02 Nov Software copywriting: it is not advertising copywriting
Software copywriting is something different in the marketing communications game. Now, fair enough, everyone can write in the same way that everyone can dance. Pretty much anyone can gyrate to a beat and everyone knows which end of the pen the ink comes out. However, just like dancing, there’s a world of difference between a skilled practitioner and an enthusiastic amateur – and just like in dance, different styles of writing are their own fields of expertise.
Software copywriting is one such area and one that’s often done a disservice. Too often, stellar software solutions are written up in a way that misses the mark – their capabilities are not put in context. Either the dream of the product withers under a pile of dirt-dry technical jargon, or potential customers are turned off by the insubstantial flash of hard-sell copy.
So, why does so much software copywriting teeter between these extremes? The reason is that software copywriting must have a foot in two worlds to be successful. By the end of this article you will understand how software copywriting differs from advertising copywriting. You will also learn how a team with a track record of success in writing about software, apps and managed services can maximise your solution’s chances of being understood in the market … and then make your target audience move.
Copywriting vs. technical writing
To appreciate the special demands of software copywriting, it is important to understand its relationship to other styles. In short, software copywriting is an amalgam of marketing copywriting and technical writing. As such, it requires an understanding of both, along with a recognition of their differences.
Technical writing
Technical writing aims to explain complex topics or procedures with accuracy. It condenses complex operations into straightforward phrasing. Clarity is a priority. User manuals are a prime example of technical writing, though they often fall short of the ideal. The imperatives of a technical writer can be summarised thus:
- Facts not feelings
- Features not benefits
- Explanation not sales.
Advertising copywriting
If you take that same set of ideas and apply them to marketing writing, something interesting happens: the principles completely reverse. Marketing copywriters know that sales are usually made on an emotional basis, and thus they focus on the reader, not what is being read. A good marketing copywriter will think more like this:
- Feelings over facts
- Benefits over features
- Sales before explanation.
This is not to say that a marketing copywriter doesn’t care about facts or features. The difference is a question of priorities. Now, let’s look at what a skilled software copywriter does with this little schema.
Software copywriting
- Facts and feelings
- Features and benefits
- Sales through understanding.
A marketing copywriter wants to compel their readers to undertake a certain action. A technical writer wants to explain how a thing works or can be used. A software copywriter understands that the software market demands both. Software consumers are smart, autonomous and interested in the nitty-gritty. Empty buzzwords are meaningless to feature-driven buyers.
However, software users are still human and they need to be engaged. You can build a better mousetrap, but no one will buy it off the blueprint. This means creating messaging with relevance for consumer/user interest, while still preserving the details that distinguish your product. By providing a map of how to use a feature, a software copywriter helps a user see why they should be using it.
Work with experienced software copywriters
So, whether you are launching a new product or marketing established software you need the right words to do it justice. Our team at Search And Site Authoring is committed to going past the surface and understanding the essence of your product. We have a proven track record in software copywriting. Contact us today by emailing info@searchandsite.com.au and find out how we do it.
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