Technical writing, as the name suggests, is a job that requires high levels of skill in research, visualization, and the ability to connect with a wide variety of audiences via their words. It requires that a writer use clear, concise words to make their point so that even the laypeople can easily understand the point being made.
And if the quality of the written content is not up to the mark, readers will fail to understand the complex topics the writer is trying to explain. That would result in the audience failing to find value in your content, which could harm your company’s domain authority.
So how can you, as a technical writer, ensure that you produce highly researched, well-written pieces of content every time? Content that fits the brief, and can connect with the target audience to solve their need?
Let’s find out.
What does a technical writer do?
Technical writing is a difficult task. The writers are tasked with making a complex topic simpler so that the masses can understand it easily. That requires a lot of research, as the writer needs to understand the topic themselves before simplifying it for the audience.
Now, the reason technical writing is necessary is that most of the time, products created by those with technical expertise often have end-users who do not have that same level of expertise. This is where someone needs to act as a bridge between the two sides of the coin. By simplifying the topic, you end up establishing a technical authority in that domain, which in turn boosts trust among your audience.
Let’s suppose you buy a car, which is created by top automotive engineers at the company. Yet, the vast majority of users are those who have no idea about the inner workings of that car but have to drive it every day. But to get the most out of that car, they need to understand a few of its basic functionalities. And that is where the car’s user manual comes in.
That user manual is a piece of technical writing that explains the car’s functions in a user-centric manner, making it easy to operate those features without getting into the technicalities. That is what a professional technical writer has to do – make complex topics simpler for their audience.
5 tips to improve your technical writing skills
Now, if you want to improve the impact of your technical writing skills, there are ways to ensure that your content connects with your audience better. Listed below are five of the best tips for improving your technical writing expertise.
Tip #1: Know Your Target Audience
No matter the type of writing you do, knowing your audience is always the first step. That is because every writer writes for a purpose. They want to reach and connect with their audience. But how would you connect with them, if you do not know who they are, or what they like?
By identifying your target audience, you ensure that your content is optimized for those readers. That means using the tone and style that suits them better, as well as structuring your content in a way that connects with them better, by relating to the problems they face in their daily lives.
Tip #2: Establish a Writing Style and Stick to It
Next, establishing a writing style is all about finding the style of structuring and creating content that suits your audience’s needs. It should grab the attention, without taking away from the content itself. For example, the style of writing for a tech writer will not be the same as say, that of a marketing writer. Moreover, different structuring style guides, like APA, Chicago, Oxford, and more will also affect your style of writing.
Once you find the style of writing that suits your niche, stick to it. It will surely enhance the impact of your technical content.
Tip #3: Use Simple Language. Avoid Jargon Unless Necessary
As the purpose of technical content writing is to ensure that your audience understands a complex topic more simply, it is understandable that using simple language would be intrinsic to its success. Ambiguous language, rare words, unknown turns of phrases, or even the use of technical jargon, can affect how your content is perceived. Moreover, it will also affect how the number of users who will be able to understand your topic.
Therefore, keep it short and simple, as much as you can.
Tip #4: Avoid Long Winded Sentences and Paragraphs. Keep It Short
Simplicity is the key. Long sentences and paragraphs tend to lose the audience’s interest, which can reduce the effectiveness of your technical content. One of the best ways to ensure that doesn’t happen is to reduce the fluff in writing.
Keep your content to the point. Your sentences should be short, and your paragraphs should be no longer than 2-3 sentences. That is how you can ensure that your point gets across successfully.
Tip #5: Cite Your References, and Use Credible Ones to Make Your Point
The strength of good technical content lies in its credibility and authenticity. And the best way to prove that your content has that is to use high-quality relevant sources to corroborate your content. Now, these references can be in the form of additional resources that go into detail about certain parts of your topics. They could also be visual aids like infographics, or even statistics that prove or clarify a point you made in your content.
Overall, it is always a good idea to add relevant citations and references to your content.
In Short
Technical content writing is a specialized skill and one that requires a lot of attention to detail. But if you fail to address your audience’s needs, despite high-quality content, and are unable to help solve their problem, your content will fail to have the desired impact. And the tips above can help you with that.
