Social Media Sessions at Technical Communication Summit ’09

The Technical Communicator’s Guide to Social Media

What should technical communicators be doing to harness the power of social media and social networks? Ninety-nine percent of the Baby Boomers don’t get it; many of the 30- and 40-somethings understand it; and I guarantee you that every one of the under-30 crowd gets it and uses it. So what are you doing to help your company encourage customer contributions to formal product documentation, and how can the concepts of tagging and ratings be incorporated into formal content to improve the user experience with documentation?

Two sessions at the STC Summit in Atlanta GA, will examine social media. On Monday, 4 May, Jenny Redfern and Lori Fisher present Social Networking: Improving Effectiveness and Demonstrating Strategic Value. Find out how Twitter, TWiki, blogs, and other social media matter for managers. Learn how technical communicators can use social networking technologies to improve internal processes and products.

On Tuesday, 5 May, Leonor Ciarlone presents Is Social Media at the Tipping Point? As technical communicators embrace social media and collaboration, we need to provide specific value and ROI to make the business case for adoption. This session highlights recent studies showing that the acceptance and use of social media and collaboration is on the rise.

More details about the STC Technical Communication Summit, 3–6 May, can be found on the STC website. The early bird deadline has been extended to 21 April. The early bird discounted rate is $795, which is $300 less than the onsite registration rate of $1,095. Split payments are accepted. Scholarships are available to members affected by the economic downturn.