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.

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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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)
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• Social media (LinkedIN, FaceBook, Google+, Twitter, YouTube)
• Forums and groups
• Favorites
• Trending issues
• Wikis
• Knowledgebase

7. Why Do This?
The key enabler
is knowledge,
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012

17. Rollout Solution in Phases
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• 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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
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
(Permission Required for Reuse)
Copyright Pam Noreault 2012
• Please share your successes and your frustrations with me