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Overcome your tech content troubles

Dedicated to web writers who shudder every time their agency lands another tech company project:

Yes, I know, the bigger they are, the harder your job is. Because like any large enterprise with hundreds of applications bandaged one over the other, a large tech company usually has swarms of free-floating content that have been written and then rewritten a gazillion times by the myriad of hands it’s traveled through before reaching your inbox.

Of course with Content Management Systems doing the rounds, hopefully your client can find the relevant, updated version of information that you need. But if not, you’re in for some serious hair tearing.

In India, it’s hard to be an agency and not have a good percentage of software companies amongst your clientele. So if you find yourself staring blankly at a long list of software service solutions here’s why there is hope:

Everyone is looking for an easier way to understand technology. Most of these companies’ business readers are in the top management bracket. CXOs. Yes, they understand technology, but what’s more pertinent is they know technocrap* when they see it.

In case you don’t, here is an example of technocrap*:

From the depth of our domain expertise and our proprietary intellectual property to our onsite/offshore delivery model, our work is not finished until there's a solution that meets the challenge.

Technology simplification is the name of the game and that goes for content writing too.

Infosys Consulting is a great example of a tech company that bucked the trend. Though their main site sticks to the content quagmire norm, their consulting site content (and design, I might add) is head and shoulders above the rest.

Check out this page: http://www.infosysconsulting.com/about_us.htm

Examine the phrasing:
“Half the battle in consulting is winning the war for talent.”

“If it won't make you more competitive, we won't do it.”

“Using global resources, we deliver high quality technology while still managing to save clients money.”

Who said tech companies can’t be interesting? Or their content hard-hitting?

With every complex phrase and technically correct sentence, there comes challenge to the communicator in you. What does my target want to know? How do I translate this info in a way that quickly digestible and serves the purpose?

The next time you’re facing technology content, get back to the basics. Think briefly on the who, what, why and how of the page. Do a few quick sentences of what you think would be an interesting way of communicating the same point. Then see what other people are saying on the same subject. Understand their communication failings, not just their information gaps. Now enhance your content to cover those failings.

You’ll find your clients will either be impressed, surprised or just plain relieved with the outcome.

* Not to be confused with technobabble.

Knowing what to say before you figure out how to say it

Seems obvious doesn’t it? But in my years as a copywriter and content writer, and more critically as a content strategist, I am still surprised every time clients, managers, colleagues (or even myself), put down a 50-word line which has said absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, it happens more often than not.

Does this sound familiar...

You need to fill a page of content for a specific service offering or subject on which you have receive zero inputs, (and the net could only take you so far).

You sit in front of a screen with the heading typed in exactly the right font and color, below which are pasted 3-4 disconnected and unrelated sentences, which may or may not be related to your topic.

Then you start writing, or I as call it, ‘weaving’ together these sentences, and many adjectives later re-read a VERY long sentence, which may have fooled your teacher in high school, but will certainly get nowhere with your client.

Having taken this road several times myself, I’m now able to see whether I’m writing myself to a dead-end just before I get there. As a result, I’ve developed a little method to write myself out of that dark alley.

1. How many words do I need?
Believe me, knowing this often comes as a relief. The job of trying to write about something you know nothing about, within an ever reducing time frame, for people who seem to be the least cooperative, and yet, the most discerning, can tend to stress you out.

Realizing you only need 150-200 words (this is online writing) can take quite a load off your mind. If you’re handling a large document, do this section by section. Ask instead, how many words do I need for the introduction?

2. What do I know?
List it out. Even if its just the name of your client and the title of the page.

3. What is this page here?
Unfortunately answers like, “Because the f#$&*ing client wants it!” won’t get you anywhere. So try and see why the client wants this page. To project the company in a certain light? To reach out to a particular section of the audience? To place some information which simply doesn’t go anywhere else? There can be a dozen reasons. Knowing them will give you a new perspective.

4. What other information can I put in, that will satisfy the above reasons?
List it out. Skim through brochures or other popular web pages you know and see how the writer has handled it.

5. So what am I trying to say?
When you’re writing for a website you tend to build upon what you already know. You’ve understood the company, and therefore know the tone. You’ve read their brochures and talked to people, and therefore under their positioning. You’ve written the home page and perhaps a few overview pages, and so now you understand the technical levels of the content, or the layers of the company a little better than before.

But now you’re stuck. So take a step back. What do I want the company to say? Say in your mind, “I wanna say:” and then start typing. This is a conversation between you and an imaginary person on the other side of your screen. Start typing in simple short sentences, what you want them to know, why they need to know it, and what they should keep in mind at the end of it (the takeaway). Stop.

Take a look at your page. Now you have the meat.

6. Rewrite, and edit. Repeat as needed.

Works for me. Hope it helps you.

What does it take to be an online writer?

I’m always on the lookout for a writer to join my team. Based on my experience, and interaction with a number of writers, here are some of the basic qualities I’ve seen (and look for) in an online content writer.

No fear of technology
Let’s face it. This is a technology driven world and a LOT of what is on the net has to do with technology. Working in an agency, it’s very likely you will be writing for a tech company at some point in your career. Unfortunately, most of those who drift away from the sciences into arts, do so for a very good reason. Therefore, the content tests I’ve developed often incorporate a small write-up on an unknown technology. The writer is allowed to use the net as a resource, but the catch is that they need to explain what the technology is about in a way their grandmother could understand. This exercise is also a good way of weeding out the writers from the editors. It even saves me from writers who believe learning isn’t part of the job. Replies like the following: “I have not attempted to answer question number three, as I don’t know anything about the subject ‘Open Source’,” can tell you a lot about the writer.

Ability to communicate:
Simply. Effectively. Quickly. It seems obvious to write content such that another person can quickly understand, and take action on what you are saying. Yet at times writers are given pages of content that need to be squeezed into 200 words, and often end up with paragraphs that are actually single sentences.

The ability to communicate sometimes means doing away with long copy. And that often stumps young writers who are more concerned with the style of writing as opposed to what is being communicated. Also, in India the ‘more is better’ mantra has yet to be broken. A lot of clients believe that if they are paying for a page of content, they had better get their money’s worth! Do not give in. Your readers do not care if you’ve filled the page or elaborated on 21 benefits. They want the takeaway and they want it fast. So how do I see if my writer-to-be fits the bill? I pick the most tedious para I can find, and ask them to bring it down to 100 words. Writers who think from the audience perspective usually find the task easy.

Critical eye
“So what do you think of the content on this page?” To be a good writer, you also need to be able to judge good and bad writing as well as overall communication. This is a tricky scenario, because not many people want to be critical during an interview. Especially when you don’t know who wrote the piece (and yes, I usually do show my write-ups).

It’s a simple question, but the answer can tell you loads. Good and bad writing may be a little subjective, but good or bad communication is fairly obvious. Your opinions speak volumes about you as a person and the level of writing experience you have.

Left and right brain
Our writers are usually involved in an online project from sitemap to development. This requires the ability to view the project as a whole and think along the lines of information flow, logical sequencing or even do a bit of spot IA (Information Architecture). Since interactive agencies in India are relatively new, they are usually small, team-wise. So a content writer could find herself working on a corporate sitemap in the morning and scripting a flash ad storyline in the evening.

Ability to research on the net
To write for the net you need to understand it. To write for clients for whom giving info is often like pulling teeth, you need to be able to supplement your base content with factual information. You also need to know what your competitors are saying. It may seem obvious, but believe it or not, there are writers out there who just don’t surf the net.

Editing, basic writing skills
Content writing in India is still picking up. We mainly get applicants from ad copywriters, journalists, and the publishing industry. But that doesn’t mean doctors, lawyers and TV show hosts haven’t applied. Writing for the web does not require extensive literary skills. But you do need to know the basics.