6 ways to optimize the articles in your knowledge management system

If you have a knowledge management system filled with informational articles, you’ve taken the first step in delivering the right content at the right time. But to help customers and agents find answers quickly, it’s important to optimize the material within your knowledge base.

Here are six tips to help it work better for you:

Knowledge management tip #1: Use the customer's language.

Consider your target audience, and write knowledge articles in the voice of your customer. Use their everyday language instead of company jargon. This will produce the most relevant search results for them and demonstrate that you understand their needs, which will increase their trust and confidence in your company.

Knowledge management tip #2: Stick to one topic per article.

Don't include multiple topics in one article. Instead, include links to articles on related topics. Because people prefer articles they can quickly scan, it’s easier to keep your KB articles short if they only cover a single topic.

Knowledge management tip #3: Create clear, concise knowledge article titles.

Readers rely on titles and subheads to skim text, so give your article a title that clearly identifies the topic. Vague or confusing titles make it harder for customers to know whether a post will provide the information they need. This can lead to a lot of frustration as they spend time searching and scanning articles that aren’t helpful.

Knowledge management tip #4: Use an easy-to-read format.

Good content structure and layout can make your articles easier to read. In general, displaying the content in sections, lists, and bullets is the best approach. You can also use an article template with a predefined layout, allowing authors to simply insert text into required and optional fields.

Templates, like those in Oracle Knowledge Management solution, provide a consistent format, regardless of the author, and offer a variety of styles for different types of articles. You can also create custom templates and save them for re-use.

Knowledge management tip #5: Guide users to answers.

A “guided knowledge” approach is an effective way to help customers troubleshoot more complex issues, such as determining what steps they should follow to get their router working. Decision trees, or guided knowledge wizards, lead users through an interactive question-and-answer exercise to find a resolution.

Contact center agents can also use guided knowledge to find answers more easily and resolve customer problems faster. It becomes another powerful tool in their collection, along with cobrowse, messaging, and other digital customer service tools.

Knowledge management tip #6: Use a platform that learns.

If possible, provide a knowledge base search platform with machine learning. This will allow you to capture data based on how your customers and employees use your knowledge articles and identify the information they find most helpful. Machine learning can also eliminate the need for endless searching by displaying the best possible answers (based on interaction context) at the top of the search results.

Want to learn more? Visit our website to see how Oracle Knowledge Management helps customers find the answers they need to increase both satisfaction and customer loyalty.

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