During my college years, I anticipated a career in technical writing upon graduation. I enrolled in several technical writing courses, and my LinkedIn profile prominently featured the title “Aspiring Technical Writer.” However, my professional journey led me to a marketing writer role instead. Yet, there’s a surprising connection between the roles I envisioned and the one I now hold, and that connection lies in the realm of technical marketing.
Technical marketing holds significant importance, particularly for businesses operating in highly technical industries. But what precisely is technical marketing, and why is it crucial? We’ll delve into these questions in this article, exploring the following topics:
What is technical marketing?
The benefits of utilizing technical marketing
Types of technical marketing
Best practices for technical marketing
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Technical marketing encompasses marketing materials that concentrate on the intricate, technical aspects of a product or service.
Contrary to regular marketing, which often focuses on introductory concepts accessible to the average individual, technical marketing delves into the finer details, employing industry-specific jargon and complex language.
While it may seem counterintuitive, as it could potentially confuse consumers, technical marketing is not always inappropriate. There are instances where it is the most suitable approach.
Typically, leads have a comprehensive understanding of your industry, so they don’t require basic concept explanations; instead, they seek to comprehend your expertise and engage in detailed discussions about your offerings.
This is particularly true in business-to-business (B2B) industries, but it can also extend to business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.
Technical marketing can manifest in various forms, contingent upon your industry and target audience. For example, you might incorporate technical marketing into standard marketing materials, such as website articles.
Other examples of platforms where technical marketing can be applied include:
Instruction manuals
Software programs
Comprehensive help articles
Product diagrams
And more!
In these instances, the subject matter is only valuable if it delves into the technical specifics. When assembling an electronic product, you don’t want to feel as though you’re reading a generic blog post; you need language that clearly outlines the necessary steps.
Creating an effective technical marketing strategy requires understanding how to execute it correctly. Below, we’ll discuss four best practices for utilizing technical marketing, including:
Be concise
Know your audience
Be an expert in your industry
Blend technical and marketing elements
Continue reading to learn more about each of these best practices!
When crafting technical marketing materials, the first priority is to be concise. This isn’t a marketing approach that should involve extravagant language or vague statements — technical marketing should be streamlined and direct.
When engaging with technical marketing, individuals seek specific information on how to complete specific tasks, not generalized statements about your product or service quality.
Imagine scrolling through a lengthy story to find a recipe online — that’s what your audience would experience if your technical marketing is filled with unnecessary fluff.
Avoid making your marketing resemble those lengthy recipe pages!
This is a fundamental rule for marketing in general, but it’s particularly crucial when employing technical marketing: Understand your audience. In technical marketing, it’s essential to know your audience’s level of knowledge regarding the subject matter, as well as their knowledge gaps.
Overestimating or underestimating your audience can lead to either overwhelming them with too much jargon and detail or talking down to them. To avoid this, ensure you clearly define your target audience when creating technical marketing materials, using existing customer data and directly asking customers about their needs.
Expertise is valuable in marketing campaigns, but it becomes even more crucial in technical marketing.
With technical marketing, your audience often possesses expertise or in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. They have a solid understanding of your industry, which is why they seek advanced technical knowledge.
In essence, technical marketing demands that you be an expert among experts. To maintain their interest, you must possess a deeper understanding of the subject matter than your audience. Therefore, ensure you continuously learn more about your industry and stay ahead of the curve.
While technical marketing should be concise, it is still marketing. Therefore, while avoiding unnecessary fluff, you can still incorporate certain marketing elements.
Communicate detailed information while choosing aspects such as tone, word choice, phrasing, and linking the technical information back to your business.
By optimizing your technical marketing to align with your brand, you can ensure it still fulfills its essential role of guiding potential leads and customers.
If you require assistance with your technical marketing strategy or any other form of digital marketing, seeking help from experts is one of the best actions you can take. WebFX, with over 28 years of marketing experience, offers the expertise you need to optimize your marketing efforts.
For digital marketing services, contact us at 888-601-5359 or reach out online today to explore partnership opportunities with WebFX!
