Why your support content sucks (Maring Eberlein)

Writers of Silicon Valley

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We're proud to announce Maring's new course at UX Content Collective: Fundamentals of Support Content. Get it now for 25% off!

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by terrible help center content, you’re not alone. Most of it sucks.

But why?

That’s why I’m excited to share this conversation with Maring Eberlein. Maring is a support content expert with a deep understanding of what makes help centers effective — and what makes them fail. She’s worked with companies large and small, transforming their support content from "just get it done" projects into real strategic assets.

We get into everything from why so much support content is subpar to how companies can stop playing catch-up and start building better self-serve experiences for their users. If you’ve ever wondered how support teams, content designers, and technical writers can work together more effectively, this episode is for you.

What we talked about:

• Why most support content sucks — and how to make it better
• The difference between support content and technical writing
• Why support content should be an asset, not an afterthought
• How to "train" your users to find answers on their own
• What companies get wrong about chatbots and AI-driven support
• The rise of structured content and why support teams should embrace it
• Practical ways support teams and content teams can work together

Notable quotes:

• “Support content isn’t a cost — it’s an asset. But most companies don’t realize that until it’s too late.”
• "Users don’t want to watch a 4-minute video when 3 clear steps would do the job."
• "If your help center looks like a mess, it tells me your product might be too."

Where to find Maring:

• LinkedIn
• Fundamentals of Support Content course
• Maring's website