6 Great Reasons to hire a Technical Writer
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In the modern market, carving out a niche, building a recognizable brand, and giving your customers a reason to stick around is more important than ever before. Marketing is more of a multi-media endeavor than it has ever been, and your company website is pretty much on the frontlines of the war for a decent market share... and when it comes to websites, content truly is king. This is where it pays to have a technical writer on staff!
Why You Need a Technical Writer
Though it may seem like something that anyone can do, writing content of any kind is a specialist skill that requires time, knowledge, and a level of creative flair. Many small businesses fall down when they assign an engineer, technician, or marketing director to write their technical content just because they know how the business works. In truth, a good writer will be able to channel your ethos and style to produce content that fits you. Of course, many people are thrown by the cost of a good technical writer, but the truth is that investing in your content will make you money in the long-run because good writing is key to everything from search engine optimization to trust-building and lead generation.
Reasons to Choose a Remote Technical Writer
1. Focus
When you ask one of your existing employees to act as a writer, as well as fulfilling their normal duties, then they will be forced to split their attention. This could result in a drop in quality in all areas of their work. If you hire a dedicated writer instead, their sole focus will be on producing the right kind of technical content for your business.
2. Experience
Technical writing is just like any other job; people build their skill level with education and experience. If you ask a current staff member to learn how to write quality technical content it will take them time to do so, and they'll be learning on your dollar. Hire a remote professional, however, are you get the quality that can only come from experience without a period of trial and error.
3. Knowledge
As well as experience and skill, technical writers have a solid knowledge of the tools of their trade. Content development tools, methodologies, and delivery options are a big part of their bread and butter. Working out the best way to create and deliver content in an efficient, cost-effective manner is as important to a technical writer as the content itself. Of course, these are largely unknown to the non-professional.
4. Precision and Variety
Communication is key in all aspects of business, few more so than the production of your key literature and content. Skilled technical writers are capable of communicating incredibly complex information in simple yet accurate terms. It is a part of their job to know, or research, the appropriate language, citation procedures, technical terms, and grammar for a wide range of audiences, ages, and comprehension levels. Furthermore, it is their job to bring this precision to every aspect of content creation; from SME interviews to review meetings, professional technical content writers cover it all.
5. Distance
Not physical distance, you understand, but emotional and mental distance. You and your employees are passionate about what you do, and that is a huge asset. However, it may prevent you from seeing your website and content from a technical perspective. A remote content writer, however, will be able to give you a distanced, 'macro' perspective on the consistency of your brand from a professionals point of view. This could incredibly valuable, as you can no doubt appreciate.
6. Feedback
The distanced view that a professional technical writer can offer has one more benefit; they can provide you with feedback on the technical experience of using your website. Most technical writers will consider all of the available literature that you have before beginning to write, thus they can give you a real idea of how customers find your website, branding, and literature. This is truly invaluable because, in the end, it doesn't really matter to the customer if your content is technically sound; the most important thing is whether it appeals. Does your website inspire trust? Does it look, feel, and sound professional? These are questions that your employees cannot answer.
To sum it up, you really do get what you pay for when it comes to technical content. Remember that phrase 'pennywise, and pound foolish'? Well, that is something you need to consider when it comes to writing; a good, technical content writer might seem expensive, but it really does pay off in the end. Spending a little more to begin with can save you time and money by avoiding the need to tailor, fix, or re-do sub-par work.