Salesforce Content
Salesforce Content
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Best Practices in Implementing Salesforce Content
May 1, 2009This is a useful presentation for customers looking to roll out Content. It's not new -- actually quite dated now, about 9 months / 3 releases old (a "dinosaur" in cloud computing terms!) -- but I wanted to embed it on our blog for easier access. Hopefully we can do a quick refresh soon...
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Embedding Content Delivies in web pages with Salesforce Content
May 1, 2009We have had several customers ask about the ability to serve up documents from Content to a web page (whether internal or external).
While this isn't "officially" supported today, there is a way to embed a Content Delivery in a web page and address this need on a one-off basis. See the below for an example:
I'm not going to spell out in detail the secret sauce here (the more technically inclined will pick it up in a few shakes anyway) -- only because there is an org-by-org limit on how many views and downloads you can have per 24 hours with Content Deliveries, so we don't want people embedding deliveries on public web pages without talking through their expected volumes with us first (the Delivery feature is still in limited release).
But the potential is pretty cool - so if you're interested in doing this, shoot me an email.
Have a good weekend.
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"Encouraging" users to subscribe to certain documents in Content
Apr 7, 2009Over the past few months, we've gotten a few questions from admins who are trying to "encourage" users to subscribe to certain files in Content. Ultimately, they want to be able to "mass subscribe" users to specific documents (like a price list, for example) -- this is something we've been considering implementing, and their is an Idea on the IdeaExchange for it if you want to add your voice to the chorus:
http://ideas.salesforce.com/article/show/100427/Enable_admins_to_subscribe_Salesforce_Content_users_to_documents
In the meantime, I wanted to write up a near-term workaround that may help. It doesn't get you all the way there - but should help you make some progress in the meantime. Steps below:
1) Add a unique tag to each document that you want users subscribed to (let's call it "mass subscribe")
2) Then do a search for that tag, and filter the results on the tag name - now you've limited your search results to only those docs that you've tagged
3) Now copy the URL for the search view you are seeing (see browser bar below)
4) You can paste that URL into an email, and then send it to your users with instructions to click on the link, and then simply hit the "subscribe" icon next to all of the documents in the list (see highlighted subscribe icons below)
To make it all work, make sure to include an "encouraging" / "threatening" note in your email emphasizing to users that you can see if they have subscribed to a document or not. -
"Getting Started" Resources for Salesforce CRM Content
Jan 28, 2009We often get requests from new customers for resources to help them kick-start a Content implementation. Over the past year, we've gathered a wide variety of materials, so we wanted to put them all in one place.
"Getting Started" Checklist. This is a simple step-by-step guide to configuring and getting started with the Content application. It only covers the basics, which is great if you are tinkering around - but it doesn't provide an exhaustive level of detail for a full implementation.
Best Practices for Content Rollouts (presentation). If you are planning a full Content implementation, this is the place to start. This presentation walks you through the key business decisions you need to make and helps you evaluate various options.
On-demand Training Videos. These 3-5 minute demos are great for training users on the basics of using Content - including administrators, publishers, and consumers of Content.
Administrators
Admin I: Set Up Salesforce Content – Provision Salesforce Content to your user base and set up permissions that dictate who can publish, tag, archive, and comment on documents.
Admin II: Create a Workspace – Create a workspace, add members, and assign different user rights.
Admin III: Create Custom Content Fields – Add custom fields to categorize content in a way that is specific to your business.
Admin IV: Recommend Content Based on Data in Salesforce – Suggest relevant content based on data from opportunities, cases, and other records your sales, service, and marketing reps are working in Salesforce CRM.
Content Publishers
Publisher I: Sharing and Managing Content – Publish, update, and archive content in workspaces that other users can access
Publisher II: Advanced Tips on Sharing Content – Access prior document versions, share content to multiple workspaces, view usage data, and collaborate with peers to maximize the value of your content
End Users
User I: Find the Most Relevant Content – Find the documents you need in a snap, subscribe to receive proactive alerts about new or updated materials, and provide front-line feedback to improve the quality of content everyone uses
User II: Advanced Tips to Leverage Content – Use time-saving tips to find information quickly, and leverage the materials your peers have found most valuable
User III: Get Proactive Content Recommendations – Have the most relevant presentations, case studies, and collateral delivered right to you based on the data you enter in Salesforce
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Salesforce Content at Office 2.0
Aug 25, 2008Just a quick note to say that the Salesforce Content team will be at the Office 2.0 conference in San Francisco next week, and I'll be speaking on a Documents 2.0 panel. Ismael Ghalimi, the conference organizer, spoke on an Enterprise 2.0 panel that Tim and I hosted at Dreamforce last year and had lots of interesting insights to share from his conference.
Anshu Sharma from the Force.com team will be participating in a Platform-as-a-Service panel as well, so you can hear from folks on both the applications and platform team at Salesforce.
Look forward to seeing you there.
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Salesforce Content - Resources for Summer '08 release
Jun 19, 2008Summer '08 is here, and we've provided the key resources you need to get started using all the new functionality in Salesforce Content.
Content Analytics package (dashboard and reports)
Are you interested in monitoring Content adoption, seeing which materials are used most often, and understanding what documents are rarely used or in need of updating? We've provided a pre-formatted package of Content reports and a dashboard - simply click here to install it. Note that you have to be a system admin in order to install these components.Salesforce Content Summer '08 user guide
This 4-page PDF walks you through setup of all the key functionality in Summer '08 - including exposing Content in your Customer and Partner Portals, enabling multi-language search, and setting up reports and dashboards. Download the Content Summer '08 release guide.Salesforce Content Summer '08 user group session
We've recorded our Summer '08 user group webinar. You'll see a walkthrough of Summer '08 Content features, hear how Intacct exposed Content to their business partners via the PRM Portal only days after the Summer '08 release, and hear Salesforce's very own Senior Director of Sales Effectiveness talk about how Content is helping us improve sales productivity. We have also uploaded a PDF version of the presentation from the Summer '08 Content user group. -
Summer '08 Salesforce Content user group
Jun 11, 2008We'll be hosting our Summer '08 Salesforce Content user group next Thursday, June 19th, at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
During the call, we'll walk through the Summer '08 Content features in detail and discuss how you can take advantage of them in your business.
Use this link to register - and we'll also be posting the recording in case you can't make it.
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Best Practices in Rolling Out Salesforce Content
May 12, 2008We conducted a webinar this morning outlining best practices as you are rolling out Salesforce Content. I recorded the session, although the audio quality is a little "off" - you have to skip ahead to the 1'30" mark as the audio fades out before then.
I've also uploaded the Powerpoint slides so you can re-use them for any internal discussions you're having around configuring and rolling out Content. Download salesforce_content_best_practices_rollout_webinar_deck.ppt
As I mentioned during the webinar, we've published online training videos for administrators, publishers, and end-users of Salesforce Content at our Learning Center page.
Hope that helps, and let us know if you have any questions.
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Tips for Searching More Effectively in Salesforce Content
Mar 21, 2008It's been a busy month, with Tim and I having spent a full week at the AIIM Expo in Boston. Just after returning, a customer asked for suggestions on how to search more effectively in Content, so I thought I'd share our tips with the entire Content user community. You can click on any of the images below to enlarge them and see the tip we're illustrating.
Looking only for a Powerpoint doc?
Simply add "PPT" to the search term to see only Powerpoint file results. This works for other file types as well, like xls, doc, pdf, etc.Want to share a document, or even a set of search results?
Every document in Salesforce Content is URL-addressable, so you can simply copy and paste the link to a file and email it, just like any other record in Salesforce. You can also do this with an entire set of search results, including if you use custom filters.
Only interested in seeing certain fields in your search results set? New with Spring '08, you can customize your search results page. Just click on the "Display Options button at the top right of the search results and choose which fields are of interest to you.
Curious what is most popular with your peers?
Click on the "downloads" field and see instantly which materials are most popular among your friends and colleagues. You can also easily see what is most highly rated.Looking for something specific?
Put a phrase in quotes to get more targeted results. You can even mix and match quoted phrases and keywords in your search - for example, "salesforce.com" software-as-a-service."Feeling lucky?"
Instead of navigating to a document detail page, if you see a search result that looks right, mouse over the file format icon to see key information, like the author, ratings, and number of versions, or double click on the icon to download it direct. -
Using Salesforce Content to Improve Sales Enablement
Feb 26, 2008Thanks to everyone who joined the webinar "IDC Best Practices: Driving Sales and Marketing Success with Web 2.0" today. We had a great session - both Lee Levitt from IDC and Tim did a really nice job - and we had a flurry of questions at the end. For those that couldn't join us, Lee covered the current challenges in sales enablement and outlined how Web 2.0 trends create opportunities to address them. Then Tim provided a brief introduction of Salesforce Content, followed by a quick demo.
As we communicated during the webinar, we have posted the following resources for you:
- PDF copy of all the slide deck from today's session
- Video recording of the entire webinar
- An IDC Topline paper on sales enablement best practices that summarizes Lee Levitt's guidanceAs we stated in the webinar, if you are interested in a trial of Salesforce Content, click here if you are already a salesforce.com customer, or here if you are looking at potentially using salesforce.com in the future. You can also visit www.salesforce.com/content for more information.
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