Creating technical content for software engineers is an expert-level task. The problem is software engineers aren’t always the best people to write this content, despite their expertise in the field.
Outsourcing these tasks to technical writers in software content marketing helps ease the burden on marketing teams. However, marketing leaders must still know how to collaborate with technical writers to produce effective content.
In this article, we’ll examine why marketing teams should consider outsourcing their technical writing. We’ll then explore how to work with these technical writers to meet marketing objectives and ensure a good ROI.
The Challenge of Crafting Technical Content for Software Engineers
Software engineering is a complex field. Engineers are well familiar with technical concepts and programming languages. However, these tools and methodologies are constantly evolving. This presents several challenges for technical writers in Tech and SaaS content marketing, including:
The need for depth and precision
Technical writers need to provide in-depth content that is valuable to software engineers. To do this, they must constantly research new technologies and keep their technical content up-to-date.
Meeting the knowledge level of the audience
Software engineers know their stuff, so technical writers can use domain-specific terminology freely. However, excessive jargon still confuses consumers who may not. New concepts need to be explained in approachable language to avoid alienating clients.
Avoiding over-simplification and misinformation
At the same time, technical writers for software content marketing should avoid talking down to their audience. Oversimplifying technical concepts may gloss over the benefits of new technologies like AI and machine learning to experienced engineers.
Maintaining engagement while being technical
Software engineers have demanding schedules and don’t have time to consume lengthy, technical content. That said, short pieces may not provide them with enough information.
In addition, many engineers have diverse learning styles and may respond better to different textual, visual, or interactive content.
Striking the balance: Technical yet relatable
To regularly engage and inform consumers, technical software content needs to find a balance between brevity and depth. The content must also be useful to engineers.
Be sure to demonstrate practical applications of the software for real-world problems. Such content stimulates creativity and critical thinking in engineers and makes the material more relevant.
Produce multiple forms of technical software content. Blog posts, educational videos, and podcasts all present technical concepts in forms different engineers find easier to consume.
Advantages of Outsourcing Technical Writers
Outsourcing software content creation to professional technical writers makes building a successful marketing plan easier. Not only will writing tasks be performed more efficiently, but software enterprises will also enjoy additional benefits, including:
Acquiring specialist knowledge
Technical writers have a solid grasp of software development principles, able to accurately convey technical concepts and avoid inaccuracies. They keep up-to-date with industry trends and advancements.
Ensuring content credibility and authority
Professional writers collaborate with other engineers, developers, or specialists to craft content. This helps ensure the content’s accuracy and keeps your content relevant. Or they possess a variety of personal experiences that bring value to the role.
For instance, Jean-Pierre Barsoumian is a technical writer for INSTRKTIV with a background in international law and marketing. He uses this to his client’s advantage when writing manuals. In an interview for INSTRKTIV Blog, he states:
“Technical writers are familiar with all laws, regulations, and standards that need to be adhered to. Personally, I can point out legal challenges before they arise, thanks to my experience as a lawyer.”
Streamlining the content creation process
Outsourcing your writing tasks to a technical writer makes your content creation process faster. Provided the writer’s responsibilities are clear, you’ll be able to publish content regularly, attracting more clients to your business.
For example, GLOBO, a tech-based, unified language-support solution, did not have the staff to produce regular marketing content. By partnering with ClearVoice, GLOBO outsourced technical writers to promote the practical applications of its tools in blog posts. Blog and content output increased by 246% year-over-year. Likewise, GLOBO website views increased by 200%.
Flexibility and scalability
Content agencies provide access to a staff of technical writers. This gives you the flexibility to grow your software content marketing at your own pace. You can outsource tasks to writers as you need more content, expanding your reach.
Collaborating with Outsourced Technical Writers
Once you employ technical writers, how can you collaborate with them? The following tips help ensure a mutually beneficial partnership.
Setting clear content objectives and guidelines
Before starting a project, content writers need to know precisely what you want. Provide content briefs that cover key topics, including:
- Target audience and content goals: Technical writers need to know who will read their content. This affects the language they use and the areas they focus on.
- Brand voice and style: Writers must convey a company’s brand voice through their content. Keeping technical jargon to a minimum creates a user-friendly tone. Showing how the software can solve problems in the community establishes the company is civic-minded.
“Technical writing is about more than just writing user instructions,” states Barsoumian to INSTRKTIV Blog. “It’s about voicing the creator’s objective and offering a product the platform it deserves.”
Effective communication and feedback loops
Ideally, a technical writer will work independently after receiving a content brief. However, regular communication between client and writer is essential for constructive collaboration.
- Regular check-ins and reviews: Clients need simple ways to communicate with writers and request edits if necessary. This makes it easier for writers to adjust content to client needs. Customer Experience Management (CEM) company Cisco began collaborating with ClearVoice through phone calls. However, Cisco marketing specialist Summer Interior soon found the chat feature on ClearVoice’s platform made communication with writers easier and quicker. Additional effective communication tools include Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
- Being open to expertise and suggestions: Hiring a technical writer gives you access to their industry knowledge. Take advantage of this by asking writers to pitch their own ideas for technical software content.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Your Technical Content Marketing
When analyzing the ROI on your investment in technical writers, take the following into account:
- Your goals. Did you want to increase website traffic? Generate leads? Knowing what you want to accomplish informs how you measure success.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). What metrics align with your goals? Page views? Conversion rates? Focus on and analyze these metrics.
- Monetary value. How much did you earn in increased sales? Did your content help reduce support costs? Money earned or saved helps measure ROI.
- Costs. How much did producing and promoting your technical software content cost? Consider both content creation and distribution costs.
- ROI. [(Net Revenue – Cost of Content)/Cost of Content] x 100
- Content performance. What content forms helped you reach your goals the best?
From here, you can decide how to improve your technical content for software content marketing. Request different content formats from your writers and use different distribution and promotional channels. Keep analyzing ROI and adapt your strategy to new trends and developments.
Embracing Expertise for Elevated Technical Content
Outsourcing your technical writing needs to expert freelancers will greatly elevate your content marketing efforts. Technical writers already grasp complex software concepts and know how to present this information meaningfully to engineers.
Remember, the goal of any content marketing plan is to increase trust and credibility with your customers. This starts by employing reliable, expert content creators. Contact ClearVoice and talk to a specialist to see which of our software writers is best suited to produce your technical content.
