Market Research: Your Tool for Effective Communication

We've all heard (perhaps too many times) that we live in a global economy, where change has become constant, that we are bombarded by a multitude of messages and, as a result, suffer from a common ailment: information overload. While advances in technology have had a major role in bringing us to this point, they also provide us with the tools to fight back. No longer passive victims, we are now in charge. We search for the information we want and—with the flick of the remote control, a click of the mouse or by just tuning out—we delete what we don't want. For consumers of information, this works. For communicators, this doesn't.

Hayes, Michaela. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Research>Marketing

Marketing Design  

Marketing design is the fastest moving area of visual design today. This paper is a high-level discussion about how to analyze the needs of your customer, maintain a consistent image across all pieces; and remain flexible, innovative, and positive throughout a cycle of constant change.

Creed, Lisa. STC Proceedings (1995). Design>Graphic Design>Marketing

Marketing Experiences: The New Event Frontier

Today's audiences are jaded about marketing and savvy about messaging, making it harder than ever for marketers to earn an audience's undivided attention and create a meaningful bond between brand and individual. Whether you're talking about a 10,000-person corporate sales meeting or a multi-city mobile marketing program for consumers, you are more likely to hear words like integration, engagement and participation as criteria for marketing success than terms like impressions and eyeballs.

Domine, Tom. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Marketing Isn't a Dirty Word

Think you're not into marketing? Think again. As UX professionals, we share much in common with our close cousins, the marketers. We all seek to understand customers--needs, preferences, behaviors, attitudes, and more. We all seek to create positive touchpoints with customers and, in turn, a positive affiliation with our product or company brand. We all know the importance of communicating effectively with customers and evaluating the performance of our work.

Jones, Colleen. UXmatters (2007). Articles>User Experience>Marketing

The Marketing of Technical Authors

In May 2004, I did a presentation to the London group of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators on the future for technical authors. This article expands one of the topics discussed - how to promote and market technical authors.

Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2004). Careers>Writing>Marketing>Technical Writing

Marketing Science Through the Media  

Marketing communications can involve more than just selling a product. Simply being mentioned in the general media and in trade publications can build a name for a company or institution and position it as a leader. When the University of Tennessee announced its entrance into the exclusive community of public institutions with a successful farm animal cloning program, a combination of science and news writing, web page creation, and media savvy was used to ensure that the announcement reflected well on the university and its research program.

Clark McDaniels, Patricia, Margot Pantalone, Charles Denney, Misty Anderson and Doug Edlund. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Scientific Communication>Marketing

Marketing Technical Communication Services Effectively  

During 1993 and 1994, three Western Canadian chapters of the STC collaborated on a research project, funded by Western Economic Diversification and the STC, to discover how clients and practitioners view technical communication. As one of the final products, we commissioned a half-hour presentation designed to market technical communication services. At this session, we describe the project and deliver the half-hour presentation. We invite the audience to evaluate the presentation as a marketing tool.

Conklin, John James and Sheila C. Jones. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC>Marketing>Canada

Marketing Technology in an Information Systems Environment  

As an Information Systems/Marketing department liaison, you are a 'translator' for two foreign lands: Techcom and Marcom. A skilled translator must juggle the IS department’s concern that information is factual and the marketing department’s need for information that sells the product. When you take into account the concerns of both departments, you can simplify your writing task by producing component-oriented material that you can reuse for technical and marketing purposes.

Hines Kurfman, Cindy. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Technology>Marketing

Marketing to Different Generations: Choose Your Message Wisely

There has been a lot of buzz lately about the dynamic created by having four generations in the workforce at once. Dozens of experts, myself included, have spent hours with businesses worldwide to help management better understand how to connect with employees by learning how a generational perspective can color the world and affect business relationships.

Marston, Cam. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Marketing Writer’s Survival Guide  

Marketing writers face project demands and challenges that are different from those in other forms of technical communication. This session will be a highly interactive discussion between the presenters and the participants, sharing tips and techniques for surviving as a marketing writer in all aspects of a marketing communication project.

King, Janice M. and Lawrence D. Kunz. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Marketing Writing for Technical Products  

This workshop will examine the types of marketing materials that can give you creative experience. You'll learn how to adapt your skills and subject matter knowledge to these projects, how to plan and develop different types of materials, and how to identify opportunities for new types of communication.

King, Janice M. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Technical Writing

Marketing Your Business

This month's column doesn't focus on business strategy per se, but rather on how independents market themselves once they identify their markets and know what it is they want to convey.

Steigman, Daria. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Freelance>Marketing

Marketing Yourself

Marketing yourself is an attitude, not an activity. It is learning to think of yourself and your skills as a product that someone can use.

West, Elizabeth. Editorial Freelancers Association (1990). Careers>Freelance>Marketing

Marketing Yourself and Your Business  

Marketing is what we do to get and keep customers. The best marketing is effective and efficient -- it delivers the 'best bang for the buck.' To create such marketing, you need to form a strategic plan from your knowledge of the product or service, the market, your competition, and the goals you want to achieve. Then you must develop and implement a creative plan, including specific tasks and products (ads or brochures, for example) to achieve those goals.

Brenneman, Judy Fort. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Management>Marketing

Marketing Yourself as a Marketing Writer  

Technical communication consultants may find that marketing writing makes an excellent second line of business. Technology companies, marketing services firms, and advertising agencies often use freelancers to write marketing documents. They particularly need good writers who understand technology. This paper discusses the business of freelance marketing writing and how it differs from independent technical writing. Topics include the kinds of projects that marketing writers work on, how development cycles typically differ from those of technical documents, and how to effectively market yourself as a marketing writer.

Massa, Jack A. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>Collaboration>Marketing>Business Communication

Measure Your Reputation Effectively

A good reputation, particularly in an increasingly competitive world, is a must for all companies and organizations. Reputation is a company asset and should always be taken seriously—lose your reputation and you often lose a lot more besides. A good reputation is essential in crisis situations and can help to reduce the impact of negative events and press.

Grant, Nicholas. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Measuring Integrated Marketing Communication from Start to Finish

Many companies have taken a limited view of the impact that marketing communication can have on overall corporate objectives, reducing their understanding of the value of marketing communication. One reason for this resistance is that the value of IMC can be complex to measure in a world where marketing usually moves at a dynamic pace and is driven by a changing competitive landscape and seemingly unpredictable shifts in customer attitudes. The potential revenue and customer satisfaction benefits of implementing an IMC program can be so dramatic that companies shouldn't ignore the movement any longer.

Woods, Julie. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Assessment

Measuring Search Engine Marketing ROI

Spending on search engine marketing (SEM) is rising dramatically, yet surprisingly few companies are measuring the effectiveness of their campaigns. In a short survey conducted by web analytics vendor NetIQ, more than 800 participants responded to questions about their search engine marketing efforts and their attempts to measure success. The survey responses provide interesting insights into the state of search engine marketing ROI.

Sherman, Chris. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Assessment

Mentally Correct Product Promo Priorities

Use reponsivity to command or coax customers into acting on your offer.

Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

The Merging Work of Technical and Marketing Communications  

Increasingly, technical communicators are being asked by their companies to participate in marketing efforts. While most of us have long considered user's manuals and other documentation an important ingredient in maintaining customer loyalty, we have accepted that generally our primary function is to instruct people on the use or repair of products. Our job is to make complex information understandable; if in doing so we also make friends of customers and prospective customers, then we are pleasantly surprised.

Palokoff, Kathy. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Marketing

The Most Hated Advertising Techniques

Studies of how people react to online advertisements have identified several design techniques that impact the user experience very negatively.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2004). Articles>User Centered Design>Marketing

Multimedia and Interactive Marketing in the Digital Age  

What is interactive marketing? How is it different from traditional marketing function? What part does multimedia play in it? Who’s currently doing it and why? Does it replace traditional marketing? Will interactive marketing help companies to better market products and reach customers? These are the questions many companies and individuals are asking. During this panel discussion I will attempt to answer these questions by sharing my thesis research findings on the topic. I will also discuss the future of interactive marketing and the products that will be used to deliver it.

Gibbs, Bruce R. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Multimedia>Marketing

My 50 Cents Worth: Web Sites and Pinball Machines

Instead of thinking of your web site in terms of flowcharts and site maps, consider these five reasons your web site is like a pinball game.

Janisch, Troy. icon Interactive (2004). Articles>Internet>Web Design>Marketing

New Roles for Technical Writers: Technical Marketing Communication  

Technical software marketing is a specialty that calls upon skills technical writers already possess. Clear, accurate product information is essential in today’s complex market; decision-makers need to know how your software will fulfill their business needs. In making the shift from documentation to marketing writing, it is necessary to broaden your sense of the writing’s purposes, and prepare for different ways of working with your material. However, many key aspects of the two specialities are the same, such as the need to uphold a consistent, well-defined tone and organization, and above all to strive for consistency and clarity.

Earle, Ralph. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>TC>Marketing>Software