Whilst the term ‘industrial copywriter’ may conjure up an image of someone writing about a manufacturing process or producing a dry list of facts and figures – or even creating a mass of content on an industrial scale! – the reality is that copywriting for industry is far more interesting.
What does industrial copywriting involve?
Business-to-business copywriting? Mostly but not always.
A technical copywriting expert? Maybe.
Writing for primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary industries? Could be all, or any of the above. And let’s face it, most business falls into one of these sectors.
Creating boring, technical copy that only an industry expert can understand? Definitely not.
Having to be an expert in that particular field? No.
Industry copywriting is about choosing an experienced copywriter who is able to bring their creative and analytical skills to your industry and turn something potentially complex into coherent content that inspires its intended audience – whether that’s business customers, the end consumer, investors or other stakeholders.
Do you need to choose a copywriter who specialises in your industry?
No. If you deal with someone who works only in your industry, or indeed is purely an industrial copywriter, are they going to bring fresh thinking and best copywriting practice?
A non-specialist copywriter comes to the project with no assumptions. They have the same curiosity as a potential customer first coming across your business. They ask the right questions to find out how your business works, the problems you solve for your customers, and what makes your business better than the competition. It’s their job to turn your complex processes and products into something that can be understood by everyone.
It’s far better to choose a copywriter based on their copywriting experience, not their particular industry experience.
I’ve written for a broad range of industries, and produced a wide swathe of content, from websites to award entries to white papers. Here are a few recent projects to illustrate what a copywriting expert, like me, can bring to your project.
Energy sector:
Active Flow Controls
Active Flow designs and manufactures gas control and measurement solutions for the UK gas industry. I created the website copy, from the more technical products pages where I explored the benefits of their products, to the sales focused About Us page where I sought to engender trust and experience.
Pharma sector:
Veenak
At the height of the first COVID wave, I created copy for three websites for Veenak International, a pharmaceutical and medication supplies company. As a long-established supplier of medical products with extensive supply chains, Veenak was in the perfect position to respond rapidly to the Covid-19 pandemic. The key was to leverage their 30-year reputation with an impressive turnover, massive supply chain, great testimonials and strong company values.
Electrical engineering and international trade:
Exertherm
This industrial copywriting task helped win a coveted Queen’s Award for International Trade 2021 for Exertherm. It is also promoting British innovation – in this case a life-saving product – around the world.
Exertherm makes a sensor that monitors the temperature of vital electrical systems, preventing overheating that, if undetected, leads to power outages and explosions. The consequences of such explosions include the destruction and replacement cost of equipment, as well as downtime cost to the business, which can often run into weeks and cost millions of pounds a day. Another risk is environmental impact, such as disastrous pollution from an oil platform explosion. Worst of all, explosions can lead to the personal injury or death of anybody in the proximity.
As a senior consultant to Awards Intelligence, the world’s leading Queen’s Honours and business awards experts, I crafted a compelling 5,000-word narrative that set Exertherm apart from dozens of other entries, covering areas as varied as innovation, global sales strategy, environmental credentials and customer ratings.
Blockchain:
Writing an awards entry for the blockchain tech sector proved fascinating.
I started with no prior knowledge but soon discovered this tech sector is about far more than crypto currency. It has been described in a government report in these terms: “The progress of mankind is marked by the rise of new technologies and the human ingenuity they unlock. In blockchain we may be witnessing one of those potential explosions of creative potential that catalyse exceptional levels of innovation.”
My industrial copywriting challenge was to make this complex topic easy to understand. I needed to bring simplicity to something complicated whilst still getting across the brilliance needed to accomplish such innovation.
Manufacturing
Express Data
Express Data is a specialist technology provider, eliminating inefficiency, reducing costs and improving profitability for manufacturing production lines.
I write case studies and proof points for the company’s website, telling the story, for example, of how Express Data is helping Morrisons supermarkets run faster and smoother production lines in its factories.
