When we think of content marketing, it’s easy to assume that subject matter experts (SMEs) will naturally excel at writing about their expertise. After all, they’re the ones who have spent years honing their craft. They can talk at length about their field of knowledge, whether it’s cloud-native technologies, Kubernetes, or DevOps. But here’s the truth: expertise and writing skills don’t always go hand-in-hand. While SMEs are experts in their domains, that doesn’t mean they can effortlessly craft content that resonates with a broader audience.
We’ve seen it time and time again: SMEs who are incredibly skilled in their field struggle to convey their expertise in a way that engages readers or drives business outcomes. It’s not because they don’t know their stuff. It’s because being an expert in a subject doesn’t necessarily make someone an expert at communicating that subject.
In this blog post, we’ll unpack why SME knowledge doesn’t automatically translate into great content and why, for cloud-native startups, professional content creation is more than just knowing your product inside and out.
The Challenge of Translating Expertise to Content
Imagine this: you’ve got a product that solves a real problem. Your team has spent years perfecting the technology behind it. And yet, when it’s time to sit down and explain it to an audience, the words just don’t flow. You might have a wealth of information, but that doesn’t mean your readers will connect with it.
We hear this a lot from clients, “Our team knows everything there is to know about our product, but we can’t get the content right.” This is because creating content involves more than just conveying facts. It’s about storytelling, engaging the reader, and tailoring the message to fit the audience’s needs.
Take, for example, an SME in a cloud-native startup who can dive deep into the technical aspects of their product. While their understanding is crucial if they don’t know how to present it in a way that appeals to their audience, whether it’s a developer, marketer, or CXO—the content will miss the mark.
The Gap Between Technical Knowledge and Effective Communication
Being a subject matter expert means you understand the nuances of your product and how it fits into a broader technical ecosystem. But effective communication requires you to think beyond the details and consider your audience’s perspective.
A common problem we encounter with SMEs is their tendency to overcomplicate things. We see blog posts, whitepapers, and other content packed with technical jargon or dense explanations that would make even the most knowledgeable developer’s head spin. While the technical accuracy is there, the accessibility often isn’t.
Here’s where we come in. We work with SMEs to extract their knowledge and help shape it into clear, compelling content. Our goal is to bridge the gap between technical expertise and the needs of the audience—without sacrificing accuracy.
The Importance of Content Strategy in Conveying Expertise
At Writewyze, we always emphasize the importance of a solid content strategy. A great content strategy is the foundation of any effective marketing campaign. It helps define the purpose of your content, the audience you’re targeting, and the best way to communicate your message.
We’ve seen that many cloud-native startups excel in product development but falter when it comes to defining a content strategy. Without a roadmap, it’s easy for content to become disjointed, missing the mark on both technical depth and audience engagement.
Companies must think beyond just writing content and focus on how that content fits into the larger marketing picture. For example, if you’re writing a blog post about a new feature, you need to think about:
- Who is this post for? Is it a technical audience or a business decision-maker?
- What’s the goal of the post? Is it to inform, generate leads, or support customer education?
- How does this piece fit into your overall marketing efforts?
By focusing on content strategy, companies can ensure that their content is not only technically accurate but also purposeful and effective in reaching the right audience.
The Value of Professional Writers in Translating SME Knowledge
So, what’s the solution to this issue? At Writewyze, we advocate for the power of collaboration between SMEs and professional content writers. We don’t just take the expert’s knowledge and write it down directly. Instead, we help structure that information in a way that’s both engaging and accessible to the intended audience.
One of our clients, a cybersecurity startup, had an incredible security solution but was struggling to communicate its value proposition to non-technical decision-makers. We worked closely with their team of SMEs to understand the product inside and out. Then, we helped craft blog posts and case studies that highlighted the real-world impact of their solution in simple, relatable terms. The result? More qualified leads and a clearer brand voice that resonated with their audience.
It’s important to remember that even if someone is an expert in their field, professional writing brings a set of skills that can significantly enhance how that expertise is communicated. From creating engaging headlines to breaking down complex ideas into digestible sections, professional writers can connect with a broader audience while maintaining technical accuracy.
Creating Content that Speaks to Your Audience
Ultimately, content creation is about audience-first thinking. Your SME might know exactly how your product works, but what matters is how your audience perceives that information. This means understanding not just the features of your product, but the real-world challenges your audience is facing. For example, let’s say your product helps developers optimize their workflow. Rather than getting into the granular details of the technology behind the product, focus on how it helps developers save time, reduce errors, or improve their overall productivity.
By focusing on the audience’s perspective, you’ll ensure that your content resonates and doesn’t just serve as a technical explanation of what you do.
Bridging the Gap with Expert Content
Subject matter experts are invaluable to your organization, but that expertise doesn’t always translate into effective content. Writing for an audience requires a specific set of skills that combine technical knowledge with clear, engaging communication.
At Writewyze, we work with SMEs to ensure that their insights are captured in a way that resonates with the audience. Whether it’s a blog post, whitepaper, or case study, our goal is to turn technical expertise into compelling content that drives business results.
When you combine the deep knowledge of your team with the expertise of professional writers, you create content that not only educates but also inspires action.