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Every Problem is Not a Nail: Choosing the Right Media for Your Content
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EVERY PROBLEM IS NOT A NAIL
Choosing the Right Media for Your Content
KEN CIRCEO — Sr. Content Publisher, Microsoft
Ken Circeo is a Sr. Content Publisher at Microsoft, specializing in new media for communications software. As an 11-year Microsoft veteran, Ken has
helped to usher in the era of new media for
the software giant, first evangelizing the
merits of audio and video content, and then
creating processes thathave come to be adopted throughout the company. Prior to joining
Microsoft, Ken was a technical writer at WordPerfect, Novell, and
NetDocuments. He has also written more than 200 articles for
various publications, including InfoWorld, PC Mech, and News
3X/400.
MEDIA TYPES – THEN
Physical book Easy to produce
Understandable process
Highest COG in the box
MEDIA TYPES – NOW
Physical book
Video file
Podcast
Audio file
Slide show
Text file
Help article
KB article
Blog article
WHY VIDEO?
Technology has caught up with the demand
Demand for video continues to grow in the social community
Can often say more in less time
Appeals to multiple learning types Visual – seeing
Aural – hearing
Kinesthetic – doing
Discoverability
Moves CustSat scores
The viral factor
PROS AND CONS
PROS Cost has plummeted, esp. in the new video stratum
Video as a medium is not just accepted, it’s EXPECTED
Technology is following the demand for more and better video content
Messages get delivered more effectively
CONS Demand for speed means quality suffers, bar gets lowered
Difficult to detect trusted information; message can get diluted
3 KEY QUESTIONS
What problem am I trying to solve?Who is my audience?What is my budget?
WHAT PROBLEM AM I TRYING TO SOLVE?
People don’t know about my product.
This issue generates too many support calls.
Customers are asking about the new version.
This important feature isn’t easily discoverable.
This feature is easier to show than to explain.
It’s costing too much to put live trainers on site.
Customers are missing our Help content.
Our content is not meeting accessibility requirements.
3rd party videos are muddying our message.
CAN YOU STATE IT IN
A “HOW” QUESTION?
How can evangelize it?How do I reduce
them?How do I show them?
How can I expose it?
How…?
How…?
How…?
How…?
How…?
WHO IS MY AUDIENCE?
Consumers
Internal employees and partners
Business decision makers
Engineers
Sales and marketing
Creative thinkers
Program managers
Product visionaries
Writers and editors
Home-based
Office-based
Younger demographic
Older demographic
Academic
International
Domestic
Legacy users
New users
DOES THIS VIDEO FIT
THEIR WORKFLOW?
WHAT IS MY BUDGET?
Video might be more affordable than ever, but it’s still not as cheap as: Tweet
Blog post
Facebook post
LinkedIn post
Help article
KB article
Slide show
Budget directors love low numbers, but only if theysolve problems
ARE YOU FORCING
THE VIDEO WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG?
RULES OF THUMB
VIDEO IS (typically) IDEAL FOR Quick tips, pointers
UI tours
Business scenarios
Architectural content
Conceptual processes
Upgrade paths
BDMs
Visual learners
Aural learners
Younger demographics
BUT NOT (typically) IDEAL FOR Reference/definitions
Coding demos
Lengthy procedures
Immediate content
Content that has to be printed
Engineering audiences
Older demographics
EXAMPLES
Lync 2010 Mobile Clients (1:35) – live actionhttp://youtu.be/FY0acvmsVAY
Make a Call using Lync 2010 (6:31) – screen animationhttp://youtu.be/GKv8gGb30oI
Join a Lync Meeting with iPad (0:33) – screen animationhttp://youtu.be/G_d302HfhSw
VIDEO STATS (AUG 2012)
DISCUSSION