Tailoring your content for maximum business impact
Why Bespoke Documentation Matters
Just as a Savile Row suit is tailored to fit perfectly, product documentation that is customised for its audience performs better. It answers questions, prevents mistakes, and enhances your product’s reputation.
For complex industrial products, one-size-fits-all documentation rarely works. Each user group from installers to service technicians needs information presented in a way that suits their expertise and role.
Different Users, Different Needs
Consumer products typically have a single user type. Industrial products often have several, each requiring a unique approach:
- Installers need concise, practical instructions for fitting and wiring.
- Commissioning engineers require detailed setup and operational guides.
- Operators just need quick tips on starting, stopping and diagnosing faults.
- Site managers may care about integrating the product with SCADA systems.
- Service technicians need step-by-step disassembly and maintenance procedures.
Creating separate manuals for every audience can be inefficient and error-prone. The smarter solution? A single, well-structured document with clear signposting, indexing, and targeted sections.
Not Everyone Learns the Same Way
Content isn’t just about what you say but how you say it.
Video content is booming thanks to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and it’s ideal for:
- Basic operation tutorials
- Maintenance and servicing guides
- Step-by-step software walkthroughs
But video isn’t always practical. For quick reference — troubleshooting tables, settings configurations or fault diagnostics — diagrams, flowcharts and concise text are often more effective.
Fit the Support Around the Product
Support materials should complement the product experience:
- For web-based software, in-app guides or browser-based help systems make more sense than a static PDF.
- For smartphone apps, interactive walkthroughs are invaluable.
- For hardware with built-in screens, on-device guides can offer instant help but technicians working with powered-down equipment might still prefer a printed or tablet-based manual.
The key principle: deliver support in the format and location where users need it most.
Get the Measure of Your Audience
People don’t read manuals for fun. They read them to solve problems fast.
Taking time to understand each audience’s needs will reward your investment in content creation and improve user experience. Just like a well-fitted suit, tailored documentation leaves a lasting impression of quality, enhancing both your product and your brand.