Re: Podcasts for Customer Support

[Steven Brown <stevenabrown -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

I think podcasts are great idea, but it may be
challenging for many technical writers to write a
script that sounds good. There's a big difference
between writing a highly structured, step-by-step
explanation of a procedure and writing something that
sounds natural, as if the speaker were speaking
extemporaneously.

For example, just this morning I just watched a
training module that our customer service department
created (using Captivate), and although it was
technically accurate, the script they used was
terrible. The voiceover sounded as though she'd read
something out of a user manual. Formal English is fine
for printed information, but I would argue that it's
less suitable for information presented through a
podcast or video.

The other challenge to using podcasts will be finding
a way to make the information interesting and putting
it in a meaningful context for the listener. Knowing
your audience and subject matter will be more
important than ever, particularly with a podcast,
where there is no visual to direct the reader's eye.

Steven Brown
Technical Writer



--- Sean Wheller <sean -at- inwords -dot- co -dot- za> wrote:

> Is anyone using Podcasts and Podcasting as a medium
> to transfer knowledge to 
> end users?
> 
> I have just added a blog about this on my website 
> [http://www.seanwheller.co.za] and would be
> delighted to hear peoples 
> thoughts on how this medium can be applied in
> technical communications.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Ask me about the Monkey.
> 
> Sean Wheller
> Technical Author
> sean -at- inwords -dot- co -dot- za
> +27-84-854-9408
> http://www.inwords.co.za
>
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