Ah, the New Year—the time when companies everywhere get out their metaphorical notepads, flip to a fresh page, and start making big promises to improve. While some are committing to bigger profits, new software, or installing that fancy coffee machine, we’re here to talk about resolutions that make actual improvements. (No shade to fancy coffee, of course.)
It’s a year full of potential to shake things up! So, grab your pens, your strategic plans, and maybe even a thesaurus (trust us), and let’s dive into some resolutions every forward-thinking business should consider if they want their content game strong in 2025.
You might think your software or product is self-explanatory, but if customers are bombarding your support team, or employees are giving you that “What on earth does this mean?” look, it’s time to document like you mean it.
Make it a point to create detailed, user-friendly documentation for every process, feature, and product update. Go ahead, over-explain! Write as if every reader is a time-traveling medieval knight who just arrived in 2025 and has never even seen a toaster before. If your instructions can guide a knight through the mysteries of troubleshooting a Wi-Fi connection, then you’re probably on the right track.
Pro tip: Hire someone who actually likes writing detailed documentation and can translate tech speak into “normal person language.” This will save you from convoluted guides that sound like they were written by a robot who once read a dictionary.
When it comes to instructional design, everyone wants the next-level experience—training that’s as fun as it is informative. But let’s face it, it’s all too easy for training to be, well… a snooze. We’ve all sat through that one session where the best part was the doughnuts.
Commit to making your training programs engaging and memorable. And no, you don’t have to transform every presentation into a rock concert. A few upgrades will go a long way. Consider interactive modules, gamification, or video-based learning. Want to really wow your employees? Surprise them with a choose-your-own-adventure format for their onboarding materials. (“Congratulations! You made it through cybersecurity training without clicking a phishing link! Advance three spaces!”)
Pro tip: Keep it real. Don’t spend a fortune making overly flashy courses if the content doesn’t need it. And for the love of all things technical, don’t slap on a stock photo of people high-fiving in an office. If your training is good, your employees will stay engaged without the cheesy stock photography.
The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to tackle the monolith that is knowledge management. Every company wants their teams to be efficient, but when your knowledge is scattered across multiple platforms—or worse, locked in the brain from Colin in Accounts—it’s time to rein things in. Consolidate and organize your information so it’s available, accessible, and useful.
A good knowledge management system (KMS) isn’t just a fancy internal wiki. It’s the secret to making sure everyone, from the newest intern to the CEO, knows what’s going on and where to find important information. Imagine an organized repository with all the answers: policies, FAQs, that one process for reordering toner—it’s all there, neatly organized and ready for reference. The result? Fewer bottlenecks, less wasted time, and happier employees who know what they’re doing.
Pro tip: Don’t just drop all your information in one place and call it a day. A well-structured KMS has categories, intuitive tags, and clear instructions so people can find what they need without losing their minds.
Nothing derails good content like a jargon-heavy mess of acronyms and obscure references that only two people in the company understand. Let’s make this the year of keeping it clear.
Try this simple trick: ask a non-tech-savvy friend or relative to review your documentation or training materials. If they can’t understand it without sending you an SOS, it’s back to the drawing board. Remember, if people are using a glossary just to make it through your training, you’ve gone too far.
Pro tip: If you really must include industry-specific jargon, consider creating a “translations” sidebar or interactive glossary. Even better, hire a technical writer to help keep things sharp, straightforward, and accessible.
Resolution #5: Measure the Magic
It’s easy to roll out training or a new document and just hope it “sticks.” But that approach leaves a lot of room for guessing. Get scientific about your impact! With the right metrics, you can finally answer questions like: “Did people actually read the new onboarding guide?” and “Did that compliance training we spent four months on even make a difference?”
Metrics like completion rates, test scores, and feedback loops can reveal whether your initiatives are working—or if they’re just there to take up digital space. Embrace the power of analytics and turn data into action. Who knew knowledge management could be this high-tech?
Pro tip: Don’t overwhelm yourself with 50 different metrics. Focus on a few key ones, track those consistently, and keep refining your approach.
In the rush to streamline, systematize, and optimize, it’s easy to forget that documentation, training, and knowledge management all come down to people. Keep it human, and think about how your employees use the materials you create.
It’s one thing to have beautifully written guides and comprehensive training. But if employees are drowning in unnecessary information, or the knowledge management system is too clunky, then it’s time to simplify. Engage employees in the process by asking what they find most helpful, and make it a priority to meet their real needs. After all, there’s no point in a perfect process that no one uses.
Pro tip: Plan a feedback day! Let employees weigh in on what works, what doesn’t, and what would make their lives easier. You’ll get valuable insights and show everyone that their voices matter.
Resolution #7: Treat Your Content Like It’s Going Public
While your technical documentation and training materials may be “internal only,” resolve to treat them like they’re on public display. Clear, professional content isn’t just good for internal use—it’s also a reflection of your company’s standards.
If your documentation reads like someone’s weekend side project, people notice. But if your content is clear, accessible, and even enjoyable, your team (and your clients) will feel the difference. Think of it this way: professional documentation can build trust, improve onboarding, and save you endless support calls.
Pro tip: Consider bringing in a pro. An experienced technical writer or instructional designer can be the key to turning your materials into customer-ready assets that elevate your company’s reputation.
Who says all this must be boring? Engage your employees with a touch of humor, a pop of personality, or a dash of creativity. Not everything has to read like a court transcript—infuse some life into it!
Consider adding quirky icons, amusing examples, or even a “Did You Know?” fun fact section in your documents or training. It doesn’t have to be over-the-top—just a little something to remind everyone that we’re all humans here.
Pro tip: Balance is key. Keep it professional but approachable. And remember: a little humor can go a long way in making dry material memorable.
Sometimes no amount of carefully chosen words can convey a concept quite like a good diagram, flowchart, or (if we’re being honest) a meme. Why not make your materials more visually engaging? People process visuals faster than text, and a well-placed image can make complex instructions clear as day.
Consider using screenshots in your documentation, infographics in your training materials, and visuals in your knowledge management system to break down dense information.
Pro tip: If design isn’t your strength, there are plenty of tools that make it easy—no graphic design degree required. (See Technical Writing: Principles and Characteristics for more tools.) Or, better yet, bring in a visual designer to make sure everything is clean, clear, and professional.
Resolution #10: Keep Your Content Fresh and Updated
The speed of change in tech and business is dizzying—what was cutting-edge last January might be outdated by June. And nothing says “we’re a little behind” like a KMS filled with instructions for software that no longer exists. Commit to regular content audits to keep everything up-to-date and accurate.
Set a schedule to review and update your documents, training materials, and knowledge base every quarter. This doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul; sometimes, it’s as simple as swapping out a few terms or refreshing a screenshot. Think of it as spring cleaning for your content—out with the old, in with the relevant.
Pro tip: Make this a team effort! Assign someone to “own” each part of your content ecosystem, so there’s always a point person keeping things current and accurate. You’ll save your employees time, cut down on frustration, and keep everyone working with the latest information.
So here we are, armed with 10 resolutions that can transform your company. Whether it’s revamping old documentation, creating dynamic training, or simply making sure your content doesn’t put people to sleep, each of these goals is a step toward a better, brighter, and far more organized 2025.
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