{"id":281,"date":"2011-10-12T13:20:01","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T13:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/?p=281"},"modified":"2011-10-12T15:54:27","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T15:54:27","slug":"steve-jobs-lessons-for-technology-content-creators-and-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/steve-jobs-lessons-for-technology-content-creators-and-writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Jobs’ lessons for technology-content creators and writers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Business<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

As writers of marketing content, we at Write Angle think different<\/em>.<\/a> For example, we believe that content, and the professionals\u00a0 who produce it, can influence product strategy to a much greater degree than most people assume.\u00a0 Can’t think of a better way to honor the memory of our former colleague, Steve Jobs, who “thought different” and shared this belief.<\/p>\n

Here’s what we mean. Lost in last week’s deluge of Jobs’ tributes was broader recognition <\/a>of what really separated him from the pack for so long: his uncanny instinct for making it easier for people to do what they already enjoy doing. Jobs had an innate ability to immediately recognize what users actually wanted from products and services. Then he worked ferociously to deliver easier, better ways for them to get it.\u00a0 Long before anybody touted the so-called\u00a0 “product experience”, Apple was pumping out the best experiences imaginable.\u00a0 The wild popularity of these products proved it.\u00a0 Apple (Jobs) did not invent the personal computer, the graphical user interface, the mouse, the music player, the cell phone or the tablet computer.\u00a0 But they sure as hell made each one drastically easier and more fun to use –not to mention irresistible.\u00a0\u00a0 Apple products are consistently cool.\u00a0 How many technology<\/em> offerings can claim this?<\/p>\n

So what does all this have to do with what marketing-content creators and writers can do? Plenty. Most engineers and product marketers, especially in B2B land, are justifiably proud of what they invent and take to market.\u00a0 Problem is, being so close to the device or service can create blind spots when it comes to buyers, customers and users of these inventions.\u00a0 So, when the time comes to describe the offerings and differentiate them in marketing and selling efforts, it’s up to content creator — namely, the writer — to ask the penetrating questions and extract the comprehensive answers that inform this all-important differentiation.<\/p>\n

1. What job are we are trying to make it easier for the user to get done?\u00a0 What’s our stuff actually going to do for them to make their lives easier and\/or more productive?<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. What core positioning statement do we want to weave throughout the content?<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. What are the distinguishing technologies\/approaches that we need to cite to clearly establish competitive differentiation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. What tangible metrics or documented verification substantiates our claims?<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. What are the three most essential messages — the takeways — we want readers to understand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t forget that it’s never enough just to ask the right questions.\u00a0 You have to know if and when you’re getting a complete answer and keep pushing until you’re there. The writer must come away with the content of a comprehensive, no-doubt-about-it answer — and then articulate it in a way that resonates with the reader.\u00a0 Not simply regurgitate what was shared in the sourcing session.\u00a0 In the process, the technical team — the product jocks — will have to do their own diligence and homework.\u00a0 This forces the issue.\u00a0 Steve Jobs knew it wasn’t so much about “knowing” his customers as much as knowing what they wanted to do — and then make it easier and less hassle for them to do it.\u00a0 It’s no different in the B2B world.<\/p>\n

So what does your<\/em> team do to understand what your users are trying to accomplish with products in your category?\u00a0 Equally important, does your marketing content communicate this understanding? What more can you do to ensure that it does?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  As writers of marketing content, we at Write Angle think different. For example, we believe that content, and the professionals\u00a0 who produce it, can influence product strategy to a much greater degree than most people assume.\u00a0 Can’t think of a better way to honor the memory of our former colleague, Steve Jobs, who “thought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,37,9,45,5,30,53,44],"tags":[14,210,26,38,48,17,6,41],"class_list":["post-281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-marketing","category-marketing","category-online-content","category-outside-writers","category-readers","category-rx-for-content","category-white-papers","category-writing-services","tag-branding-content","tag-case-studies","tag-content-creation","tag-content-strategy-2","tag-contract-writers","tag-sales-minded-content","tag-writing-case-studies","tag-writing-collaboration"],"yoast_head":"\nSteve Jobs' lessons for technology-content creators and writers - The Write Stuff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.write-angle.com\/thewritestuff\/steve-jobs-lessons-for-technology-content-creators-and-writers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steve Jobs' lessons for technology-content creators and writers - The Write Stuff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  As writers of marketing content, we at Write Angle think different. 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