Copywriting for SaaS in Silicon Valley

Give me your keywords, your case studies, your meta descriptions, the email subject lines to test. Send these, the jargon, analytics reports, to me: I’ll write lead-generating content.The thing about being a right-brain copywriter in the land of tech is that you’re surrounded by super left brains — innovators developing complex solutions comprised of coding dimensions that can make most heads spin. Conveying these complicated ideas requires straightforward messaging because clarity builds trust. For communication to be most effective, you must also understand your users. Seriously, who are your users? Who are the decision makers at the businesses you target? The rapidly evolving tech world means copywriters must work cross-functionally with sales and demand gen so that messaging is not only accurate but always stays aligned with customer needs. Working at Egnyte provides a unique advantage to staying relevant in an evolving industry. Secure collaboration with team members around the world is essential and our platform makes it easy. I can use our platform to streamline my own workflow. Whether I’m writing a blog or creating an email campaign, our Desktop Sync helps ensure I always have access to the latest comments and edits. When it comes to advice for copywriters, the best I’ve heard is “don’t overwrite.” This especially applies to those writing for tech because the values are often sophisticated and virtual. Use common words to depict uncommon things because the more simply something is said, the better. Leave the complexity to the engineers.Tips on how to write better for SaaS

• Planning, planning, planning

Cross-functional communication among departments is key and the quality of your work depends on how well you stay ahead of updates. In a perfect world, you’d know when your product team plans to implement changes, add integrations, or release new app versions before they’ve gone live. Knowing what’s coming down the pipeline allows you to plan work accordingly so you can craft proper messaging without being rushed.

• Working cross-functionally

Ask as many questions as it takes to understand the products/services you’re selling. Remember, engineers are people too and it’s okay to pester them for answers that will help you communicate what they do better. Cross-collaboration within various teams provides deeper learnings and transparency of what you’re writing about.

• Partnering with designers

Good design begins with good content and working closely with designers helps ensure that the two don’t compete. Copy should lead design because content informs direction. As a SaaS copywriter, it helps to be conceptual because you’re often dealing with virtual products. I find that when I write, I tend to also picture the layout, where the content will live, and where supplemental visuals may be required. Communicate these ideas before handing content off to design.

• Reviewing performance

It’s important to see how your message is received so be sure to work with the teams generating the numbers. Make sure you meet with demand generation periodically for valuable feedback. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not so you can create better, more targeted content.