Product Documentation Is a Marketing Asset

Extracted 17AUG2011 from http://mashable.com/2011/08/12/product-documentation-marketing/

Documentation is the language that accompanies a product, often outlining its development, design, technical language and marketing strategy in clear, definitive terms... Documentation can indicate how to evolve products and spark cross-functional communication...

In marketing terms, documentation can put you into contact with prospective investors and customers alike. And while much of marketing can be asynchronous and speculative, documentation remains reliable and predictable...

Savvy buyers — and even users of free products — use documentation as a gauge for company seriousness and dependability.

Documentation should be keyword-rich, densely linked and expertly structured... Keep in mind that fresh, social, collaborative and, therefore frequently updated documentation makes it more Google-friendly. Making documentation social from the beginning will ensure steady traffic and save unnecessary stress and upkeep...

Company documentation makes for better cross-department communication and collaboration. It forges connections among product, marketing, services and support. Therefore, it’s strategic for everyone...

There is a profound ladder of engagement that begins with documentation. Documentation sits at the bottom, forming the foundation of interaction. From it, all further engagement flows — interactions can span over social media, to more monolithic, top-down content, and eventually evolve into emails and phone conversations...

...documentation is a very effective way of identifying unmet customer needs... Furthermore, your documentation should contain analytics — there is no greater company intelligence. Ideally, analytics consist of correct, statistically significant signals that reveal cause and effect, with which you can reliably make decisions...

Collaboratively creating documentation content drives down costs and makes the task less daunting.

...it’s not about this quarter or this year, but rather, it’s about affecting competitive advantage and long-term growth.