Why You Should Unify Product Information and Technical Documentation

Discover how content connects to customer experience and learn how content unification can help us deliver experiences that delight our consumers

Listen to episode 170 of the Content Strategy Insights podcast, where Scott Abel, aka The Content Wrangler (and a content strategy evangelist for Heretto) — discusses the concept of "content unification."

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Key points covered on the podcast include:

1. Content Unification: Abel emphasizes the need for streamlining content, which he refers to as content unification, to improve user experience. This approach counters the disorganization and chaos caused by content being spread across multiple platforms, leading to a fragmented customer journey.

2. Content Operations at Heretto: Abel explains his role at Heretto, where they develop a component content management system (CCMS). This software platform is designed to handle and integrate smaller, granular pieces of content (referred to as components) using automation, enhancing the delivery and usefulness of content experiences.

3. Customer Experience and Content Creation: Abel stresses the importance of unifying content creation within organizations to deliver a cohesive customer experience. This unification involves standardizing terminology, taxonomies, and internal information exchange, ultimately benefiting the end-users.

4. Case Studies and Success Stories: Abel highlights examples like Reltio, a master data management company, that have successfully unified their content. Companies that aim to enhance the user experience work to integrate various types of content (e.g., training, support, technical documentation) into a single digital portal, enhancing user experience and internal content organization, Abel says.

   Megan Gilhooly, Sr. Director Self-Help and Content Strategy at Reltio discusses why they selected the Heretto CCMS and Portal to operationalize content production and provide a unified product content experience
   

5. Content Personalization and Technical Challenges: He discusses personalizing content for different user personas and addresses the technical, administrative, and organizational challenges in breaking down silos within companies.

6. AI and Content Management: Abel sees AI as a significant tool in content management, assisting in various stages of content creation and delivery. He anticipates the rise of AI copilots in content professions, aiding in tasks like structuring and optimizing content.

7. The Future of Content Delivery: Abel predicts a shift towards self-service environments in content delivery, accelerated by the pandemic. This shift requires a respect for user needs and an emphasis on delivering high-quality self-service support.

8. Unifying Personal Content: Finally, Abel mentions his efforts to unify his content on thecontentwrangler.com, aiming to centralize his publications and webinars.

Throughout the podcast, Abel consistently advocates for a unified, customer-centric approach to content creation and management, leveraging technology like AI and CCMS to enhance user experience and streamline content operations.