For many, the thought of developing and executing a thoughtful, end-to-end content strategy seems like a luxury, but there is tremendous value in a strong content strategy and a team of content creators who understand the vision and can execute it effectively. The quality and range of your technical content directly reflect your product, user experience, and brand. So, if an organization claims to put the user first or to have a robust customer support program, the first place I look is to their post-sales content, guidance, and resources available that make it easy for users to be successful. For example,

  • Have they developed a technical tone that strengthens the overall brand voice and builds a relationship with the user? 

  • Have they established a UX copy and technical writing style guide that unifies all user-facing copy? This might also include API descriptions, error messages, etc., if applicable.

  • Do they include a representative from the UX or technical writing team when discussing product terminology and information architecture?

  • What in-app guidance have they considered to supplement long-form content to ensure the most important information is delivered to users when and where they need it?

  • Do they have a content strategy that considers only what it will take to make the initial sale but fails to prioritize the person actually using the product (which, in many cases, is different from the buyer)?

The questions above just scratch the surface. You must also consider the unique characteristics of the company, team, userbase, etc., but the goals are the same: We want to make it easy for our users to be successful, to ensure they are heard and supported, and to deliver a high-quality experience that delights and inspires.

My process

My approach to building a technical content strategy is incremental and iterative. As it matures, it incorporates several layers that help guide content ideation, planning, development, distribution, and analysis. 

The table below describes each “phase” of content strategy development, but it’s important to note that this process isn’t necessarily linear and specific activities will vary based on the company and team.

Phase 1:
Gather information
  • Review existing technical content, content platforms, and communication channels.
  • Gather existing brand resources — such as a marketing style guide or customer journey map.
  • Get to know the users and current methods for gathering information about the user and user behavior.
  • Establish a partnership with content developers and stakeholders across the organization to understand existing processes, what is working or not working, and to share ideas.
  • Identify current translation and globalization strategies.
  • Determine current practices for communicating with and training internal teams (e.g., Customer Support) ahead of product launches, new feature releases, or other important updates.
  • Identify the most immediate priorities and blockers to address.

Phase 2:
Share initial observations & dig deeper
  • Share initial observations and goals with the content developers and other stakeholders.
  • Conduct workshops to map the existing user experience (and developer experience, if applicable), focusing on the content and communications that support users along the journey.
  • Address immediate needs and low-hanging opportunities for improvement.
  • Join (and continue to attend) product planning and kick-off sessions to inform technical content strategies per project or initiative.
  • Work closely with the content development team to communicate content plans and strategies for upcoming projects.

Phase 3:
Establish partnerships
  • Partner with the Product team to discuss processes for identifying and analyzing content/comms needed to support new features or updates.
  • Partner with the Custom Support team to discuss processes for identifying and analyzing content/comms based on user feedback, FAQs, etc.
  • Partner with Engineering leadership to discuss processes for identifying content related to ongoing or peripheral product updates.
  • Partner with the UX design team to understand processes, opportunities, and limitations associated with UX copy, in-app guidance, information architecture, etc.
  • Meet with corporate leadership to discuss options to activate technical content and communications to support company goals.

Phase 4:
Build a foundation
  • Establish a space to host internal resources and create some foundational assets.
  • Create the first iteration of a UX & technical writing style guide, sharing with content developers and stakeholders for feedback and training.
  • Initiate some light test cases to start observing content performance and user behavior.
  • Establish internal communication channels to share important updates.

Ongoing
  • Refine processes directly or indirectly related to technical content and communications.
  • Maintain recurring touchpoints with cross-team stakeholders.
  • Build and update the library of internal resources to make it easy to adhere to each facet of the content strategy.
  • Learn more about our users to ensure their needs are met in the best way possible.
  • Continue to work closely with content developers to ensure their needs are met and their ideas heard.

Evaluating quality

Generally, I evaluate individual content plans and deliverables map against the fundamental elements of good information design: context, integrity, function, and form.

The adjacent graphic explains the intersections of each of these principles and the ultimate goal.

Outcomes

When all is said and done, a comprehensive and well-executed technical content strategy will:

  • Elevate the user and/or developer experience.

  • Optimize content quality, usability, and relevance.

  • Create opportunities to learn about and engage with users.

  • Improve internal processes and partnerships.

  • Inform product strategies and roadmaps.