However, this division of labor doesn’t necessarily benefit the consumer, and it isn’t a very efficient approach for companies, either. Instead, they should try to bridge the gap that often exists between technical writing and marketing in order to pool their resources and tap into related synergies. Collaborating more closely in these areas also aids in designing more effective marketing copy and more user-friendly technical documentation.

What’s the difference between technical communication and copywriting?

While technical documentation and marketing texts are both geared toward consumers, each has to meet the varying expectations of different target groups:

• Customers (or anyone who makes purchasing decisions):
  To appeal to this group, you need creative content that clearly demonstrates the added value of your product or service and gives people a positive feeling about it. This is traditionally a job for copywriters and other marketing specialists.
• Users of products or services: These readers want to obtain technical information in a clear, precise format that enables them to get started as quickly as possible. Technical writers have a knack for explaining complex operating structures in ways that are easy to understand.

While technical communications are created for a narrowly defined user group with particular needs, copywriters often produce content for a diverse target audience. The style favored for these types of material differs accordingly:

• Technical documentation is clear, concise, and logical. It therefore features short sentences, simple words, and uniform terminology.
• Good marketing and advertising copy is vivid and dynamic. Using longer sentences and illustrative language, it seeks to establish an emotional connection with the reader.

How technical writers and copywriters complement one another

If you’re looking to implement a more efficient content strategy, you should rethink the traditional line between these two domains. Marketing copy and technical documentation can actually enhance one another in very persuasive ways.

Consider this example:

A manufacturer of wireless doorbells commissions a technical writer to create an operating manual for one of its new models. The writer proceeds to compile a clinical, factually accurate guide that is then included with every purchase.

After buying one of these doorbells, a customer takes a look at the user manual but loses interest after the first few sentences and decides to install the doorbell on their own. They unwittingly make a mistake in the process, however, and the bell doesn’t work. Disappointed, they contact the manufacturer’s customer support department. The situation results in a frustrated customer and unnecessary costs for the seller.

Consumers’ expectations for a given product are the highest when they find themselves alone with it for the first time. Companies can use this phase to shape the perception of their brand with compelling content and establish closer ties with customers.

Now, let’s rewind the above scenario and have the technical writer collaborate on the doorbell manual with a professional copywriter. A marketing expert like this can provide creative input to give the guide a bit more pep and make it more appealing to the reader. Meanwhile, the technical writer is there to make sure all the facts and terminology are correct. Together, they come up with a manual that actually encourages users to read it all the way through.

When marketing specialists and technical writers work hand in hand, they can highlight the value of a product in a way that’s both practical and user-oriented. This makes a user manual (for example) a key component of the marketing mix. After all, it’s also a form of advertising that’s sure to reach the customer directly.

In this ideal scenario, the company in question has both in-house technical writers and an internal marketing department. But many small and medium-sized firms have their technical documentation and marketing copy created by external service providers, and they usually aren’t the same agency.

This can lead to problems: When the writers need to have complex processes explained by technical experts, for instance, there are often delays, and key information can get lost. Holding separate briefings for writers in different organizations also entails more effort and higher associated costs. And finally, there’s always the risk that writers will come up with content that sounds great but happens to be complete nonsense from a technical point of view.

How both sides benefit  

A collaborative effort between these two realms doesn’t just benefit the technical side, either. A copywriter who understands the technology behind complex products can also create more convincing marketing material. Once they have been trained to do so, technical writers can influence the marketing process by advocating for the user’s perspective, as well.

The advantages of a cooperative approach are clear:

• Faster, more efficient content creation
• Less friction between the two sides
• Opportunities to enhance marketing copy with practical use cases
• User documentation that serves as a marketing tool

If you don’t have the option to create such content yourself, it’s definitely a good idea to find a service provider that specializes in both technical documentation and marketing copy. You’ve already come to the right place in Lexsys: Our growing team of experienced marketing experts and technical writers will work side by side to ensure that all the material they produce meets (or even surpasses) your high expectations.

We’d be thrilled to be your one-stop shop for everything from technical marketing to technical translations. The specialists at Lexsys have many years of combined experience in both technical writing and text production in general. Why not take advantage of these valuable synergies yourself?

If you’d like to learn more about how Lexsys can assist you in creating both technical and creative content, get in touch with us today to set up a consultation.

The right content can be a highly effective means of communication. Whenever a decision is to be made, a well-thought-out content strategy presents opportunities to influence the outcome. A customer journey – that is, a customer’s entire experience, from an initial impulse to their decision to make a purchase and the subsequent support they receive – can be guided down to the last detail with the help of tailored content.

At the same time, however, high-quality content enables you to provide essential support for internal processes, as well. It can serve as a strategic instrument in change management and help optimize product launches. To find out how you too can steer decision-making processes by presenting the right information at the right time, simply read on.

How a decision gets made

A decision journey comprises a series of stages, from initial connections to final confirmation:

1. Awareness: Getting the ball rolling
2. Evaluation: Providing information that gets you taken seriously
3. Conversion: Bringing the decision home
4. Retention: Ensuring loyalty

Next, we’ll take a closer look at these stages and show you how you can reach your target audience in each of them with highly customized content.

1. Awareness Stage

Every decision starts with an impulse that leads to a potential customer’s first contact with your brand or offering.

In the case of a customer journey, the catalyst is usually a problem of some kind. The customer starts looking for a solution and comes across information on how you might be able to help. If you present the right content at this stage, you can turn an opportunity into a qualified lead.

In the context of change management within a company, a conscious effort is typically made to generate awareness. If a firm is planning to introduce a new employee program, for example, it will probably send an e-mail to its workforce well in advance. This will make the employees more receptive to the pending changes.

Getting all stakeholders on board as early on as possible is helpful in the case of a product launch, as well. Bringing something new to market is a complex affair, and the sales team responsible needs to have enough time to prepare.

At the beginning of the awareness stage, target groups often know little or nothing about the subjects companies want to bring to their attention. They also wouldn’t search for information on these topics; they simply don’t have them on their radar. This is why it’s important to pique their interest and present content that encourages them to explore the material at hand further.

In this stage, the following types of content are particularly effective:

• Social media posts and e-mails that address new target groups
• Content that’s both informative and entertaining, such as videos, podcasts, or animations
• Search-engine-optimized web content that attracts new visitors to your website
• Infographics

2. Evaluation Stage

The next stage is about nurturing the interest you’ve attracted. To that end, you provide the leads you generated in the first stage with relevant information that will encourage them to consider your offerings.

For a customer journey, this means taking potential customers by the hand and guiding their decision-making in your direction. You’ll need to highlight the advantages of your solution and clearly show them how you can improve their current situation.

In the case of change management, explaining the underlying reasons for the changes planned is key, as is underscoring the improvements that can be expected.

In the process of launching a product, this stage is the right time to give your sales team more details on the plan you’ve put together. When exactly is the launch expected to start? What target groups is it meant to address? What marketing activities are planned?

To get people excited about your brand, product, service, or proposal at this stage, consider the following ideas:

• Brochures, flyers, landing pages, product presentations, and similar content that contains detailed information
• Easily digestible information in the form of videos, animations, interviews, or FAQs
• Case studies, white papers, press releases, newsletters, articles, blog posts, materials for employee communications
• Training courses, webinars, podcasts

3. Conversion Stage

Once you’ve managed to bring potential customers this far, it’s important that you reinforce the faith they have placed in you. This is the only way to coax them into taking the final step, whether it’s making a purchase decision or becoming an eager participant in what you’ve proposed.

In this stage, those in the middle of their customer journey are especially receptive to success stories and reviews from other customers. The goal is to convince them of the benefits of your solution and how serious your company is.

In change management processes, you’ll need to identify challenges and provide answers to potential problems. Make it clear to your employees that you’re prepared to tackle such obstacles and have the resources required to do so.

A product launch also presents opportunities to dispel any remaining concerns and stoke enthusiasm. Here, you can show your sales employees the materials and other resources you plan to support them with during the launch. By reducing your team’s workload, you’ll increase their commitment to the process.

When it comes to winning people over, the right content is crucial:

• White papers, case studies, press releases, articles from opinion leaders and other sources
• Internal communication campaigns
• Sales tools and guides
• Training courses
• Personalized offerings

4. Retention Stage

You’ve done it: The customer is reaching for their credit card; your new employee program has been rolled out; your latest product is out there on stores’ shelves. While the bulk of the work is now done, you can still incorporate content into your communication strategy in beneficial ways.

The customer journey is an area where the retention stage plays a particularly important role. It offers the chance to turn one-time customers into loyal brand ambassadors. To pull this off, you need to be ready to provide help and support in solving the problems they may encounter. User-friendly guides and service hotlines are just two examples of how you can have a positive influence on customers’ experiences with your brand after they’ve made a purchase.

Maintaining employee loyalty in a change management process is a tricky subject. Changes in the workplace can lead to frustration and disappointment. In the worst case, employees may find themselves no longer identifying with your company, or the changes themselves may founder. To prevent this from happening, be responsive to your employees’ gripes, establish settings where they can share their experiences, and appoint staff to serve as points of contact.

To promote loyalty within your sales team following a successful product launch, it helps to keep your ears open. What went well – and what could have gone better? By taking advantage of your team members’ experiences, you can further hone your ability to design future launch processes.

The following types of content are well-suited to fostering loyalty:

• How-to guides, instructions, training materials, and so on
• Best practices and FAQs
• E-mail newsletters
• Exclusive content and offers
• Brand communities
• Databases that compile the collective knowledge of all participants

The possibilities are virtually unlimited

When utilized properly, content can strengthen buy-in, engender trust, and help build relationships. International companies should also bear in mind that localization lowers the threshold for internal and external audiences to understand and apply your carefully created content. To guarantee flawless communications that these target groups are sure to understand, leave it to the specialists in transcreation and multilingual content writing. This will extend your reach and enable potential customers around the world to connect with your message.

With sophisticated content at your disposal, you can cover a great many bases and help your business get ahead. To maximize your success in doing so, you’ll want to align all your activities within a holistic content strategy. This is another area where Lexsys can help: Our content experts know how you can effectively address your audience in every stage of their decision-making and guide them from one stage to the next.  

To find out how you can tap into the full potential of your content marketing, why not get in touch with us today?.