quickly spot and rectify empty, vague phrases that give MarComm writing its pejorative label.

• Information Extraction

• You can get important information from very stubborn sources.

Where the rubber meets the road…

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How to Run with Your Skills

• Technical Aptitude

• Drink deeply from the source material.

• Read the technical documentation, not just MarComm sources.

• Attention to D&P

• Ask smarter questions

• Get beyond buzzwords to the substance

• Information Extraction

• Insist on an interview with a technical SME

What skills have you transferred and how?

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Thank You

• These slides available:• Twitter: @joe_staples• Email: staples@prowesscorp.com

• Join the STC MarComm SIG group at LinkedIn• Visit the SIG website: http://www.stc-marcom.org• Email: info@stc-marcom.org

Questions?