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Content Creation for a Tech Startup

by bonesbrigade
6 replies
Hey guys I just joined the forum hoping to expand my knowledge base a little more since I`m a little bit new to the copywriting game.

I`m 25 years old and am involved with a tech startup that caters more towards the academic community with what they offer, rather than the software/hardware side of things.

That's where I come in, the founders are engineers with limited writing and content skills. Based on my skills (degree in English and history, president of a non-profit org, executive seat on a national sports org council, and leadership abilities as a nationally ranked coach in said sport), they thought I would be well-suited for their company to be the lead content producer since their platform is very content rich.

My problem is that I'm a little stuck on where to begin and how to keep myself organized. I'm familiar with copywriting as it's a side-part of some of my current titles, but have never written professionally for 40 years a week. These guys are my friends as well, and are building a team they know and trust, so that's part of the reason why I was brought on. But the company is moving very fast, and based on projected numbers will be very successful this year.

I'm worried about being overwhelmed and would like some inputs for strategies on how to keep on top of production. As of now I'm re-reading a lot of copywriting articles and books to knock some rust off my writing. I'm also trying to establish a set tone and style of writing rubrick for the company, kicking out funding and grant applications that all share the same tone, and creating mail, newsletter, blog, and other templates early on to save myself later.

Any help would be appreciated. Tech startups are a gamble and companies either make it or break early on, and luckily this one has taken off running without needing a lot of content off the bat, so I'm hoping to be along for the ride and learn and build myself into a valuable asset.

Thanks!
#content #creation #startup #tech
  • Profile picture of the author urban renewal
    As far as keeping organized, I like to set challenges.

    Something like writing a guest post every day for a month. Or publishing a YouTube video every day. Or something like that.

    That way, it takes the decision making out of the equation. You automatically know what you need to do that day.

    To keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed, just focus on one metric... maybe that's the number of downloads you get, the number of opt-ins to a list, the number of clicks you get on emails... whatever. Just pick one thing and work on improving that.

    Don't get distracted on other things until you're are completely 100% satisfied with the metric you've chosen.

    Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ghoster
    I think the best suggestion I can give you right now is to get Scrivener. (I'm not affiliated & this isn't an affiliate link) It's a great program. I can't even remember what I did before this program came out.

    You can use it as a binder to organize all of your writing projects or you can use it to outline individual projects--or both a the same time.

    Also, keep in mind that if you're marketing to academics, the copy that most folks around here recommend might not work very well.

    I would suggest a video marketing campaign. Oh, and you'll definitely want to tap into LinkedIn.

    Sometimes I feel like I'm working 40 years a week too .
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    On the whole, you get what you pay for.

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    • Profile picture of the author James Clouser
      Originally Posted by Ghoster View Post

      I think the best suggestion I can give you right now is to get Scrivener. (I'm not affiliated & this isn't an affiliate link) It's a great program. I can't even remember what I did before this program came out.

      You can use it as a binder to organize all of your writing projects or you can use it to outline individual projects--or both a the same time.
      I agree. It's a must have.
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  • Profile picture of the author DTGeorge
    Originally Posted by bonesbrigade View Post

    Hey guys I just joined the forum hoping to expand my knowledge base a little more since I`m a little bit new to the copywriting game.

    I`m 25 years old and am involved with a tech startup that caters more towards the academic community with what they offer, rather than the software/hardware side of things.

    That's where I come in, the founders are engineers with limited writing and content skills. Based on my skills (degree in English and history, president of a non-profit org, executive seat on a national sports org council, and leadership abilities as a nationally ranked coach in said sport), they thought I would be well-suited for their company to be the lead content producer since their platform is very content rich.

    My problem is that I'm a little stuck on where to begin and how to keep myself organized. I'm familiar with copywriting as it's a side-part of some of my current titles, but have never written professionally for 40 years a week. These guys are my friends as well, and are building a team they know and trust, so that's part of the reason why I was brought on. But the company is moving very fast, and based on projected numbers will be very successful this year.

    I'm worried about being overwhelmed and would like some inputs for strategies on how to keep on top of production. As of now I'm re-reading a lot of copywriting articles and books to knock some rust off my writing. I'm also trying to establish a set tone and style of writing rubrick for the company, kicking out funding and grant applications that all share the same tone, and creating mail, newsletter, blog, and other templates early on to save myself later.

    Any help would be appreciated. Tech startups are a gamble and companies either make it or break early on, and luckily this one has taken off running without needing a lot of content off the bat, so I'm hoping to be along for the ride and learn and build myself into a valuable asset.

    Thanks!
    I'd love to know how to fit in 40 years in one week!
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    • Profile picture of the author bonesbrigade
      Originally Posted by DTGeorge View Post

      I'd love to know how to fit in 40 years in one week!
      Haha oh boy, maybe my hours are feeling like years this week since I'm transitioning out of my other job. I'm working full time at another job then working part time at night transitioning into this new position.

      I like to use Evernote, as I have instant access on my smartphone if I ever need to sync notes. I'm definitely open to new tools though.

      Right now I'm just trying to lock down as much as possible to make it smoother in the future once the company is more established: templates for new-hire packages, press releases, mail-merges, company letters/memos, grant and funding applications, customer interactions, web, social media, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ghoster
    You might also find Google Keep helpful.
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    On the whole, you get what you pay for.

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