When should your business hire a freelance technical writer versus a content writer? Understanding where and when to apply each writing style will help you choose the most effective force in your content production.
Recognized for precision and catering to specialized audiences, technical writing appeals to subject matter experts requiring detail-oriented analyses. Technical writing includes deliverables such as user guides, instruction manuals, and business proposals. In contrast, content writers can span a broad spectrum of subjects and write to sustain general readers with accessible, introductory, and engaging language. Content writing includes blog articles, landing page content, and social media posts.
Who are you creating content for? Knowing the needs of your audience will guide the choice of language, style, and approach. Here, we explore how these writing types differ in terms of target readers:
A. Technical Writing Audience:
Technical writing typically caters to a specialized and often expert audience often including high-ranking professionals. Some key points about the audience for technical writing include:
B. Content Writing Audience:
Content writing, on the other hand, is geared towards a broader and more general readership, with many topics involving subject matter introductions. The audience for content writing varies widely and can include:
In a nutshell, technical writers must concisely communicate complex ideas to a knowledgeable audience, while content writers aim to engage and inform a broader range of readers. Consequently, the tone, style, and approach taken in each form of writing are tailored to these distinct audiences.
Both technical writing and content writing can be leveraged to enhance marketing efforts. While content writing such as blog articles, whitepapers, social posts, and landing pages is commonly attributed to aiding in the sales process, technical content has a role to play as well. Technical content marketing utilizes content such as product specifications and getting started guides to help prospects further understand, convert, and even evolve users into power users.
The style and tone in which a piece of writing is crafted play a significant role in distinguishing when to hire a technical writer or content writer. These aspects are essential in conveying appropriate messaging while effectively engaging the intended audience.
A. Technical Writing Style and Tone:
B. Content Writing Style and Tone:
Understanding these differences in style and tone is essential for businesses to effectively convey their message and achieve their writing goals. Technical writing prioritizes clarity and precision where details are crucial, as in instruction manuals and software development guides. Content writing emphasizes engagement and creativity to move users down a funnel, such as a strategic website journey or a captivating and shareable social media post. The choice of style and tone should align with the business or campaign objectives and intended audience.
Both technical writing and content writing benefit greatly from thorough revision and editing. However, the specific focus and considerations in the revision process differ between the two types of writing.
A. Technical Writing:
B. Content Writing:
In both cases, revision and editing are indispensable steps to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the written material. However, the specific goals, standards, and methods applied during the revision process vary to suit the objectives and audience of technical writing and content writing.
The distinctions between technical writing and content writing are significant, revolving around the audience, style, subject matter, structure, and purpose of the writing. Understanding these differences is essential for businesses looking to find technical writers or content writers to accurately relay product, service, or procedural documentation to a respective audience.
Whether your business needs technical writers or content writers, our expert staff is ready to integrate into your team to assist. Our technical writing services will provide you with technical content that helps promote your product or service while keeping operations and services running consistently and effectively. We additionally provide robust content writing services to help discover and guide prospective clients down your funnel. Contact us today to see how our experienced writing team can help.