You’ve probably heard the term technical writing but aren’t too sure what it actually means. Well, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got some technical writing examples for 2022 that should clear things up.
Many copywriters and content creators branch out into this field as another option to diversify their skill sets. So let’s jump right in.
Skip ahead here –
- Take a Look at Our Technical Writing Examples for 2022 to Get Off on the Right Foot
- What Is Technical Writing?
- The Process of Technical Writing
- Are Technical Writers in Demand?
- Tone and Style When Writing Technical
- Technical Writing Examples for 2022
- Extra Tips for Technical Writing
- Looking for a Technical Writer?
Take a Look at Our Technical Writing Examples for 2022 to Get Off on the Right Foot
Are you interested in becoming a technical writer or want to learn more about what technical writing means? Do you need to write the following:
- Instruction Manuals
- Guides
- Press Releases
- Business Plans
- Annual reports
We have everything you need to get started and become a proficient technical writer.
You may have an idea of how to become one, however, the best way to understand everything you need to know to succeed in technical writing is by looking at examples of some of the most common technical documents.
What Is Technical Writing?
The aim of a technical writer is to create informative text that helps instruct readers on a process when working on something or to provide knowledge on a subject.
In other words, the objective is to provide clear and concise text written by a field expert. Therefore, all that participate in technical writing will need a great understanding of the sector to ensure accuracy and amazing detail is produced.
If you’re wondering how different this is to what does a copywriter do, the answer is surprisingly different.
The Process of Technical Writing
Compared to other forms of writing, technical writing requires much more planning and preparation, so much so that it often takes longer to plan than to write!
When technical writing is concerned, planning ensures that it is technically accurate, where nothing important gets missed out, and is appropriately written with the audience in mind.
So before you get out your typewriter (or modern device), here are a few things you should think about first.
- Prior Planning
This is the stage where you are first asked to write the document. You should ask all the relevant questions to ensure you have everything you need to get started.
This can be a long list of questions, but usually, the main ones are:
- What is the specific type of document needed?
- Who is the document aimed at?
- What is the specific subject area?
- Audience Research
After you have all the necessary information to get started, you now need to look in more detail at the audience you are targeting.
Take a look at what you have been given and think, what would the audience like to gain from reading this? Although the facts of the technical document will always remain the same, the way it is structured will change accordingly.
Gaining more insight into the expertise of the audience will also help. If they are very experienced, explaining the basic things in detail will likely decrease the quality of the document in the eyes of the audience and lose their interest.
Consistently looking at the document as if you are in the target audience’s shoes will encourage you to focus only on what’s important.
Are Technical Writers in Demand?
Always. From the technical writing examples for 2022 shown, there is a lot of material that they cover. Therefore, a plethora of different assignments are always available. Although, due to the nature of the work, only individuals with experience in the respective field are sought after.
Tone and Style When Writing Technical
Carrying out the necessary research beforehand is crucial for completing an assignment. Although, that’s just one part of the process.
There are many types of projects worked on, as we’ve discussed. Each of them has its own purpose to fulfill.
Together, all of these different projects should follow some basic rules when looking at the tone and style of the work. These consist of:
- Being straight to the point
Informative as possible while staying clear of any unnecessary text that doesn’t fit the projects’ purpose.
- Easy to understand
This is where experience is required. The idea is to break down complicated jargon to ensure the intended audience knows what is being discussed.
- The structure is well thought out.
Writers that write technically, focus on how to present the information in the best format. This way, certain sections the reader is interested in can be viewed quickly.
- Extreme detail and precision
No stone should be left unturned to ensure the project completely captures all necessary information to help readers comprehend the topic fully.
Technical Writing Examples for 2022
There are a lot of different examples to see at, so let’s take a look:
Instruction Manuals
An instruction manual is one of the most common technical writing examples for 2022. Whether it is helping you install software, or helping you build a bookshelf, an instruction manual will have you covered. This technical document is straight to the point and covers everything you need about a specific product to get it to work as intended.
It is a guide on everything about the product, from how to use the product in question, how to maintain it, to explaining all of its key features. So, when writing an instruction manual, you will need to be extremely thorough.
Identifying all the potential problems that may go wrong with the product and explaining how to fix it is one of the most helpful facets of an instruction manual. Because of this, gaining an in-depth understanding of the product through thorough research is a good idea to create the most compelling technical document for your client.
However, just because it is a technical document does not mean that it is not user-friendly. A broad range of people will need to understand it, so keeping complicated words and phrases to a minimum is essential.
Including a table of contents is often necessary for a user manual as it helps the user to quickly get to where they need to be, fast. As well as this, modern instruction manuals often come with diagrams to help the audience follow the manual easier.
Taking on all the above tips will ensure you can’t go wrong in creating a high-quality instruction manual!
Press Releases
When a company makes an announcement or a news story, it will use a press release. The goal of this technical document? To interest journalistic publications and drum up excitement about the company.
Press releases should go into detail about exactly what is important and why their target audience should be excited about this particular news release.
Research and strategy should also be a key part of the planning process before writing this piece. Think about all the possible questions that a journalist might possibly ask, and include answers to these potential questions in the press release.
In terms of the writing style, just like other technical documents listed here, this is factual and to the point, including data and quotes from important members of the company. It should also be written in 3rd person and should read just like a story you are likely to come across in a newspaper.
Again, it should be mentioned that it must not be overly promotional, as it is a technical document and is required to be clear, concise, factual, and to the point.
As well as all the above, it should also end with a call to action (CTA). One of the most important parts of the document, the CTA should showcase what exactly is being promoted, whether it is a new product, a specific event, or anything else.
Why not check out some of Apple’s previous press releases to get an idea of how to lay it out.
Business Plans
Before a new company is created, a business plan is often made. The main reason for this is to obtain funding and create a long-term vision for the employees to work towards.
This is an all-encompassing document, often covering operations, finance, sales, and marketing perspectives. Technical writers need to ensure that everything is included, and is carefully checked to ensure that no mistakes are made, as this is often sent to very important stakeholders.
A business plan is no different from the other types of technical documentation listed here, with formal, direct writing required.
Business plans include the main things listed below:
Executive Summary
This is the summary or the rundown of the business plan, where the main points of the business plan will be included in a short paragraph. The vision, mission statement, and leadership details will also be here.
Products and Services
In this part, the products/services of the business will be outlined here, which often includes pricing strategies and the main advantages that it gives the customer.
Target Market Analysis
This part is where the majority of the research comes in. Businesses need to ensure that they have an in-depth knowledge of the industry in order to be successful. This means researching the main competitors in the market, and where the potential opportunities or customers can come from.
As well as the above, a target market analysis section should also include any marketing campaigns, and what the expected result of the campaign is.
Financials
This is the really important part of the plan and the part that will interest investors the most.
This section of the business plan should include the main financials (balance sheets, financial statements), as well as the future projections of the company and what it is expected to achieve.
A budget in this section is also needed. A budget is the main costs of employees, marketing, operations, and any other expenses connected to the business.
Careful research, and communication with the client for this part of the plan are necessary to ensure that there are no errors.
Annual Reports
In short, annual reports are a yearly document on how a business is doing in the form of financial information.
As a technical writer, you will need to bring all the information together and create a presentable document with all of the important information in its right place. Ensuring that it is clear, straightforward, and easy to read so that many people can look at it and understand the finances is of the utmost importance.
As all companies need to file annual reports, this is often a very popular form of Technical Writing.
Other Business Documents
This can be a range of different documents, although this usually refers to internal business documents.
One such popular internal technical documentation is new employee manuals. When a new employee joins the company, they will often be given a new employee manual. This often includes everything from organizational charts to the employee’s rights and responsibilities.
New employees always want to be integrated into the company straight away. This document will help the employee understand exactly how the business operates and how to fit in at that workplace.
Technical writers will need to understand everything about the company to create this comprehensive manual. This is a long and in-depth document, so good communication with the client is vital to ensure that you have all the information you need to complete it accurately.
Extra Tips for Technical Writing
English is one of the most widely understood languages throughout the world. This means that a large portion of technical writing projects is written in English. This presents opportunities and challenges.
On one hand, businesses can reach far more individuals by using one source of text which can save money. On the other hand, it requires that the text is readable by non-native readers and leaves out any parts that would not be understood.
Writers should be passionate about their industry. Due to the intense concentration needed when working on these types of projects, technical writers must enjoy the work. Otherwise, the end result won’t live up to expectations.
Put it this way, if you’re writing about informative dog-related topics, and you’re not interested in animals then it’s going to be a problem!
Looking for a Technical Writer?
If your business needs some A-class technical writers, then look no further. At Killer Copywriting, our writers cover a huge range of sectors.
All technical writing examples for 2022 that we discussed are covered by us. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today.