Talk given by Kate Bowerman and Lindsay Kara, Staff Technical Writers at Salesforce, at Confab Central in May 2016 You’ve got oodles of dated help content and a content strategy that’s hot off the press. Or, maybe you’ve just got oodles of dated help content that you know needs some attention. Where do you start? In this talk, two Salesforce tech writers will share their experiences overhauling legacy content. In this session, you’ll learn how to: - Demonstrate the value of a legacy content project to stakeholders - Apply a new content strategy to dated documents - Measure the success after transitioning from old information to updated content

1. LEGACY CONTENT:
Applying your shiny new content strategy
to old information
Kate Bowerman
Staff Technical Writer, Salesforce
kbowerman@salesforce.com
Lindsay Kara
Senior Technical Writer, Salesforce
lkara@salesforce.com

2. This talk is for you if...
● You have oodles of legacy content
● You want to modernize and streamline your content,
but you’re not sure where to start
● You’re in a refactorin’ mood

3. What we’ll cover
● What’s refactoring and why does it matter?
● How do you apply a new content strategy to legacy content?
● How do you plan and implement a refactoring project?
● How do you know if the project worked?

4. What’s refactoring and why does it matter?

5. Examples of refactoring

6. What’s legacy content?

7. How to build the case for refactoring

8. Anticipate the arguments!
● Every refactoring project requires resources
● Understand the setting of the conversation

9. Argument 1: “But the old help is fine.”
Tips for responding:
● Data is your friend.
Help topic views, ratings, and comments | Feedback from customer-facing
colleagues | Social media feedback | Internal feedback | Support metrics |
Current research
● If you don’t have any data, make your own.
User testing | Comparative analysis

10. Argument 2: “Sounds cool, but we need to focus on
money-making projects.”
Tips for responding:
● Agree.
Point out that good help content can cut costs and generate revenue.
● Identify allies.
Managers | Support | SMEs | Marketing
● Focus on common interests.
Saving money | Helping customers | Staying competitive | Reducing
the burden on Support | Preserving company credibility and brand

11. Argument 3: “Sounds cool, but we don’t have time.”
Tips for responding:
● Bargain for time.
● Understand competing projects.
● Split the project into manageable chunks.

12. Argument 4: “That product/version doesn’t matter.”
Tips for responding:
● Find out why it doesn’t matter.
Is it being retired? Is it being updated? Does it suffer from low adoption?
● If customers are using it and calling Support about it, it matters!

13. Steps in a refactoring project

14. Step 1: Gather information
● Figure out what information you need
● Take an inventory
● Examine what you know
● Perform a competitive analysis
● Identify experts (Support, webmaster)
These steps can take half an hour or half a month. It’s up to you!

15. Step 1: Gather information (continued)
● What’s the problem?
High support call volume | Outdated voice and tone | Poor SEO |
Negative customer feedback | Not enough emphasis on use cases |
Outdated or obvious information
● What’s the opportunity?
New content management system | New help format | Starting to
localize help content | New content types | Company acquisition |
New content strategy

16. Step 2: Define the scope
● Figure out what you can do, and commit to a time frame.
○ How much help content needs your attention?
○ How much time/people/resources can you allocate?
○ What does the end of the project look like?

17. Step 3: Set expectations
● Get in touch with stakeholders
○ Share the problem, the solution, and what you need from them
○ Share the timeline
○ Get them excited!

18. Step 4: Split the project into chunks
● Follow a schedule
● Complete the highest-priority chunks first
● Possible chunks in a refactoring project:
○ SEO and search terms
○ Content structure
○ Titles and short descriptions
○ Supplemental content: graphics, walkthroughs, and videos
○ Dividing by product
○ Dividing by views or ratings

19. Step 5: Refactor your heart out
● Don’t be afraid to change the plan
● Leave time for review
● Don’t refactor alone
● Future-proof your work

20. Step 6: Show and tell
● Show the before and after to stakeholders
● If possible, share changes in metrics
● Keep Support in the know
● Don’t be afraid to get DRAMATIC

21. How to tell if your project helped

22. Be patient.
● Compare data from before and after
● Perform user testing
● Talk to Support
● Ask for feedback on customer channels
● Stay in touch with stakeholders
● Remember: All feedback is valuable!

23. Tools for inner peace

24. Embrace collaborative tools!
● Tools like Google Docs and shared folders minimize noise and keep
stakeholders up to date
● Got an internal forum? Use it.
● Here’s a Google Docs refactoring plan template to get you started:
https://goo.gl/5HNWGO

25. Wrapping up

26. What we covered
● What’s refactoring and why does it matter?
● How do you apply a new content strategy to legacy content?
● How do you plan and implement a refactoring project?
● How do you know if the project worked?

27. thank y u