There's nothing worse for a user/customer than being unable to use the item they've just purchased. That's where technical writing comes in. Technical writing takes high-level information and transforms it into easy-to-understand content.
You should use this writing style anytime you need to convey technical information by text. Not convinced? Here's three reasons why you should improve your technical writing abilities.
1. Better technical writing helps you sell your product
"Word of mouth marketing" represents 13% of global sales. This is five times higher than the impact paid media impressions can have. 90% of people are more likely to buy a product that a trusted friend has recommended.
So what would make you recommend a product?
The ability to easily use the product is key, and this is where good technical writing is imperative.
The first emotion you want your customer to feel when setting up and using your product is excitement. Bad documentation will instead make this first emotion one of confusion or frustration. Users who associate these feelings with your brand are unlikely to recommend it.
2. It'll also help you fundraise
Put yourself in the position of an investor. You want to know that the product and the person you're investing in will be able to provide a return - you need to be confident that it'll sell.
Pitches full of technical jargon are forgettable to those who don't understand it (or end up being memorable for all the wrong reasons). Just like selling a product to customers, your pitch needs investors to feel excitement, not confusion. Simplifying your language will also help you to better explain the problem, as well as the solution, an important part of any pitch.
3. It'll save you money
We know you want to be as hands-on as possible when building your business, and let's be honest, in the first stages of creating a product, cash flow is tight. A freelance technical writer could set you back £50 an hour.
By upskilling yourself in technical writing, you'll limit the cost of developing your product ready for commercialisation.
However, it's still beneficial to have a professional technical writer proof and edit your work. This is much less costly than having them do the whole thing.
You're also best placed to do this as great technical writers must be experts of the product in order to understand how to convey it. Who knows your product better than you?
So now you know why you should improve your technical writing skills, how do you go about doing it?
Google have a free technical writing course you can enroll onto here.
Want to find other free resources to help improve your skills? Check out our COVID-19 resources page.