The customers a business wants to attract will be exposed to a huge variety of content every day. Copywriting skills that can gain the attention and interest of the target audience include writing content that is engaging, persuasive and concise. The effectiveness of technology copywriting will also benefit from an understanding of digital marketing, the storytelling process and relevant industry knowledge.
What Is a Technology Copywriter
Unlike technical authors, who write content such as user manuals intended to provide information and instructions, technology copywriters write content designed to promote and sell products and services. A technology business will already have personnel with technical expertise, but a technology copywriter can combine their understanding of technology with effective writing skills and knowledge of sales and marketing. For example, understanding that when making buying decisions, (business-to-business) clients tend to seek content looking at practical business issues, while B2C (business-to-customer) clients might be more influenced by personal lifestyle choices.
Customer Personas and Digital Marketing
The quality of content that potential customers encounter when they interact with a business online can impact their buying decision. Copywriting that reflects an understanding of customer needs and effectively communicates relevant details can instil confidence in a product or service. A technology copywriter can use their technical knowledge to explain complex subject matter in clear, easy to understand terms, while highlighting key benefits and calls to action. They could also place testimonials from satisfied clients alongside relevant content, in the form of snippets with links to the full testimonials. The fresh perspective a copywriter provides could boost he effectiveness of both existing and new content.
Digital MarketingApplying an awareness of psychology to the sales process, enable a copywriter to craft content that is more likely to appeal to particular customer preferences. For example, The Five Factor Model can be used to build customer personas. An understanding of digital marketing can deliver content more likely to attract the target audience, promote your brand and generate leads and sales. When applied to landing pages, articles, blog posts, email sales funnels, email newsletters, white papers, case studies, eCommerce product descriptions and eBooks, this strategy can help a business to stand out from their competitors.
Telling Stories That Sell
Business owners are justifiably proud of what they build and there are situations in which highlighting their achievements is appropriate, such as the About page on a website. However, potential customers will want to know how a product or service can help them. Rather than ‘our’ success or ‘we’ as a company, content that refers to customers wants and needs using words such as ‘you’ and ‘your’ is more likely to generate leads and sales. However, such terms should not be overused, but instead form a natural part of the flow of the content, which will also be more effective written in the second person.
CopywritingPeople are more likely to remember and share a good story and your customers could be taken on an entertaining journey, employing a storytelling approach. It could begin with the hero character, representing the customer, confronted with some challenge. They encounter your business, which understands their needs, motivations and how they can be helped. The customer then uses the product or service your company sells to resolve their problem, or achieve their business goals. The story ends with a happy customer, who can now look forward to greater success in their own business.
Building Customer Relationships
When a business gives a person something free, which has perceived value, that person is more likely to form a positive impression of that business. For example, people will be more inclined to read content that is informative, useful or entertaining, rather than an overly forceful direct sales pitch. Sending engaging newsletters to email list subscribers and regular blog posts, featuring content that resonates with the target audience, are proven methods for establishing and building long term customer relationships. Including clear benefits and calls to action can over time generate more leads and sales.
The Five Factor ModelBlog posts should appeal to a broad audience, as they could attract a technical and non-technical readership. Providing useful and inspiring content could attract a loyal following and enable a business to build their reputation and strengthen their brand. However, it takes time to establish a following online and requires regular delivery of good quality content that people want to read. Email newsletters can complement blog posts and when people feel motivated to read share the content that a business posts online this can also attract backlinks, boost search engine ranking and increase organic traffic to a companies website.
Website Content
Important copywriting skills include having an understanding of style and tone, so that content written for a website will appeal to the target audience. In addition to understanding SEO (search engine optimisation) and keyword research, knowledge of web design, development, usability and analytics can enable a copywriter to deliver more effective results. Suitable visual elements, such as photographs, infographics and animation can make content more engaging and increase the effectiveness of a sales funnel, but well written text can boost its performance. For example, an eCommerce website that teams good visuals with well written product descriptions can attract more sales.
Effective copywriting clearly communicates essential information using the fewest possible words and might make use of suitable anecdotes, with relatable characters and narratives. Language should flow naturally and not use unnecessary complexity or jargon, but remaining technically accurate. The aim is to capture an audience in a manner that will motivate them to continue along a sales funnel, learn more about and then purchase a product or service. Taking an holistic approach across all forms of content marketing that is used to promote a business uses can help to strengthen their brand identity, increase customer awareness and generate more leads and sales.