I often hear from manufacturers, “We’ve hired writers in the past, but they never work out. The material they provide is unusable.”
That’s because writing content for a manufacturer’s audience requires specialized knowledge, for three reasons.
The messaging, the audiences, the language — all of it is very different for manufacturers.
B2B is a *very* broad term
One reason I don’t use B2B to describe manufacturers is because B2B can mean anything, including Software as a Service or companies that make products for consumers that they sell through retailers or distributors.
The messaging, the audiences, the language — all of it is very different for manufacturers.
Manufacturing is its own niche and has its own language
It’s easy to understand, “We make machined parts.” However, it requires specialized knowledge to pull out the details behind the parts being made:
+ Types of parts
+ Materials and tolerances
+ Certifications and their importance
+ Types of machining
+ Short runs vs. high volumes
+ etc.
It also requires asking lots of questions about why a part or process is so special in order to determine the real story.
The factory floor is FULL of stories of innovations and the people who create them
This is the reason I like to do a tour before I start any writing. I look at everything from ceiling to floor, ask a ton of questions, pick up parts to touch them and look them all over, and pay attention to how people work.
At my last tour, I noted that one of the employees had a list going of all the things he wanted to make on the 3D printer in order to improve processes. That one handwritten list gave me a ton of insight into why the company and its people were doing something very special.
If you’re a manufacturer, and you’re tired of getting content you absolutely can’t use, or the “writer” (bot?) you’re working with can’t or won’t deliver, let’s talk. Contact me by email or call 603-382-8093.
