Forum Moderators: not2easy
That may sound like an obvious statement, but when I get hired to write in an area I'm not personally involved with, I can blow it -- and I have. So I've learned to fine tune my ear to pick up the right words and phrases and avoid others that would sound foreign in this market, even though they might work well in another field.
CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS
I discovered one of the most direct paths to this kind of knowledge when I was working on a project where I did client interviews. Real satisfied customers use the expressions that other prospects in the same market would also use. That informs my writing with authenticity and my keyword choices with new relevance. Even further, sometimes real customers will highlight a selling point for a product or service that the marketing department has overlooked.
MINING CUSTOMER EMAIL
Another way to discover a "native language" is to get permission to explore customer emails. This doesn't need to be a full blown data-mining effort (although that can be excellent) but just looking through a few examples can make a difference.
In one case, I discovered that my client was offering "courses" but their market invariably called it "classes". A similar examination for another client turned up a parallel situation. They wanted to say they offered "seminars" but their attendees almost invariably called them "workshops". Those two examples are very basic, but there have been others that were very industry specific.
FINE TUNING FOR THE EXACT READER
In b2b writing, sometimes I'm addressing a decision influencer and sometimes the actual decision maker. Take for example a document intended to reach an IT market and convince an influencer to go to bat for my client with their boss. I can use a phrase like "system latency" or "data migration" and be confident that my target will know what I mean.
But if the person with checkbook on their desk is my target for a bit of copy, they may have little knowledge of the more hands-on terminology. To reach this person (often at the "C-level" of CFO, CEO, etc) I'd better be speaking in another tongue completely, full of "ROI" and "time to market". If I really do need to talk about "system latency" in this piece then I'd better spell it out in terms they can understand.
SERVER LOGS HOLD SECRETS
Another valuable way to uncover a market's native language can be through studying the server logs. This process can only occur after the initial launch of a website, but it can be highly valuable.
By watching the search terms that bring people to the site, you begin to pick up which phrases are used the most, and even get surprised by others you never considered. Then you can turn around with that information and write new material based on your new-found look at the market segment, and sometimes win the lion's share of targeted search engine traffic.
BEWARE OF BUZZWORDS
Some industries are more flooded with buzzwords than others, and some industries shift more quickly than others. But I've discovered that clients may want to be on the cutting edge of adopting the latest buzzwords, but the audience will probably be a step or two behind. So it's important to know how prospective clients talk and think -- and search.
I often read a couple trade journals when I first begin writing in a field that's new to me. But reading journals that are 1 or 2 years old can be even more important.
My writing experience is mostly b2b, but I'm betting that b2c copy has some parallels. Anybody willing to share a few?
Thanks for the great information!
I visit lots of forums to get a handle on the lingo of certain groups. Much of the esoteric lingo that is a "must learn" is difficult to come by unless you can join the group.
Most of what I write is ad copy and the target markets vary greatly. Recently I've written about skateboards, ham radios, sport shooting, agricultural supplies, Pokemon and Yugio.
I really like poking around in the logs but I haven't yet had the opportunity to read lots of customer email. I'd like to but never really thought to ask. Most form data I get to read is so dry that it is of no help but emails are more personal.
How difficult is it to get clients to turn over their customer emails? Seems like a fantastic way to get the scoop on the 'real voice'.
How difficult is it to get clients to turn over their customer emails?
It varies with the company, of course. It take a bit of salesmanship - but the marketing dept often sees the value of it quickly.
Some companies hire writers to do "Case Studies", which really amount to extended testimonials written through an interview. That's how I first came on this idea. There's nothing worse than a testimonial that was obviously invented by a paid writer, unless it's an invented FAQ list that's nothing but a bunch of sales mesages.
