Originally published March 21, 2023 , updated on July 10, 2024

The manufacturing sector is, by its nature, a technical one. On top of this, its products and services can be applied to many industries. In 2022, UK manufacturing made the biggest contributions to transport, goods exports, and pharmaceuticals. As a manufacturing marketer, covering technical topics is unavoidable. Therefore, creating content for manufacturing businesses goes hand-in-hand with technical content writing. 

HubSpot’s 2022 Manufacturing Survey found 98% of companies surveyed were generating valuable leads through digital marketing. However, the average customer conversions for manufacturers online was just 7%. So how can you raise that statistic? By building relationships with your customers by creating content that encourages user engagement and greater connections. 

Read on to see what challenges might lie ahead on your technical content creation journey, as well as some practical solutions to overcome these challenges.

What Sets Technical Content Writing Apart 

Technical content writing is the art of conveying complex information to those who need to perform a certain task. It happens by following instructions given in the technical document. The goal is, therefore, to  make complicated topics easy to understand. Technical content writing has the same marketing goals as other business marketing content. It consists of boosting brand authority, generating leads, and improving search engine ranking. However, as mentioned above, technical content creation often serves an explanatory function, which can be limiting when it comes to formatting and tone. For instance, your brand’s voice might make use of local terminology and/or comment on industry news. This adds elements to your content which, while necessary to appeal to your audience, can dilute its explanations. The key is finding the balance.

Technical content creation is a process that can present the following challenges:

1. Staying Focused on Marketing Goals

Technical pieces of content marketing are usually made up of simple and concise explanations. Product descriptions, instruction manuals, and employee training are often commonplace. However, keeping technical content concise can be a challenge when businesses have an established brand identity. This can involve explaining a complex topic while also trying to work in SEO principles and specific language. The result is that it can be difficult to angle technical content writing at a target audience. To compound this, marketing managers seldom have the academic backgrounds of the technical specialists in their companies. This can make it hard for them to create content strategies that resonate with their audiences.

2. Industry Regulations

Manufacturing content has to comply with regulations outlined by international law and independent regulators. Furthermore, these regulations are updated frequently, meaning that manufacturers have to keep up with changes. Writers and, by extension, companies are legally liable if the content does not consistently follow regulations. Furthermore, upholding industry regulations has the potential to limit creativity when it comes to content creation. It can also simply be mentally taxing on manufacturing content writers.

3. Writing for a Broad Audience

With technical content writing, the chances are your audience won’t have a strong knowledge base. This is compounded by the fact that manufacturing services have applications in a wide variety of industries. Even when it comes to B2B content, manufacturing marketers will find their audience needs simple explanations. Some manufacturing content writers will have a vast amount of knowledge about manufacturing processes without being able to translate it into easily understandable content.

4. Technical Knowledge

Manufacturing marketing content writers will have to conduct thorough research to understand technical topics. As a result, training your staff to create content for manufacturing businesses can require a significant time investment. This can take resources away from the day-to-day running of your manufacturing business. It can also be difficult to outsource technical writers due to the skill and expertise requirements.

How You Can Overcome the Challenges of Technical Content Creation

For effective technical content, you need expert manufacturing content writers. Better yet, an experienced content creation agency can provide a team of content marketing professionals. With writers, researchers, graphic designers, and editors, all of whom have technical knowledge, your manufacturing content will be taken to the next level.

Here are some of the ways professional technical content writers can help your manufacturing content overcome its challenges:

Overcoming the Challenges

• Simplifying Complex Topics: The best technical content writers will be experts at explaining things clearly. They’ll have a deep understanding of industry-specific terms, so they can break them down for readers. Omitting technical jargon in favour of everyday language makes your manufacturing content more accessible. Technical content writing that’s easy to understand is more likely to keep a potential customer’s attention. 
• Raise Customer Awareness: Ask yourself; how does this product add value to people’s lives? Focus on how your manufacturing is unique while tailoring it to meet your audience’s needs. Be careful not to get bogged down in simply explaining how the technical process works.
• Diversifying Channels: To reach a wider audience, experienced technical content writers create content for a range of channels. This broadens your brand reach and also helps to break the mould of similar content formats. Using visual elements like videos and infographics can be highly effective when explaining technical topics.
• Building Trust: Technical content writing can fall flat due to inaccuracies. On the other hand, content with up-to-date sources and valuable data demonstrates industry expertise. This isn’t just information that’s accurate, it should also be particularly relevant to your target audience. The result is you can boost your brand image by positioning yourself as an industry thought leader.

As the marketing manager in a technical company, it pays to immerse yourself in manufacturing processes. This helps to create a marketing strategy that more effectively secures a return on investment. Speak to technical specialists, sit in on production processes, and ask your customers questions. Actions like these give you a greater understanding of your customers’ pain points and the value your product/service provides.

Goodman Lantern Technical Content Writing Services

Goodman Lantern has a wealth of experience with technical content creation. We understand that businesses in any sector can benefit from bespoke marketing content, no matter the challenges. Our team is able to produce a wide range of technical content writing, including blogs, whitepapers, articles, and social media content. All of these pieces can be effective in driving traffic to your website, where they work to improve conversions.

With Goodman Lantern’s manufacturing content writers, you’ll be able to overcome the challenges of technical content creation. We work closely with our clients to ensure they have a comprehensive marketing strategy. Crucially, we help identify how best to reach your target audience. Whether it’s YouTube, LinkedIn, or Email, our team has years of experience. This allows you to connect with potential customers on their terms, thus combating some of the stiffness that can plague technical content writing.

Book a demo with us today.

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