A prospective client asked me today about how I could write web content about a subject that I had never written about before. It's a question that comes up a lot.
The reality is that I rarely write about topics that I really know well. Take today: I started today writing about weddings, transitioned to more business-like copy for an operations consulting company, interviewed a client about her gymnastics facility and ended the day writing an email about savings on torque screwdriver accessories. I'm not an expert on any of these topics, although I was a pretty good gymnast in junior high and did plan my own wedding.
How do I write about something unfamiliar? I do what journalists do. I research, I read, I ask questions. I learn enough to know what a particular audience cares about and what they need to know.
A fresh viewpoint from an industry outsider is often a wonderful thing. We root out jargon and simplify language until the message is clear. Of course, there are also times when a writer needs to know all the ins and outs of a particular subject. In those cases, a writer who specializes in the subject area is the only solution. The rest of the time, look for good writing and marketing sense rather than an exhaustive knowledge of the subject. A good writer will learn quickly.
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