Society for Technical Communication Suncoast ChapterMay 2 Meeting
On May 2, we will provide access to the following STC webinar. We will post the information the week before the meeting. There will be no charge for this presentation but you will need to register.
Social Media and Tech Pubs
Sharon Burton
Overview
For years, we’ve wanted to find out about our users —who are they? What are they like? Do they use our instructions? And, in this age of social media, do they talk about our instructions in social media? If so, how, why, and when?
In late 2012, the presenter ran an opinion poll to find out what people do with post-sales content like product instructions, and social media. This webinar covers the results of that poll.
With roughly 1.2 billion people on Facebook and 100,000 tweets a minute on Twitter, people are communicating with each other. As part of that communication, are people asking for help with products after they purchase them? Are people using product documentation to get help? Or are they tapping into the "hive mind" for help? Or some mix of both, or perhaps neither?
In a previous poll, the presenter discovered that 90% of people use product documentation to help them use a product. But with social media playing such an emerging role in our lives, she wanted to know if people use social media to help them use the products they purchase. If they do leverage their social media, what are their expectations? Do they expect the company to notice and step in? How do they feel if that happens, or doesn't happen?
After the poll is over, you will receive a copy of the full poll results.
Presenter Biography
Sharon Burton is a nationally recognized practitioner, business expert, teacher, and speaker in the field of technical communication. With almost 20 years of experience in the field, she has consulted with large and small companies to improve their product documentation and/or their documentation processes. Sharon has received many awards from organizations such as STC and Apex, including the designation of Associate Fellow from STC.