How to Generate Document Articles for Your Knowledge Base on Salesforce

As a business owner or manager, providing excellent customer support and service is crucial for the success of your company. In 2023, having a knowledge base (KB) is not optional - it’s essential for businesses that want to keep their customers satisfied. In fact, a study found that 70% of customers prefer to use a company’s website to get answers to their questions, rather than use phone or email. The numbers speak for themselves. 

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One way to support your customers is by creating a KB on Salesforce, where they can find answers to their questions and support their needs. In this article, we'll explore how to generate document articles for your KB on Salesforce, so you can give your customers the best support and service possible.

Enabling Article Creation in Salesforce

Before you can start creating document articles for your KB on Salesforce, you need to enable the option for users to create articles from within Salesforce. Here are the steps to do that:

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1. Log in to your Salesforce account and navigate to the "Setup" page.

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2. Click on "Knowledge" in the left-hand navigation menu and then select "Article Management" and "Article Settings."

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3. Check the "Allow users to create articles from the Salesforce app" checkbox to enable the option for users to create articles from within Salesforce.

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4. Once you have enabled this option, users with the appropriate permissions can create new articles from within Salesforce.

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Creating a New Article

Now that you have enabled article creation in Salesforce, you can start creating new articles for your KB. Here are the steps to create a new article:

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1. Click on "New Article" in the "Knowledge" tab to create a new article.

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2. Enter a title and summary for the article. The title should be descriptive and relevant to the content of the article, and the summary should provide a brief overview of what the article covers.

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3. Select the appropriate article type and language. Salesforce provides several article types, such as how-to articles, troubleshooting articles, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). You should select the article type that best fits the content of your article. You should also select the language of the article to make it accessible to your customers.

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4. Add the content of the article in the body section using the rich text editor. The rich text editor provides formatting tools that you can use to make your article more readable and visually appealing. For example, you can use headers to organize your content, bullet points to list steps or items, and images to illustrate your points.

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5. Add relevant tags and keywords to help users find the article more easily. Tags and keywords are searchable terms that help users find articles related to their needs. You should choose tags and keywords that accurately reflect the content of your article.

Previewing and Publishing the Article

Once you have created the content of your article, you should preview it to ensure it appears correctly and meets your standards. Here are the steps to preview and publish your article:

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1. Click on "Preview" to preview the article. The preview shows how the article will appear to your users in your KB.

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2. Check the article for any errors or issues. You should check the formatting, spelling, and grammar of the article to ensure it is accurate and professional.

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3. Make any necessary edits to the article. If you find any errors or issues, you should make the necessary edits to the article.

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4. Click on "Save" to publish the article to your KB. Once you have saved the article, it will be available to your users in your KB.

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Article Ideas for Your Salesforce Knowledge Base 

Your knowledge base is a crucial resource for your customers, providing them with the information they need to get the most out of your products and services. When it comes to creating a KB on Salesforce, it's important to have a clear understanding of what types of articles you should include. For more info, see Guidde’s article for how to create a great knowledge base. 

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The articles in your KB should be informative, relevant, and provide solutions to the most common problems that your customers face. In this section, we'll explore the different types of articles that your KB should have on Salesforce to ensure that your customers have the best possible experience when using your products or services. Here are some ideas: 

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• How to Set Up Your Salesforce Account: This article could provide step-by-step instructions for setting up a new Salesforce account, including how to customize your settings and preferences.

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• Troubleshooting Common Issues: This article could provide solutions to common issues that users may experience when using Salesforce, such as login problems, error messages, and data import/export issues.

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• Salesforce Features and Functionality: This article could provide an overview of the various features and functionalities of Salesforce, such as reports and dashboards, lead and opportunity management, and campaign management.

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• How to Use Salesforce for Marketing: This article could provide tips and best practices for using Salesforce to improve your marketing efforts, such as how to create and manage campaigns, how to track leads and conversions, and how to measure the ROI of your marketing activities.

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• How to Use Salesforce for Sales: This article could provide tips and best practices for using Salesforce to improve your sales efforts, such as how to manage your pipeline, how to track your deals, and how to collaborate with your team on sales activities.

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• Salesforce Integration with Other Tools: This article could provide information on how to integrate Salesforce with other tools and applications, such as email marketing platforms, customer service tools, and project management software.

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• How to Customize Salesforce for Your Business: This article could provide information on how to customize Salesforce to meet the specific needs of your business, such as how to create custom fields, how to customize your page layouts, and how to create custom reports.

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• Salesforce Security and Compliance: This article could provide information on how Salesforce ensures the security and compliance of your data, including how to set up security policies, how to manage user access, and how to comply with data privacy regulations.

Final Thoughts 

Creating document articles for your KB on Salesforce is an effective way to improve your customer support and service. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can enable article creation in Salesforce, create new articles, and publish them to your KB. Remember to choose relevant tags and keywords, format your article for readability and visual appeal, and preview and edit your article before publishing it. 

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Take your knowledge base to the next level with Guidde’s video-based guides. Sign up here and start creating video guides today, or see this article about how to build a knowledge base that is based on video. 

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