I love working in B2B public relations and the more techie the better. I get excited by the nerdiest topics. My friends and PR colleagues think it’s hilarious, as most of what I work on goes over their heads. So, after all these years, I really do know how to make the technical readable, ensuring it appeals to editors and their readers.
All too often press releases are written for the product, not the people. Jargon is everywhere in industries like engineering, manufacturing, electronics, defence systems and enterprise tech. In meetings, I sometimes feel like the conversation has been one long acronym! While I love it, the people that the PR is trying to reach will not. Even the most technical people want an easy, informative and educational read, rather than something they spend ages trying to digest, and must resort to Google to understand what’s being said.
The challenge for PR isn’t removing technical language; it’s translating it into something clear, compelling and human. After all, our job is to be the bridge between the experts and the audiences that matter, without dumbing things down too much.
Technical teams communicate in precision and specs. Editors and audiences need relevance and clarity. When a press release sounds like a datasheet, it risks:
- Alienating journalists unfamiliar with the subject – your press release heads straight to the bin.
- Losing the interest of decision-makers – even if they are technical people.
- Diluting a brand’s voice – in a sea of sameness.
Complex ideas need to resonate, which requires simplification and skilled storytelling. The key thing is to uncover the human or business impact of the story. Don’t just describe the tech, explain what it does and why it matters. Metaphors and analogies are sometimes useful as they help readers visualise abstract concepts. Also, sound human in a quote – quote a person, not a product as that brings a technical achievement to life. For example, instead of “Our platform delivers scalable infrastructure…”, try: “Our engineers built this so manufacturers can operate safer, faster, and greener.”
The key takeaway here is to think about and know your audience. If a journalist wouldn’t understand it, neither will their readers.
PR for technical sectors isn’t about dumbing down, it’s about lifting the message so it engages and informs. Translate jargon into real-world impact and the story doesn’t just get told, it gets heard.
