What does a technical marketing copywriter do?
As a technical marketing copywriter I take complex, technical ideas and information and format them into clear, effective forms that appeal to my clients’ target audiences. Sometimes this is done with a view to making sales, sometimes it is part of the client’s wider PR/branding strategy. Often it is a bit of both.
What sectors do you work in as a freelance technical marketing copywriter?
I have been a freelance copywriter for well over a decade now, so I have plenty of experience across sectors. In particular, I am a:
Freelance technical marketing copywriter for healthcare and medical brands
Prior to freelancing I worked in NHS communications and medical academic publishing. This experience is important. It means that I understand the need to reach wildly different audiences even within the same discipline. It also gave me a superb grounding in fact checking, researching technical subjects and ensuring the authority of references and sources. You cannot afford to get things wrong in healthcare copywriting.
Freelance technical marketing copywriter for software brands
I have written loads about software for more than a decade. In particular, I have worked with clients in:
- Fintech (technology for the financial sector)
- Edtech (technology for the education sector)
- Specialist/bespoke solutions for niche applications
- Medical and healthcare technology
- SaaS
Freelance technical marketing copywriter for specialist technology sectors
I have produced technical marketing copy for multiple sectors, including:
- Automotive
- Manufacturing
- Transport and logistics
- Construction
- Electrical/HVAC installation
- Contamination detection
- Highways
- Novel materials
- Perimeter security
- Aerospace
- Energy production
Do you use SEO when writing technical marketing copy?
Yes, of course! My approach varies by client. Some have SEO experts in house and provide their own keywords and metadata spec. Alternatively, I can suggest keywords and meta tags/meta data. However, for this I must understand the client’s approach to SEO, to ensure that we are on the same page and I am not ‘cannibalising’ anything. But the principles of SEO remain vital for all marketing copy, including technical.
What are your key skills as a technical marketing copywriter?
Having accumulated years of in-house and freelance experience, working alongside subject-matter experts and with very specialist data, I find the following skills particularly valuable:
Strong research skills
In technical marketing copywriting, the key to good research lies in discernment. Not all sources of information are equal. Knowing where to look, who and what to trust and how to fact check are all vital skills. So is being able to survey the existing literature and identify gaps that my clients can fill with original thought leadership.
Excellent writing and editing skills
This should go without saying, but the sheer volume of badly written copy and AI regurgitations available online says otherwise. I am a former teacher of English to A’ level/Oxbridge entrance, with years of experience as an in-house and freelance copywriter. I also work as an editor and proofreader for publishers. My superb editing and writing skills keep me in business!
Ability to address audiences appropriately
Knowing your audience takes on a whole new level of meaning when you are writing technical marketing copy. For a start, most technical marketers have more than one audience to address: I’ve written a blog post about this. Some of them are very knowledgeable, some are not.
Healthcare is a great example of this. When I address healthcare audiences I might be part of a patient and public engagement exercise, in which case the level of pre-existing knowledge might be low and target audiences may be reluctant to engage. The same campaign might require me to address doctors, including consultants, who have a vast body of technical knowledge in one aspect (their specialism) but may lack full understanding of another aspect (public opinion, or the management and financial elements involved).
Furthermore, there are differences within sub-audiences. I might use a tone with dermatologists that is subtly different to the one I use with cardiologists, for example.
This variety of audience is repeated across sectors and understanding it is key to the success of technical marketing copy.
Easy to work with
I pride myself on being easy to work with. This is not just because hitting deadlines and keeping clients informed are the right things to do. It is because being polite, proactive and responsive all contribute to better technical copywriting. I often work closely with subject-matter experts and even my clients’ own clients, and these collaborations work best when everyone gets on and enjoys the process.
Understanding of marketing principles, brand management and PR
Of course, technical marketing copywriting must observe the principles of marketing. However, copywriting is most effective when created in light of that and the bigger picture surrounding the brand/client. So, it should complement the brand rather than jar with it; messaging and voice should be consistent; and calls to action should reflect not only the copy’s objective, but also the sector it operates within and the brand’s wider reputation and tone. This can only occur when the copywriter ‘gets’ the brand and its market. I research these when I begin work with a new client, and monitor them with long-term clients.
Do you use AI in technical marketing copywriting?
Speaking personally, I use AI to aid my research but I NEVER use it to generate writing. All of my technical marketing copywriting is original work, created by me.
Additionally, while I acknowledge that AI is a great tool for quickly gathering and sorting data, I only use it for that alongside my own, well-honed, ability to discern decent sources and check facts. Not only does AI hallucinate, it is also incredibly reliant on the questions it is asked and the information it is given – or not given. This makes it useful, but inherently unreliable and needing guidance. If you would like to know more about my use of AI, please check out my FAQs about being a freelance editor.