We’ve all been there. You invested over half a year working on an innovative new project. The product is perfect. Its features make it stand out, and it’s easy to promote. You can see that it is truly a masterpiece. But then it strikes you. You have to write technical blog posts that explain how it works and give instructions to clients.
You can rely on your developers to do that considering they are familiar with the product and they have a better understanding of the project than anyone else. But asking your developers to write content about a product can be a disaster. At best, the blogs will be boring and unattractive. Despite developers working on a project and knowing exactly how good the product is, they aren’t writers. They’re developers. You’re asking them to do something outside of their area of expertise.
Developers can be experts at developing new products, but in most cases, they’ll lack the writing ability it takes to share information about the project in a creative and entertaining way. A way that draws in the audience and creates interest in the project.
So, what will you do?
Well, the first thing to do is stop relying on your developers to do something they aren’t experts in doing. Next, find a technical writing company that is skilled enough to create a piece that accomplishes all you want.
So, why aren’t developers cut out for technical blog post writing?
We all know that developers are a valuable resource. If you are an early-stage startup, developers are your most valuable asset. Their work can make or break the product. The developer’s time is priceless in early-stage companies.
Developers continue to be important, especially if you are a larger company, but their time comes at a premium. They can either spend their time on your SaaS product or writing your technical blog posts. Which is the better investment of time? And that’s not even taking into account that many developers aren’t great tech blog writers, nor do they even have an interest in the writing process.
Passing off blog writing to developers isn’t the best use of your money or their time. Developers also don’t have the time to invest in setting up a content schedule, focusing on consistency, or really putting the needed effort into creating an active blog. At most, you’ll get a piece written about a single product or topic and that one post will be it.
Writing requires language skills, accuracy, and charm. Of course, developers and technical content writers both share similar skills involving reasoning, but they come across differently.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t any developers that could handle tech blogging. There are some out there that are not only quality writers; they also enjoy writing about the subject matter. But chances are you are going to have to shell out a lot more money for a developer writing about tech than you would a tech writer writing about tech.
Now you must be thinking. “How will someone else write about my project without knowing everything I’ve learned over time? How can they write about a project they haven’t helped to develop?”
To put it simply: it’s just what they do. Technical writing companies offer writers who can assess a product and write about its features in a way that readers find appealing. Writers can learn about products by interviewing your staff. They’re able to research products and gather information they can use to start blogging. They’re also able to take complicated subject matter and make it understandable to people with a varying degree of skills and experience.
How do you hire writers for technical blog posts?
Well, there are basically two ways to go about it:
Hire technical writing companies
Here’s how technical content writers can help you write technical blog posts that are simple and entertaining for users:
1. They Know How to Make Complicated Problems Seem Simple
Technical writers are not developers, but they do have the skills to convey complex details in simpler words. Those 20-page software blog posts your developer might have written for you can be whittled into something that is concise, snappy, and easy to understand even by the technologically challenged.
2. They Can Help Save Time and Money
Most startup businesses run a small operation, which means they have to follow a strict budget. For a lot of them, getting technical writing services can be a luxury they can’t afford. So, they choose to make their blog posts by themselves.
The problem is, if your software blog posts are difficult to understand, unclear, and have structural and technical issues, it could cost more in the long run. You end up re-writing the piece or paying to have it re-written by a professional writer because it’s not even possible to understand what was created.
You’re better off, financially and in terms of the stress and frustration you’ll deal with, hiring the professional writing company right from the start. You might need to invest more to ensure the writers understand the product or subject matter enough to effectively write about it, but it’s worth the initial investment to avoid a mess down the road.
3. They Can Communicate Well with Your Core Audience
What if Apple had marketed its iPod as nothing more than “8GB of MP3 Backup”? More than likely most people wouldn’t have given the groundbreaking device a second glance. Instead, the iPod was advertised as “songs you carry in your pocket.” Doesn’t that sound more appealing? A copywriter did that.
The issue with having your developers share information about your products is that while they are good at promoting the features of the item, they aren’t able to communicate the advantages. A great product has features that look good on paper; consumers want to know how they will benefit if they buy the product. Will this product end up making their life easier or better?
A writer can help you achieve this. They can take a product with great features and write about those features in a way that helps consumers feel a need to purchase the product.
Good writing sells products.
4. They Are Unbiased
Your developers put in their utmost effort and hard work to create a product. They can go on for hours on end about each specification down to the button color, texture, and even edge types. They’ve put a lot of thought into each detail. This results in a great product, but it makes it difficult for them to give an unbiased review of the product.
Technical content writers are able to see the bigger picture and point out the key aspects your clients should know about and understand. Even if they are speaking favorably about a product, they do it in a way that doesn’t sound as if they are just pushing a sale or raving about what they’ve created.
5. Expert Formatting and Editing
Your technical blog posts, tutorials, and FAQs are an important part of your business. Technical writing service providers know how to edit documents, so they have a professional appearance. Designers and writers work together to pick the ideal color, font, and dimensions to help relay your company’s style and message. This keeps blog posts and other written pieces on brand.
Help developers improve their writing
If you’re still unsure about relying on technical writing services to write software blog posts and would rather have developers handle your writing, it is possible. In some cases, there isn’t anyone better to write about a certain subject than those who created the product.
How can you support your developers in becoming better writers?
1. Take a Specific Approach to a Blog Post
Instead of allowing a developer writing about an item to just drone on and on about the item’s features, give them a direction for the piece. Maybe they can compare and contrast the newly developed item to something already on the market. Maybe there’s a similar product being released around the same time, and they can compare those items. Giving them a topic and direction can help them keep their writing tight.
2. Know Your Skills
Most writers focus on a niche, and in many cases, these niches can be very specific. Developers can do the same when writing. If you want a developer to write about a particular product, make sure it’s something right in his or her wheelhouse of expertise.
4. Always Rely on Feedback
Pay attention to the response you’re getting from readers. This can help you no matter who is handling your business’s technical writing. If you are posting blogs and other pieces of content and getting comments and shares and likes, chances are you’ve found your sweet spot. If the content you are posting is being ignored or isn’t generating the kind of feedback you want, it might be time to change direction and look into having your writing needs handled by a pro.
