You might be surprised to learn that my copywriting expertise evolved from working as a
software technical writer for more than a decade after graduating from UMass. The
applications I worked on were related to business—hospital software, wholesale
inventory software, banking software, real estate relocation software—it didn’t matter to
me. What mattered to me was the people who had to use the application to get their
jobs done. I felt their pain. Who wants to access an online help system that doesn’t
answer a question? Or slog through a dense, disorganized and unattractive manual?
My goal as a writer was to prevent my end users’ pain before it started. And the answer
to that? The most thorough, yet concise and friendly content one could imagine. With
every word I wrote, I thought about my customers. How could I help them get their jobs
done? What instructions might they need? And how could I make mountains of
background information easily available? In solving these challenges, I learned to craft
tight copy and navigate any content development or page formatting software I needed
to produce that technical copy.
Eventually, one of my tech writing roles crossed the line between aftermarket technical
to potential sales. Tasked with creating marketing collateral and web content, I fell in
love with slipping into the shoes of a potential customer to fill a desire or solve a
problem—and to convert a customer’s interest to a sale.
For years I’ve focused my professional efforts on copywriting. After all, a copywriter is
an expert in sales, and a technical writer is an expert in exacting details. Marry the two,
and you have me… a writer who is enthusiastic about telling the story of your products and
creating delighted customers as a result.
~ Liz Russell