The digital age saying is “Content is the king.”
Importance of creating information on products, services, and technologies is gaining high importance. Howsoever good products you have manufactured or provide excellent services, if you don’t broadcast about your products to the world, no one is going to know about them. Hence, no sales. That is why the digital age saying is “Content is the king.”
Anything digital brings everything online. Broadcast is what makes your products and services stand out.
Did you notice anything here? Content goes along with all the concepts like;
WEBSITE > BROADCAST!!!
The inseparable facts to boost sales.
To create a digital product, software or app is developed. Here content is created for several reasons including user-interface (UI) string messages, feature description, user manuals, Help, support documents such as ReadMe, What’s New?, FAQ, knowledge base articles, and marketing collaterals including datasheets, white paper, and content for landing pages etc., etc., etc.
SOFTWARE > UX INTERACTIVE INFORMATION!!!
To showcase your products online, you must have a website. To promote your products, you broadcast on websites, social networking sites, and other channels. Once again, you need content to drive the vehicle to achieve your goal.
COLLATERALS > SALES!!!
From software to app to website, technologies, programming languages, platforms change but the content remains omnipresent.
The Role of Technical Writers Overlaps
In many cases, the role of technical writers overlaps and we have to create non-technical information for collateral materials, and technical information for product support documentation as well. Hence, we must learn how to create content for the target audience.
The role of technical writers overlaps and we must wear several feathers.
We must know—hm, actually we already know—we must sharpen our skill to choose the apt words and terminologies for the mediums and target audience. Choosing the apt words will communicate the right things, direct and in short.
Here I am going to show what words and terminologies we must prefer for collaterals and what for technical information. We should include POWER WORDS when we create content for marketing collaterals and web content and we must prefer BASIC WORDS in the technical information.
Why should we prefer the POWER WORDS?
Power words are the words that attract readers to the subject, trigger likes and actions more oriented toward AIDA – attention, interest, desire, action. This result in conversion to sales.
Use the right words in writing to attract attention, interest, desire, and action > AIDA
Following are the power words that you should use more in collateral writings.
| Happiness | Excitement | Humor | Prestige |
| Heartwarming | Bold | Funniest | Expensive |
| Inspiring | Exciting | Hilarious | Glamorous |
| Profound | Fascinating | Laugh | Luxurious |
| Zen | Intriguing | Ridiculous | |
| Alive | Riveting | ||
| Light | Tempting | ||
| Healthy | Thrilling | ||
| Transform | |||
| Indulgence | Novelty | Simplicity | Memorability |
| Guilt | Challenge | Basic | Captivate |
| Guilt-free | Discover | Cheat-Sheet | Genius |
| Indulgent | Extraordinary | Easy | Memorable |
| Obsessed | Hack | Effortless | Undeniable |
| Ravenous | Latest | Ingredients | Unforgettable |
| Lazy | Life-changing | Minimalist | Unpopular |
| Magic | On-Demand | Impressive | |
| Miracle | Painless | Embarrassing | |
| New | Rules | ||
| Remarkable | Savvy | ||
| Revolutionary | Simple | ||
| Sensational | Step-by-Step | ||
| Shocking | Stupid-simple | ||
| Spoiler | Tricks | ||
| Startling | Tweaks | ||
| Suddenly | |||
| Surprising | |||
| Unexpected | |||
| Strange | |||
| Weird | |||
| Odd | |||
| Unusual | |||
| Beauty | Lust | Mind-Blowing | Greed |
| Adorable | Begging | Alluring | Affordable |
| Awe-Inspiring | Crave | Amazing | Bargain |
| Beautiful | Decadent | Astonishing | Barrage |
| Breathtaking | Delirious | Astounding | Bonus |
| Dazzling | Fantasy | Awesome | Budget |
| Gorgeous | Forbidden | Badass | Cheap |
| Stunning | Irresistible | Bomb | Convert |
| Swoon | Naked | Brilliant | Double |
| Swoon-worthy | Provocative | Catapult | Drive |
| Seductive | Charming | Forever | |
| Sexy | Defying | Free | |
| Sinful | Delicious | Immediately | |
| Tantalizing | Delightful | Increase | |
| Satisfy | Dreamy | Instantly | |
| Epic | Money | ||
| Explosive | Never | ||
| Exquisite | Now | ||
| Greatness | Off-limits | ||
| Heavenly | Overnight | ||
| Incredible | Profit | ||
| Jaw-dropping | Promote | ||
| Kickass | Sale | ||
| Legendary | Today | ||
| Mesmerizing | Triple | ||
| Mouth-watering | Unlimited | ||
| Nail | Envy | ||
| Spellbinding | Master | ||
| Sublime | Lucrative | ||
| Triumph | Steal | ||
| Unbelievable | |||
| Unleashed | |||
| Polarizing | |||
| Dominate | |||
| Gravity | Impatience | Sadness | Savagery |
| Gargantuan | Amp | Alarming | Agonizing |
| Gigantic | Blast | Crushing | Apocalypse |
| Huge | Ignite | Dead | Armageddon |
| Intense | Jumpstart | Deceptive | Battle |
| Massive | Kickstart | Devastating | Corrupt |
| Gripping | Launch | Excruciating | Crazy |
| Goddamn | Quick-start | Exposed | Deadly |
| Seriously | Speedy | Heartbreaking | Disgusting |
| Supercharge | Sadly | Fight | |
| Turbocharge | Shaming | Frenzy | |
| Smuggle | Suffer | Hate | |
| Avoid | Insane | ||
| Demoralizing | Lunatic | ||
| Problem | Menacing | ||
| Painful | |||
| Poison | |||
| Rowdy | |||
| Sabotaging | |||
| Savage | |||
| Sins | |||
| Struggle | |||
| Treacherous | |||
| Uncontrollable | |||
| Vicious | |||
| Violent | |||
| Weak | |||
| Wild | |||
| Dying | |||
| Horrifying | |||
| Attack | |||
| Traumatized | |||
| Insult | |||
| Horribly | |||
| Hell | |||
| Authority | Exclusivity | Pride | Safety |
| Absolute | Admit | Absurd | Accuse |
| All-Inclusive | Breaking | Achieve | Assault |
| Authentic | Confess | Awkward | Beware |
| Authoritative | Confession | Blunder | Broke |
| Authority | Divulge | Clueless | Catastrophe |
| Backed | Elite | Cringeworthy | Caution |
| Bona fide | Emerging | Dumb | Cheat |
| Complete | First | Fail | Dangerous |
| Comprehensive | Hidden | Fail-Proof | Diagnosed |
| Conclusive | Insider | Failure | Dirty |
| Definitive | Little-known | Faux Pas | Emergency |
| Document | New | Fool | Ethical |
| Expert | Popular | Foolish | Exactly |
| Final | Priceless | Idiot | Fierce |
| Formula | Rare | Lame | Hoax |
| Genuine | Release | Last | Horror |
| Guaranteed | Reveal | Mediocre | Jeopardy |
| Honest | Secret | Mistake | Lifetime |
| Ironclad | Sly | Obvious | Protect |
| Legitimate | Sneak-Peek | Pitiful | Provoke |
| Literally | Sneaky | Reject | Punch |
| Official | Special | Rookie | Recession-Proof |
| Powerful | Stealthy | Ruin | Sacred |
| Proven | Trend | Senseless | Safe |
| Psychological | Truth | Shameful | Scam |
| Reliable | Unadulterated | Silly | Scared |
| Report | Unconventional | Stupid | Shaking |
| Research | Uncovered | Success | Signs |
| Results | Undercover | Threaten | Survive |
| Solution | Underused | Triggers | Terrifying |
| Strategy | Unique | Unknowingly | Unstoppable |
| Studies | Unseen | Useless | Belong |
| Surefire | Untapped | Waste | Promise |
| Validate | Worst | Stop | |
| Masterclass | |||
| Completeness | |||
| Completely | |||
| Copy | |||
| Detailed | |||
| Essential | |||
| Impenetrable | |||
| Meticulous | |||
| Overcome | |||
| Painstaking | |||
| Practical | |||
| Recreate | |||
| Replicate | |||
| Relentless | |||
| Ultimate | |||
| Master | |||
| Perfect | |||
| Super | |||
| Create | |||
| Step-by-Step | |||
| Best | |||
| Truly | |||
| Packed | |||
| Extremely | |||
| Deep | |||
| Better |
Why should we use the basic or familiar words?
About 3000 words that occupy 90% vocabulary usage of English in everyday conversation.
Choose commonly used words to express the idea for technical information. According to Education First, there are about 3000 words that occupy 90% vocabulary usage of English in everyday conversation, daily newspapers, magazines and other sources. However, I advise to shorten this list of vocabulary in technical information, very much similar to Charles Kay Ogden’s List of Basic English. Ogden has categorized the words such as Operations, General Words, Picturable Words, Qualities, and so on.