Last week we put out a call for questions about Ben Hardesty’s article, “Writing to Persuade: Why Technical Communicators Can Move Into Marketing Writing,” in the September/October Intercom. You can read the article again at the Intercom site (don’t forget that you must be logged in to view the PDFs) before reading further for the questions and Ben’s answers below. And come back next Wednesday, when we’ll have another call for questions to an Intercom article for you!
How receptive are hiring managers really to hiring technical writers for high-tech marketing communications jobs, especially in a job market in which there are more seekers than jobs?
I’ve spoken to marketing communications managers who have bemoaned how difficult it is for them to find decent writers who know their particular industry. The key is to build expertise in an industry, and then to produce some samples that demonstrate the sort of work you’d like to do.
If you work as a technical writer, then try writing some marketing material for the product you support. You could volunteer for stretch assignments with your marketing department, or even just write some pieces on your own.
I’ve seen a number of postings for marketing communications jobs specifically say “No technical writers” or “Technical writers need not apply.” What misperceptions, or actual experiences, do you think have led hiring managers to put such blatant verbiage in their job postings?
I haven’t actually seen that myself, so I’m afraid that my comments would just be conjecture. While I suppose it’s possible that the hiring manager had a bad experience with a tech writer in the past, in some cases, marketing communications managers are looking for creative thinkers and writers. And let’s face it: writing “end-user documentation” doesn’t exactly strike most folks as “creative.” You might have more luck focusing on marketing writing that is more about informing than persuading. Generally, you tend to find that in Business-to-Business (B2B) industries that are looking for pieces like white papers, press releases, annual reports, case studies, technical fact sheets, and so on.
I’d also recommend thinking through how you can put a creative spin on your current work. For example, rather than just writing release notes for a software release, you might try your hand at writing an announcement that could be sent out to the end-users highlighting the key benefits.
If a technical writer wanted to apply for a marketing writing job and actually get called in for an interview, what 3-5 skills and what 2-4 accomplishments do you think absolutely must be on their resume and/or highlighted in their cover letter?
Generally, when applying for a job, it’s best to choose the skills and accomplishments that most closely match the skills and accomplishments listed in the job description. They can vary widely depending on the industry and the type of content that the applicant will be expected to produce.
For the mid to long term, if you’re interested in pursuing a marketing communications career, then I would determine as precisely as possible what sort of industry you’d like to work in, and what kind of writing you would like to do. Then, I’d make a list of the skills that you think are the most vital for that particular type of writing. As you complete projects in your current job, you can think of how you demonstrated those skills, and add them to your resume. If you’re currently unemployed, or if your current work doesn’t allow you to demonstrate the necessary skills, then look for opportunities to take on volunteer and pro bono work that will allow you to demonstrate the skills you identified.
I’d also recommend Peter Bowerman’s book, “The Well-Fed Writer.” He outlines some good tactics for how to look for and apply the skills needed to land marketing communications gigs when you have little to no experience.
What mistakes do you think technical writers make when they try to make their case for their suitability for a marketing writing job? What assumptions or beliefs do you think are preventing them from acquiring such work?
I think often times, we tend to build up this idea in our heads that marketing writing has to be witty and “salesy,” and that it requires a fancy Ivy League degree.
I really believe that it all goes back to the fundamental definition of marketing. It really is not rocket science. Marketing is actually quite simple: it’s just letting people that you’re out there, and what you have to offer. That’s it. So as a technical writer, if you know your audience and what they want to be able to do, then you should have no problem writing marketing pieces that explain how your product can benefit them.
What do you think are the biggest mind shifts that a technical writer needs to make in order to conceptualize and produce a successful piece of marketing writing?
An experienced technical writer once told me that if you’re a good writer, then you can be successful doing any kind of writing that you enjoy. I really do believe that. Any writing field requires you to be a good writer as a prerequisite and to have some level of expertise in the subject area so that you can understand what you’re writing about. If you have those things, then you shouldn’t have a tough time learning some of the writing styles required for marketing writing.
With most marketing writing, your goal is to figure out what motivates the audience and then clearly communicate the product’s benefits that will hit on those points. As a technical writer, you might be used to writing about everything that you think will be helpful to the user for him or her to use a product. However, as a marketing writer, you need to always keep the key benefits in mind as you write.
I have personally found Bob Bly’s book, “The Copywriter’s Handbook” to be very helpful on how to plan and write different types of marketing pieces.
How much does a declaration of specialty or strength hurt a technical writer when they apply for marketing writing jobs? For example, if you’re stronger at case studies and white papers than you are brochures, factsheets, and web content, will that hurt you in the eyes of hiring manager?
I’m not sure I can speak for hiring managers, but I don’t think it can do anything but help you if you build a personal brand or specialty. You might specialize in white papers, but you can still list all of the other marketing writing that you do or can do.
There’s an old debate in marketing writing circles about whether it’s better to be a generalist who does all different types of marketing writing, or a specialist who specializes in one or two specific areas. In reality, it’s up to you. If you really like variety, then you can be a successful generalist. Or you can specialize in writing a specific type of marketing piece. Or you can specialize in writing different types of marketing pieces within a very specific industry. The possibilities are nearly endless, and it just comes down to what you enjoy the most.