Career Paths Less Taken  

For many practitioners, technical communication can--and should--be the springboard for a different career. Many technical writers and editors have made transitions to related disciplines from which they can influence industry and academia. They now have titles such as marketing and web content writer, usability lab manager, product marketing manager, business operations strategist, and more. This paper summarizes the career evolutions of the author and several colleagues in technical communication, and provides advice to help readers broaden their career horizons.

Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>TC>Usability>Marketing

Chapter Public Relations: Learn from the Winners  

After nearly six years as a technical editor, I wanted a larger, more visible role in the environmental engineering company where I worked. Learning new skills in marketing and public relations through the Mid-South Chapter put me in the position to do that when my company reorganized its marketing functions this year. In this paper, I focus on the management skills I learned managing the public relations committee for our chapter.

Carbaugh King, Margaret. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Management>Marketing

Choosing The Right Strategy For Your Online Business: Pay for Inclusion versus Pay per Click

How to determine the ROI for Pay for Inclusion and Pay per Click marketing strategies.

Zwicky, Richard. Metamend (2004). Design>Web Design>Marketing

Clicks that Stick: Retargeting Users that Leave Your Site

98 percent of Internet shoppers leave ecommerce sites without buying. That is why Internet-savvy marketers are starting to use retargeting technology to pursuing customers who have left their website and recapture lost sales.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2007). Articles>Web Design>Marketing

Clickthru Is Evil II

Ten years ago, Tim Berners-Lee invented the web. Five years ago, advertisers started discovering it. Now they are poised to wreck it. Double-Click’s poison cookie has Alan Herrell foaming at the mouth as he explains why Clickthru is Evil.

Herrell, Alan. List Apart, A (2000). Articles>Web Design>Marketing

Color Design for the Web

Did you know that a site visitor forms his or her first impression about your site within the first nine seconds of a visit? Making sure your color scheme is in contour with your site's content and visitors, is very important. You want the color scheme to enhance your site and it's content, not distract or confuse your users. Color gives users cues as to your site's navigation, grouping of content, importance, relationships, etc. For this reason, color is an essential element of Web site design. Most of the people relate to color similarly online and offline. Visitors to your site, whether they know it or not, respond to colors and other visual elements on your web site on a psychological level. An intrigued (and non-confused) site visitor is more likely to engage in the goal of your site -- whether it is meant to inform, entertain, or to sell goods or services.

Singh, Vaishali. CoolHomePages.com (2000). Design>Web Design>Marketing>Color

Communicating Complex Ideas: How Public Prediction Markets Simplify Concepts about Buying and Selling Events and Ideas

Can prediction markets be used successfully in a corporate environment? Kirtland forecasts that making them easier to use just might be the key. Through simple guidelines, he shares strategies for benefiting the wise crowds.

Kirtland, Alex. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>TC>Marketing

Communicating Information or Engaging Your People—How Does Communication Best Support Change?

According to a 1997 survey entitled “The Quality of Working Life” by Professors Les Worrall and Cary Cooper of the Institute of Management, of the 5,000 U.K. managers polled, a majority revealed that they had been affected by organisational change in the last year and failed to see business benefits. When asked about possible improvements, the largest response reflected the need for greater involvement, more listening by senior managers and more honest, two-way communication.

Sparrow, Jane. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Marketing

Content for Tourism and Hospitality Sites

My worst experiences with hospitality sites have been to do with vague location, online timetables, poor follow-up communication, and out of date information. I have wasted days as a result, which I hate.

McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2004). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Writing

The Corporate Name: To Change or Not To Change

The announcement ads are everywhere-in magazines, in newspapers and on television. Hundreds of companies, large and small, change their names every year. The Wall Street Journal reports that some 400 to 800 annually make a name change, and these numbers don't include the thousands more that only consider such a move. Why is it that so many corporations are reassessing their names? What spurs them to undertake a procedure that is often painfully emotional, and, in all cases, is time consuming?

Bell, James. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Management>Marketing

Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in South Africa: A Descriptive and Comparative Analysis    

In this article, the authors compare the corporate social responsibility reporting (CSRR) of companies" environment, human relations, community, human rights, and diversity dimensions"in the emerging market economy of South Africa with that of companies in the leading economies represented by the Fortune Global 100. The descriptive analysis extends earlier empirical work on the CSRR of emerging market economies, and the impact of culture on CSRR, by examining annual report data from the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Index and the Fortune Global 100. Generally, the frequency and level of CSRR in South African companies was significantly higher than that of the Fortune Global 100, which indicates a greater willingness to convey social responsibility in their disclosure practices. This lends credence to the notion that emerging market economies may be more receptive to stakeholder concerns and social responsibility than peer institutions in leading economies.

Dawkins, Cedric and Faith Wambura Ngunjiri. JBC (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing>Africa

Create Effective Brochures (Paper-Based and On-Line)

In business circles, the value of brochures is a topic of endless debate. Are they effective marketing tools, or a waste of time and resources? The answer is that it depends very much on how they're designed.

Bennaco (2004). Articles>Writing>Marketing

Creating a Sales Page That Converts

Anyone can put up a web page, but putting one up that actually sells requires some skill. Discover exactly what you need to do!

Beckert, Loren. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Marketing>Usability

Creating an Academic Program for Technical Marketing Communication  

Technical marketing communication is a growing category of employment. Yet recognition of these employment opportunities has not fully extended to the development of academic courses and programs that would prepare students or enhance the knowledge of working professionals. Students can gain valuable training in current programs for advertising, public relations, business communication, and technical communication. However, because the marketing-oriented programs generally don’t focus on technology products and the technical communication programs don’t focus on promotional materials, students themselves must craft a synthesis of the two aspects—often with incomplete and unsatisfactory results.

King, Janice M. and Judith A. Ramey. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Education>Marketing

Creating an Outdoor, Durable Event Banner

Takes you through each step needed to create a durable outdoor banner.

Hewlett-Packard. Presentations>Document Design>Marketing

CRM: A Way of Thinking About Customers

Marketers have many ways to influence customers' purchasing behavior and decisions. They start with advertising aimed at acquiring new customers and continue through sales and customer service that generate repeat orders. Until recently, it was normal for many of these functions to be performed by a company's different departments, which did not act as a unified team.

Allen, Cliff. Allen.com (2003). Design>Web Design>Marketing>CRM

Customer Service IS a Profit Center

If you provide after the sale customer service reluctantly, or delegate it to outsourced, but cheaper, providers, you're making a huge mistake. Customer service generates revenue via word of mouth, cross-sell and up-sell opportunities, and repeat purchases by satisfied customers.

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

Deconstructing the Author Photo

Let's be honest. Writers used to be a homely lot and most of them still are. The general unattractiveness that spurs them to write in the first place (versus, say, leaving the house) is compounded by a characteristic, bloodshot squint earned through hours of deciphering Canada Council grant applications and the night before's Molson marinade, downed to obliterate the rejection-letter blues. Lighting and soft lenses can only hide so much. Yet publishers insist on including the author's photo on the book jacket, their unsightly portraits like roadside accidents from which you can't turn away. Trolls belong under the bridge, not on the bridge's architectural brochure.

Boucher, Lorie. Writer's Block (2002). Articles>Publishing>Marketing

Demystifying Ways Employees Deliver on Brand Promises

At the heart of a successful brand strategy is a clear understanding of the customers you serve and what’s important to them. Employees need direction on what the customer expects and the actions they must take to deliver on those expectations. To gain this understanding, employees must identify the interactions from the customer’s point of view to determine whether or not the company is living up to its customer “promise.” While companies can easily measure marketing dollars spent on brand-building initiatives, understanding how the brand drives customers’ purchasing decisions has often proven to be more elusive.

MacDonald, Maril. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Developing an Effective Online Marketing Plan  

A business plan is a basic strategic guide showing where your business should be going over the next one to five years. A marketing plan is a subset of the business plan. It lays out the goals and quantifiable objectives for all of your company’s marketing activities, such as TV, radio, print, or online. An online marketing plan is a subset of the marketing plan for all online activities. The center of the plan is the Web site, but the overall plan could include more than just the site. It could include e-mail, mail subscriptions or lists, newsgroups, online advertising, and even chat room participation. This paper discusses the elements of an online marketing plan, the strategy, tactics, and offers. It also briefly discusses an example project.

Caldanaro, Regina M. and Jodie Pait. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Management>Marketing

Developing Successful Marketing Materials: An Evaluation Workshop  

A marketing piece that holds a reader's interest and delivers its message is successful because it integrates a variety of writing techniques with the visuals and layout. This workshop will help you identify successful techniques for marketing materials such as brochures, data sheets, white papers, and press backgrounders.

King, Janice M. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>TC>Marketing

The Devil His Due

The online adult industry leads the B2C marketplace. On the web's ghost-town Main Street, populated with derelict online storefronts, the Porn Saloon is still open and still doing good business (though not as good as before). Given that success in our culture is associated with making money, the online adult industry is showing the rest of the industry a possible path to online success. Designers, developers, and site owners can learn from the porn industry. Not from its generally ridiculous branding and graphics, but rather from its affiliate programs, technology, and customer service.

Jacobson, Bob. List Apart, A (2001). Design>Web Design>Marketing

Digital Photo Tent Ideas

Each year we like to highlight some of the outstanding print publication samples we've seen and ask ourselves is there opportunity for a do-it-yourself project.

Showker, Fred. Design, Typography and Graphics (2002). Design>Document Design>Marketing

Do Web Enhancements Pay Off?

It's commonly thought that investing in loyalty-building features such as personalization is a sure-fire way to increase profits. This is because it costs less to keep a customer than to attract one in the first place. However, a deeper look into the economic value of Web site enhancements might have you changing your priorities.

Allen, Cliff. Allen.com (2001). Design>Web Design>Marketing