Write Effective Copy For Product Manuals

By Author: Kaitlyn Miller
Total Articles: 90
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We are always bombarded with product manuals everywhere. They come with almost everything that we buy, from shelves, to gadgets, to electronic equipment. Even a simple over toaster comes with a manual. That is because print manuals are instructional materials that come from manufacturers teaching us how to properly use their wares. Sometimes, it is just an old thing with a new twist so we need to know how it is used or operated.

So if you are tasked to write the copy or contents of a manual, how do you tackle it? How do you go about providing the correct information to clients who buy your products? Look at the principles of writing product manual copies below.

1. Get to know all the aspects of the product that you are writing about. If you need to test the product, then do so. It is very hard to explain something that you are not well-versed in, especially if these are technical things we are talking about and you need to provide step by step instruction. Do the studying of the product days before writing. Test the products in all kinds of settings and every way that you could imagine. Just be wary of the cautions ...
... provided by the technical department when they created the product.

2. When you test the product, maintain a journal about it. It should contain notes about your experience, the problems you encountered, and how you managed to get through. You need to take notes regarding the steps in operation and how to troubleshoot. These notes should come in handy while you are writing your manual.

3. Create the outline of your manual. Some of the things that should be included are the contents of the package, the specifications, the connections needed, the configurations, the features, starting the operations, the benefits, and the list of parts. You should also list down common situations and how to troubleshoot them. Write them in such a way that they are part of the operations but not exactly problems at all.

4. Write your text from the point of view of someone who knows the product inside and out but it should read like you are teaching somebody who does not know anything about the product. It is sort of like an idiot’s guide to the knowing and using the product. You should be very comprehensive about it because there are really people who will encounter the product only for the first time. For example, you may be writing the manual for a revamped mobile phone model. So while there were already millions of people worldwide who have used this product, there may be still be many persons who have just encountered this product for the first time. They might have other cellphones in the past but these are older models so you should teach them to use your product like it was their first time to hold such. And to answer your question, yes, you should be that literal.

Like the bible, product manuals serve as guides, instructional materials, and troubleshooting tips for people. They keep it not only that they will know how to use the new thing that they bought but also to check it if they encounter a problem. Always keep in mind that print manuals should be complete so endeavor to write it that way.

For more information, you can visit this page on manuals