One of our local employers was on the front page of the Monadnock Ledger last week regarding a $400,000 settlement with OSHA for worker safety violations. Ouch! They not only have to pay the fines, but they also must take corrective actions & improve the safety of their workplaces for all of their employees. They have agreed to get a full time safety &...
Great Technical Copywriting Means Never Having to Hear, "That's Boring."
Submitted by TWP on Sun 4/24/11 10:31 am
Technology companies sometimes forget that their customers are real people, with families, hobbies, and a driving desire to not be bored stiff. The results of that lapse show up in marketing copy that overflows with data, acronyms, five syllable words, and features instead of benefits. Yes, there is no two-syllable word that means "fractionator." But for "utilize" there's a perfectly good one-syllable word: use.
When writing about technical products, services, and solutions, try surrounding the unavoidable technical terms with clear, everyday words; spell out acronyms before using them; and keep sentences short (averaging 18 words). All of that helps to get information across quickly--a good thing when your technical audience has limited time. Wherever possible, offer data as line drawings, tables, or photographs rather than endless lists.
As for features versus benefits, remember that the first thing any audience wants to know is: What's in it for me? Answer that question and you've grabbed your audience. It's easy to keep their attention when you've identified their problem and your technology as the solution.
For more information about copywriting for technology, see my articles on ezine. And please share your examples of the bad technical copywriting--let's see if we can make it better.