Notes from 49th International STC Conference
Nashville, Tennessee, May 5-8, 2002

Making the Leap from Technical Writing to Marketing Communication

Session Description: This progression advised technical communicators on how to define their skills, make the move to marketing communication, survive, hone their skills to excel, and discover trends.

Marketing Science through the Media

Hosted by Patricia Clark McDaniels
University of Tennessee

Patricia Clark McDaniels is a technical marketing communicator with The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Her career involved a shift in focus from production of individual documents to an awareness of how multiple documents and other communication products could all be elements to be marketed for the university.

Note: The author published a paper in the Proceedings to this conference. For an electronic copy or a hard copy (depending on availability), contact Dan Voss.

• Science and technology sell themselves. People have an intrinsic interest in science which, with effective marketing writing, can be tapped.
• A marcom specialist helps guide management on how to sell what to whomÉand to create products that can be sold.
• Audiences
   
• Vertical: people who use the results of the research directly (e.g., in the case of the Institute of Agriculture, farmers, food distributors, etc.)
• Horizontal: the general public. The university has a double interest in horizontal marketing (depends on both tax dollars and alumni support, and also must consider public sensitivity on issues such as food safety and cloning).
• The place for a marcom specialist to begin is by researching the target media. It is critical to know your outlets and match them up with the products you are trying to promote.
• That accomplished, keep sending them stuff: mostly online, attached to an e-mail. Include key information in the body text of the e-mail, in case the recipient is not able to open attachments. Do not assume everybody's workstation can handle a wide range of graphics and multimedia files.
• Test Web-based material on different platforms.
• Good alternative to sending large files attached to e-mail: post the material to a Web site and include a hot link in the e-mail message to access it, thereby avoiding e-mail file size limitations.
• Press releases
   
• Simple, professional format
• Consider what the press needs: use the journalistic formula (5W,H; "inverted pyramid" news story structure); go light on adjectives
• Include quotes from subject matter experts (SMEs). You can slip in a few adjectives this way, but don't overdo it.
• List both the SMEs and yourself as a contact
• Always get the researcher's buy-in before sending the release to management for approval.
• Notify management it has until X date to respond, or the release will be considered approved (this is why it is important to have technical signoff before going to management). Obviously use some judgment if the subject is exceptionally controversial, like cloning; otherwise, be aggressive and send stuff out.
• Track your media outlets and see if they are publishing your stuff. Know their deadlines and setback times for features, news bytes, etc. If they're not publishing your material, find out why and adjust accordingly.
• Don't be defensive about other people using your work under their byline: that's both a professional compliment and a business success for your company.
• When the Institute of Agriculture successfully birthed the first cloned jersey cow, Millie, it got almost instant worldwide press coverage. This was achieved by NOT bypassing the local press; in fact, the news was released FIRST to these outlets, who then immediately seized upon it and released it to international wire services. Within 20 minutes, Reuters and CNN were involved. In this manner, the marketing specialist maintained good relations with the local press (who appreciated the scoop) and probably got faster international coverage than she would have on her own. Smart.

But I'm Not Creative! Conquering Your Fear of Creativity

Kristen T. Shultz
FGM, Inc.

Kristen Schultz is technical marketing communicator with FGM, Inc., a software enterprise headquartered in Dulles, Virginia.

• Common fears concerning creativity:
   
• Not measuring up to management expectations
• Not sounding "savvy"
• Getting it wrong
• Wasting one's time.
• Left brain controls logic; right brain controls creativity. Everyone has both. The key is to tap more into the right side. Adults tend to focus on their left brain to meet responsibilities, and they lose touch with the left side. It's important to reactivate those left-side synapses!
• A 9-step program to improve creativity:
   
1. Play.
2. Look at something in a different way.
3. Do something different each day; get your brain off "autopilot." Drive to work a different way, change your workspace, work outside, etc.
4. Maintain a journal to capture creative thoughts as they occur, rather than let them escape.
5. Consult outside resources.
    
• Fast Company magazine
• How to Get Ideas, by Jack Foster
• Technical Marketing Communication, by Sandra Harner, Tim Zimmerman, and Sam Dragga.
6. Look for opportunities to exercise creativity with other organizations (community, church, professional associations); volunteer for newsletters, brochures, etc. – and build a portfolio. That will help you establish credibility to move into marketing communication on your "day job" or in a job placement.
7. Volunteer for positions/activities within your company (edit briefings, brochures, etc. – add value to whatever you do and work your way toward progressively greater impact upon content and marketing strategy.
8. Start creating content.

9. If you have an idea, press to put it into action. And keep pressing! Don't be discouraged if it takes time to sell.