40% of consumers now prefer self-service over human contact because they enjoy the independence and speed it offers. Additionally, self-service helps support organizations save costs by preventing the need to create tickets through the use of knowledge articles. It's crucial that the articles not only contain the answer but also make it easy for users to find and understand.
9 Tips for Writing Effective Knowledge Articles
- Use keywords in the title
Articles are for your customers and not your internal team. Thus, you want to use simple, clear, and concise language that maps to the words that customers use. To come up with the names of the articles, you can look at the language your customers use in their tickets today and draw out words that they use to describe the issue. - Use your customers’ own words
When choosing between staying on brand and using customers’ own words, what should you do? If the goal is to help the customer find what they’re looking for, then use the words customers use, or else customers won’t find what they’re looking for. For example, there’s a car-sharing company that calls the location where the car is parked the “home location.” That is a term the company came up with themselves, and when customers search for car location, they can’t find the article they need. - One article per specific use case
People don’t like to toggle from article to article, and they don’t like to read long blocks of text either. The best way to structure knowledge articles is to have one article per specific topic. To do this, search for common questions customers have and look at the types of questions per specific topic. If the questions are related, then put all the questions in one article, separated by sections of the different questions. - Use clear and concise titles
Article titles are a significant factor in sourcing relevant information. Titles such as "Resolving issues related to entering your account" are terrible. "Login Issues" would make more sense. By using simple wording and the same vernacular that your customers use, you maximize your chances of getting good matches. For this reason, you should also be careful with your wording. If many of your articles repeat chunks of the same text, this will be very difficult to isolate which article solves the customer’s question. Having simple, easy-to-understand content with little to no fluff goes a long way. - Start off by describing the problem
When customers are coming to your support center, they most likely have a problem that needs to be solved. By then, their emotions are more elevated than normal, and the best way to care for them is to empathize with them. The best way to empathize with the customer is to start the article by writing out the problem they are experiencing the way they would ask it. - Use lists for step-by-step instructions
A long block of text is incredibly intimidating, especially when the customer is in the middle of an issue. Help the customer digest information by breaking it down into the simplest steps. - Add related article links
If customers do not find what they are looking for with the first article OR if solving the customer's issue requires more than one article, it would be best to link to other related articles in the article. We’ve seen that customers tend to go through 3-4 articles before submitting a ticket, so having related articles linked can help prevent tickets from being created if the answer exists in articles 2 or 3. - Utilize images and videos in conjunction with text
Images can be extremely helpful when creating articles, as they often show customers how to resolve their issues. However, for that article to be used in automation, we would have to be able to understand the text without the context of the image. The best articles for AI have simple explanations that can be understood without images but are greatly amplified by the image's presence. - Understand when enough is good enough
Articles don't need to be perfect. Obsessing about the perfect article can be counterproductive if too much time is devoted. Simplicity is key. Think of your 10 most common issues and help customers solve them as simply as possible. Forethought’s gap detection can help you identify areas where content needs to be created and whether the current articles aren't working to answer questions. If you are making brand new articles, your first pass will be far from your last pass. A good guiding rod is to look at results - are the articles in circulation answering the questions they aim to?
Tips for Setting the Right Tone in Your Articles
- Write like you speak
Newspaper articles are written for a 6th-grade reading level. You should, too! Explaining complex issues with simple terms or metaphors helps customers digest the information, and they feel confident that they can service themselves rather than work with your agents. - Use an active voice rather than a passive voice
The more confident your tone, the more your customers will believe in your advice. - Have fun
Customers are often frustrated when they search for help. Your tone is as important as your words. If you show care and add moments of delight to your articles, your customers will notice, and this emotional connection will help reduce some of their frustration.