Blog Writing: How to Break Down Technical Content

When blogging in manufacturing and industrial circles, the content can become quite technical. However—just because someone is reading about industrial manufacturing—that doesn’t mean they want to read a wordy, confusing blog post. Most people still would like to read a blog post that is engaging and understandable. To that end, read on to learn seven tips on how to break down technical content for blog writing.

Blog Writing: How to Break Down Technical Content

Be interested in the content:

This first point may sound a little bossy, but I promise it isn’t. This tip is simply to write about things you’re interested in because the readers can sense enthusiasm through the screen. If a certain topic isn’t interesting to you, try going about it in a different way. Ask questions, think about it from a new perspective, or research the topic more fully to write about the topic in a way that interests you. Be interested, and your writing will be interesting.

Write to a high-schooler:

This tip is a simple one. While writing, write in understandable language. A helpful tip to remember is to write with a high-schooler in mind. This means that the wording, sentence-length, and phrasing will be geared to somewhere between grades eight through twelve. Think to yourself—if I was in high school right now, would I understand this? Keeping this in mind allows you to write in an understandable way. The thing about blog writing about technical topics is that you don’t know who is going to read your content. The reader could be an industry-insider or a newcomer to the field. We, as blog writers, have to prepare for both extremes—and everywhere in the middle. The high-schooler rule of thumb reminds you to break down topics into understandable language as a first step.

Use analogies:

Using writing rich with analogies adds a further layer of understanding to the content. If a reader doesn’t understand one part of the explanation, an added analogy could bring light onto the subject for them. Analogies bring the unknown to the known so this makes sense why they’re helpful. Taking something that’s complicated and comparing it to something that’s familiar is a key tool to have in your toolbox.

Have a beginning, middle, and end:

Even with a technical topic, adding narrative structure to the blog post can be a game-changer. A narrative structure (or a form that provides a beginning, middle, and end) engages the reader throughout the whole piece of writing. This also helps the reader remember what you’re talking about throughout the post.

Break up topics:

When writing, focus on an audience that has a short attention span. While your audience may or may not have a short attention span, keeping a short attention-span in mind keeps your writing short and to-the-point. To do this: break down topics into bite-size pieces. Separate content into short and focused paragraphs. This can be done through headings and subheadings as I’ll talk about in a moment. Another option is to break up topics into separate blog posts—blog posts that are specific and focused.

Use headings:

Use headings and subheadings to break down your information. A lot of people, when they’re reading more complicated content, either skim or re-read. For both of these options, using headings to help readers follow the content is helpful. In the same way, bullets and numbers will help for instructions or lists. This visually breaks down complicated content, in addition to breaking it down for comprehension.

Write with your senses:

Writing with language that relates to the five senses brings an additional layer of interest to your writing. Using imagery that relates to your five senses brings all the senses into the reader’s mind. The connection to sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell paint a picture in the mind’s eye. For visual learners, a visual description or analogy may be the most helpful thing you give them.

If you’d like to talk with RedMoxy about marketing and communications options, give us a call at 262-363-4238 or reach out to us at [email protected]. Our services include marketing, branding, and website development with an emphasis on industrial sector companies. We’d love to talk with you!