Recently, a Content Wrangler newsletter arrived from Scott Abel that many of us here at Expert Support found to be inspiring and validating.
Scott’s article is very much worth a read. He describes some easy steps you can take right now to heighten the credibility, trustworthiness, and effectiveness of the documentation you’re writing. While Scott makes several solid recommendations, I especially like his suggestion of publishing the names of the reviewers and approvers of the documentation you’re writing. Even if such attribution is only made available internally, this step can make technical documentation work more visible and more personal, and heighten the sense of ownership of the material. Over time, this dynamic can elevate the importance of the work, its positive impact on users, and the role of technical writers.
Scott’s article echoes values we described in a previous blog post about The Trust Project. Proven journalism values of integrity, accuracy, honesty, and transparency are more important now than ever. Since it started, The Trust Project has taken off. Readers, writers, and publishers all want and benefit from ethical transparent journalism. Over time, readers should reward these publishers with more of their attention.
These values are important for technical writing too. In the modern age of “AI slop,” I hope readers hone sharper discernment skills, and seek out content that’s authentic, well intentioned, expert, and original.
When these values are reflected in effective technical documentation, customers experience more value from the product, company, and brand.
Enlightened marketers are starting to get it.
Just this week, I received a promotional email from Docker that lists Docker Docs as the lead benefit in a bulleted list of ways that Docker makes software developers more productive. Let that sink in. The marketing department of a very successful software company is now highlighting how their documentation improves the lives of its customers in its email marketing campaigns.
Is your documentation so effective that your marketing department wants to feature it to engage prospects?
If so, congratulations, you’re meeting the ever rising expectations of the marketplace.
If not, let’s talk about how Expert Support can help you get there.