6 reasons why your business probably needs a technical copywriter

June 6, 2023 • Glenn Murray

Everyone understands the importance of good writing in business. From websites and marketing materials to user manuals and technical documentation, the written word plays a crucial role in accurately conveying information and building trust.

But while most people know about copywriters, relatively few know about technical copywriters.

A technical copywriter is like a normal copywriter, but with an arsenal of technical knowledge and skills at their disposal. They specialise in — you guessed it! — technical subject matter, including IT, mechanical, scientific, medical and financial.

So the question is, does your business need a technical copywriter, specifically, or just a normal copywriter?

The answer depends on your industry and technical requirements, but in our experience, you’d be hard-pressed to prove you wouldn’t benefit from a technical copywriter in some capacity.

Below are six reasons why investing in a technical copywriter can be a game-changer for your organisation, no matter the size of your business.

1. Bridging the gap between technical jargon and the layperson

Explaining and promoting complex, technical concepts and features to non-technical readers is an up-hill battle. How do you convey everything you need to convey in the few seconds a reader is willing to give you before moving on to one of your competitors?

It’s hard enough putting it into words at all, let alone making it engaging and persuasive.

And it’s not made any easier by the fact that your experts know their subject matter, inside and out. In reality, they’re too close to it to have any idea what someone else might not understand. Indeed, it’s probably all so obvious to them that explanation feels silly or unnecessary!

This is where a technical copywriter excels. Not only do they bring an outside perspective, but they also possess the unique ability to translate highly technical language into easily-digestible terms. Complex terms become bite-sized pieces of information anyone can understand.

By bridging the gap between jargon and layperson’s terms, a technical copywriter ensures your target audience understands critical information without feeling overwhelmed, intimidated or confused.

2. Enhancing user experience and product sales

User experience (UX) is critical to any technical business. If your website visitors and customers can’t do what they came to do, it’s unlikely they’ll come back.

And although many people think of UX design as a purely visual thing, the reality is it’s as much words as graphics and images.

A good technical copywriter can contribute significantly to improving user experience by creating clear, concise, and user-friendly content. Whether it’s writing reader-focused web copy, crafting intuitive user interface text (aka ‘microcopy’) or wireframing the entire experience, they have the ability to get into the mind of your customers.

This means your customers navigate better, understand faster and buy more often, which, in turn, leads to increased customer satisfaction and reduced support queries.

3. Establishing credibility and trust

Readers of technical copy can be neatly divided into two categories: those who understand the technical guff, and those who haven’t the foggiest.

Your copy needs to satisfy both of these audiences. For technical readers, it needs to be accurate, and for non-technical readers, it needs to feel accurate.

These are two very different requirements, and a good technical copywriter can do both. They can provide all the technical information required by those who’ll understand it, and for those who won’t, they can also ‘dumb it down’ a little — perhaps with an analogy.

But a bad analogy can scream ignorance to a technical reader, while at the same time insulting the intelligence of a noob. Conversely, too much technical information will overwhelm and bore your noob entirely, while simultaneously insulting the intelligence of your tech reader by teaching them how to suck eggs.

It’s a very fine line to walk.

4. Streamlining communication with technical teams

Because techs speak their own special language (and, let’s be honest, have their own special way of viewing the world), any collaboration between your technical teams and the civilians in the rest of the company can be laboured.

But if you have a technical copywriter at hand, they can act as an interpreter. They can effectively communicate business and marketing requirements to the technical team, and complex technical information to the rest of the business.

This synergy leads to smoother workflows, timely deliverables and, ultimately, more successful product launches.

5. Optimising content for search engines

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is complex and overwhelming, and its ‘rules’ are harder to keep up with than those of backyard cricket. But one thing has always remained the same: In the long term, Google rewards helpful, informative content.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what technical copywriters do well. With an ability to balance technical accuracy with reader-friendly language, they naturally write content that Google appreciates and rewards in search engine results.

So you’re not only providing genuine value to your readers, you’re also increasing your ranking and driving more (and more qualified) organic traffic. Win-win!

6. Saving time and resources

Writing good technical copy takes time (even for a good technical copywriter!). If you try to do it in-house, you’ll almost never get the results you want. Most non-writers hate writing, and most techs hate it even more! They don’t have the skills, and they see it as a tedious inconvenience, required only to educate the dummies, so they always end up cutting corners and treating it as an afterthought.

By hiring a technical copywriter, you free up valuable resources within your organisation, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities, and ensuring your technical content gets written properly and on time.

To recap…

The value of a technical copywriter can’t be overstated. Whether you operate in technology, engineering, healthcare or any other technical field, a copywriter who specialises in technical subject matter brings invaluable skills to the table. From simplifying complex concepts to optimising content for search engines, their expertise can make a significant difference in your business’s success.

By investing in a technical copywriter, you not only enhance your communication strategy but also strengthen your brand, improve user experience, streamline collaboration within your organisation, and ensure your people are all doing what they do best.