How To Write User-Centric Marketing Content In A Specialized Industry

by | Oct 31, 2018 | Content Marketing | 0 comments

Writing marketing content that is both engaging and effective is one of the biggest challenges faced by businesses that operate in highly specialized industries. In order for marketing content to provide the expected results, it needs to attract readers by using notions, arguments, and language that they can understand and relate to.

However, when you work in a field that not everyone is familiar with, such as finance, private equities, aeronautics, or healthcare, delivering your message without confusing your audience can be really challenging. It’s easier to appeal to the masses and create an emotional connection when presenting jewelry or clothing, but how can you create the same connection when trying to introduce customers to industrial components or computer parts?

As the content creator, you have to keep in mind the profile of the reader at all times and develop creative strategies that appeal to him. For many years, online marketing has been dominated by a brand-centric tendency where content was written for providers rather than users. However, things are changing, and marketers now recommend the user-centric approach at all times, because technical and user-friendly don’t have to cancel each other out.

Transitioning From Brand-Centric To User-Centric

Brand-centric content occurs when the content speaks “at” the user, not to him.

More often than not, this content abounds in technical jargon and impersonal phrasing, which makes it sound professional, but also cold and difficult to understand. Brand-focused content was the norm for a long time until users simply started to reject content that they did not connect to. In fact, a marketing study conducted in 2013 by Janrain showed that a staggering 75% of web users leave a website if it does not relate to them within the first few seconds.

On the other hand, user-centric content speaks to users, connecting with them and establishing trust. It is more approachable, easier to understand and result-oriented. It describes benefits, without overemphasizing technical features and aims to inform, not confuse. When people search online for products and services, they do so using the terms they know, not industry jargon – and that is why every professional digital marketing agency will recommend a user-friendly strategy.

For example, if you work in FinTech, which is one of the fastest growing industries, your marketing message should be less focused on the technicalities that make this service possible and more on how they can help clients. The same applies to finance. If you are working on a marketing campaign for an investment firm, toning down the corporate jargon might bring in more clients. According to XIO Group, approaching your clients at a personal level and presenting your services from a perspective they can relate to inspires trust.

From Boring Tp Engaging: Tips For Marketing Technical Products

Generating engagement when trying to promote a technical product or service might seem impossible, but as long as you always keep the client in mind, it’s not. As proven by large companies such as Hewlett-Packard, a connection can be made:

  • Don’t focus so much on how a product works, focus on the why. Clients don’t always want to know what a microprocessor is made of or how real-time payments work, so don’t focus on that. Instead, focus on how that particular product or service saves their time, makes their life easier and helps them save money.

  • Whenever possible, add a humorous note to your content, or use infographics and animated videos to explain technical terms.

  • Use your blog to stay in touch with clients, provide insight into your industry and keep them up to date with the latest news.
    However, try to make a distinction between announcing official news via a press release and announcing the same thing on your blog. On your blog, you should have a friendly tone and encourage your readers to start a conversation.

  • Be creative, tell a story. Think of insurance companies, for instance. The topic itself is quite technical and doesn’t sound very engaging. However, by explaining how good insurance can improve lives, these companies have managed to create truly spectacular, emotional ads that stick with you.

Leverage The Power of SEO-Friendly Content

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization is a process through which you can increase the visibility of a web page in organic search results.

Meaningful, user-oriented content can only occur when you understand the group you are writing for and the reason why they are reading your message – this is where SEO comes in. When user-centric marketing content is sustained by SEO efforts, the results can be much better than writing brand-centric content. When done properly, SEO increases the exposure of your brand, product or service, bringing it closer to potential clients.

As a marketing strategy, SEO also involves keyword research and writing content based on phrases that the targeted audience actually types in search engines. For example, you can leverage the power of “how to” keywords to write Google-optimized informative content that not only helps visitors understand your field of activity a little bit better, but also boosts engagement rates. Another idea is to write SEO-friendly, long-form guides that are very effective these days.

Lastly, keep in mind that writing user-centric, engaging content doesn’t mean you have to be less professional. You can still showcase your experience and discuss technical specifications, but first, you have to create a connection with your audience and capture their interest through content they can relate to.