How to write content for an industry

As a content creator, you often land a project that requires you to create quality content on a subject matter for an industry you may or may not be an expert in.

Imagine writing for a SaaS app when you don’t even know what SaaS stands for, or perhaps writing for a B2B product you have never even heard of.

In instances like these, you must remember that you don’t need to be an expert in these fields. All you need is to just be an expert in what you do best; writing.

If your next project demands you to create high-quality content around a specific industry, here we list 8 tips that can help develop exciting industry-relevant write-ups around topics that may be out of your comfort zone.

Tips to write for industry

1. Research the market landscape of the industry

Every industry has its players. Start researching businesses within that industry, also taking into account the target audience and their location.

Look out for the preferred tone of voice, the target audience, and the pain points of that industry.

Let’s say you’re writing about the property industry; the first step would be to check out the popular websites that deal in property trade, and if your target audience is area-specific, keep that in mind too.

For instance, if you are writing for a company operating within the UK, websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove would be more relevant and credible.

Furthermore, if you niched the industry to a more local market such as London, taking these London property auctioneers as an example to look at; their use of terms such as “borough” and “North/East/South/West” allow the content to be more user-friendly towards the locals, as this is how locals refer to certain areas of London.

2. Understand industry jargons

It’s super helpful if you’re well-versed with popular industry jargon around the topic you are writing on.

For instance, in the US, property brokers are ‘real estate agents,’ whereas they are called ‘estate agents in the UK.

You can also reach out to the existing or potential customer base if possible. Look out for frequently asked questions, concerns, and expectations.

Every industry will have its unique customer base, depending on location, language preferences, and behaviours.

You must understand how and what the customers within that industry like to read and already know about (the reader’s level of experience within an industry).

3. Explore industry forums

Every industry has its forums, where people ask and answer questions about topics relevant to the industry.

You can explore popular chat rooms and industry-related forums to understand what’s trending and what people are talking about.

Start from Reddit, Quora and other industry-specific threads and forum categories. Furthermore, you can look into Facebook and LinkedIn groups for more user-centric discussions.

4. Connect with industry experts

You should connect with influencers and bloggers who usually have tons of real-world industry experience.

Following an expert on their social media channel will make it easier for you to learn about their industry and the content that works best.

For example, blogs like Moz, Semrush, Ahrefs and Neil Patel are the gold standard for SEO solutions and how-to articles on online marketing.

You can also connect and interview bloggers within an industry to get more factual information on a topic you’d be writing on.

Citing credible details coming straight from a subject expert or authorities not only makes your content more accountable but also helps the page rank better in terms of SEO.

5. Keyword research

Writing good content is not enough. Make sure you are prepared to write SEO-friendly content within that industry.

Whilst writing, it’s equally important to take the time and do thorough keyword research for your content. By researching, you will get a fair idea about widely searched keywords and popular phrases.

Proper keyword research right from the start will help uncover both short and long-tail keywords that are popular within the industry.

Once you have a solid list of keywords, writing SEO-friendly content will become a lot more relevant to search engines and potentially also the readers.

6. Stay up to date

Make sure you are writing content that cites up to date information from credible sources. This is particularly important with industry-specific topics. Furthermore, current affairs surrounding a topic can help to boost your article’s credibility and performance.

For instance, when writing about property related websites, you should keep your content up to date with any new property regulations or policies. This is in order to avoid any misinformation and remain as the relevant expert within the property industry.

Another example to think about would be an article written on the best places to visit in the UK. This would be very different ten years from now, therefore, it should constantly be kept up to date with the newest trends. This is the opposite of “evergreen content”, meaning that the content doesn’t stay relevant forever.

7. Write clear and concise content

You need not complicate industry-specific content with too much technical jargon.

Everyone prefers to read content that is easy to understand and leaves them informed.

Therefore, when writing content specific to an industry, make sure that your content is well balanced in relevant industry-specific terminology, yet still reader-friendly.

You can use tools such as our readability checker, in order to ensure your sentence structures pass our tests for the age bracket you’re trying to write for.

8. Storytelling and conversations

Bloggers and influencers use their storytelling skills to make engaging content that generates views and also leads.

Readers prefer understanding a topic from influencers or subject experts rather than plain-informative websites.

If you’re writing for a high-end service or a product, you can create conversational content that speaks directly to the customer without boring or selling aggressively.

Think of content that engages you the most whilst researching and learning about the industry.

There you have it. These simple 8 ways can help you write for an industry if you know or don’t know much about it.

All you need to do is; trust your writing skills and listen to the industry from a reader’s point of view.

The next time you’re writing around an alien topic or an industry you just aren’t an expert in, don’t drop the gig — dive right in and learn more!