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5 Tips for Writing Quantum Technology Content
John Himes
June 13, 2023
“I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.”
It’s been decades since Richard Feynman, physicist and Nobel laureate, made this comment about the mind-bending properties that govern the behavior of the ultrasmall, but it remains as true as ever.
As recently as 2019, the New York Times ran an article by Dr. Sean Carroll, a physicist at Johns Hopkins University, titled “Even Physicists Don’t Understand Quantum Mechanics.” In it, he explains: “Scientists can use quantum mechanics with perfect confidence. What we don’t do is claim to understand quantum mechanics.”
For the companies that develop quantum technology, using it may be good enough. In 2022 alone, investors poured $2.35B into quantum technology startups.
This trend goes beyond early-stage companies. Major players like IBM and Google are growing their quantum capabilities, and, with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the US government has pledged a $153M annual authorized investment into quantum-specific programs through 2027.
Quantum computing content marketing
As the players in this industry compete to develop quantum computers and applications, they’ll still need to rely on fundamentals that apply to every B2B technology company: sales and marketing to raise awareness, generate leads, and build authority. Product alone isn’t enough to win investors and customers.
The problem with quantum tech marketing, however, is that it’s so darn difficult to write about. There’s a ton of junk out there, and poorly executed content can create more problems than it solves.
Still, people are eager to learn about quantum computing. We’re seeing an uptick in search volume as more and more people ask their search engines questions about quantum tech.
For marketers at quantum technology companies, this is a huge opportunity. By demystifying the technology and, most importantly, by demonstrating how it provides value to your customers, you can position yourself as an approachable expert.
Whatever you do, it shouldn’t be this:
“Quantum marketing is a new and upcoming field of marketing that focuses on harnessing the power of quantum mechanics to improve marketing strategies,” says “Editor” at Rocket Content, an AI-generated content agency. “This type of marketing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to understand and manipulate customer behavior at a subatomic level.”
I’m sure that marketers would love the opportunity to influence their customers’ electrons, but, all jokes aside, this highlights an important point. At a time when there’s so much uncertainty and bad information out there, people are looking for clarity, authority, and a good dose of common sense.
These are the top five tips for how to write content about quantum computing.
1. Hone in on personas
Marketing personas give us a name and face to direct our thoughts toward during the writing process. They provide a tangible representation of our target audience, and this helps us to pick our words and know what questions to address.
Most B2B technology content has two distinct audiences: the tech people and the business people. This distinction is pushed even further with quantum tech because many of the people who are looking for technical-oriented content are incredibly smart and well educated.
According to AZO network, a science and technology marketing company, their quantum technology marketing readership breaks down into 72% academics, 15% manufacturing professionals, and 14% R&D professionals.
This audience will continue to be important, especially since universities, the public sector, and other research institutions remain the top buyers of quantum tech. However, as more companies bring products to market that are geared toward other sectors, such as financial institutions, we will see more demand for content that’s written for the layperson.
Figure out who you’re writing for before you start writing, and then use personas of that audience to influence your writing style. There may be times when you have to straddle the line between technical and nontechnical readers, and that’s one of the trickiest parts of writing B2B technology content.
2. Build from the basics
For all but the most technically oriented content, it’s never a bad idea to review fundamental concepts like qubits, superposition, and entanglement.
Explain these concepts as needed, providing brief overviews when they come up naturally and when necessary in order to follow along. It’s also a good idea to provide useful links so that curious readers can easily learn more.
You don’t have to provide a full primer on quantum computing every time you write about the subject. At the same time, you can’t assume intimacy or even familiarity in many cases.
It’s also important to avoid unnecessary details that don’t directly contribute to your point or takeaway. Even if something is crucial from a technical or scientific perspective, strip it down if it doesn’t add value to the content’s narrative.
3. Make it concrete
There’s nothing wrong with publishing an article about creating non-abelian topological quantum matter in pursuit of fault tolerant quantum computing for a technical audience, but business-oriented content should be more concrete.
Use case studies, examples, and business outcomes to demonstrate results and make it relatable. For instance, another article by Quantinuum explores “real world use cases of quantum computing in financial services” by discussing how they’ve partnered with HSBC to strengthen cybersecurity, detect fraud, and develop quantum natural language processing (QNLP).
Another great example comes from D-Wave. They use content to showcase concrete examples. This includes how quantum algorithms streamline optimization tasks for grocery retailer Save-On-Foods, how Volkswagen uses their technology to optimize a paint shop scheduling application, and how Accenture is working with a banking client to develop quantum applications “for currency arbitrage, credit scoring, and trading optimization.”
We can also take a lesson from history. When IBM sold their early computers to governments and corporations in the 1950s and ’60s, they focused on results.
“Only a decade ago, in 1954, a UNIVAC was delivered to the General Electric Company in Louisville for business use,” wrote MIT’s Martin Greenberger for the Atlantic. “Up to that point, computers had been applied almost exclusively to scientific calculation. Quickly, payroll, inventory, and customer accounting became fair game.”
4. Use metaphor
People have used metaphor since ancient times to represent complex concepts. Symbolism is a key element of mythology and religion because it helps our minds to latch onto ideas that are beyond our limited abilities to comprehend.
The eternity represented by a wedding band, for instance, is a common touch point. It uses basic geometry to express something that goes well beyond the ring itself.
Writers can tap this same well for quantum tech marketing. Metaphor helps us to peel back some of the layers of abstraction that define this technology and give readers helpful mental tools that aid comprehension.
For example, one of my favorite ways to think about a qubit in superposition is like someone who is holding their options open. When they reach the decision point, they’ll have to pick one way or another, but in the interim they can entertain multiple possibilities. They can even lean more toward one option.
Remember, this is marketing and not a dissertation. Maybe it’s not how a physicist would explain it, but we’re not just writing for other physicists. As long as your metaphor helps point the reader in the right direction without misleading them, go for it.
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5. Avoid hyperbole
Beware of overpromising. The word “quantum” is becoming synonymous with hyperbole in the zeitgeist, and nothing will cause a reader to click away faster than the scent of BS.
To the frustration of quantum scientists and technologists, we’ve witnessed the rise of quantum chiropractors, quantum nutritional supplements, and the “quantum marketing” that we discussed above.
Even the Wikipedia page on quantum mysticism concludes its first paragraph by saying that those with “expert knowledge in quantum mechanics” denounce these practices as “quackery.”
That’s not an association that we want to embrace.
Don’t let your reader forget that you’re doing actual science and engineering and that you’re building actual products. It’s okay to throw in the occasional mention of “cutting-edge” or “revolutionary” technology, but keep it tame and keep it accurate.
The bottom line
There’s no getting around the fact that creating content about quantum technology is tough. It’s one thing to get the facts straight, but conveying your message in a way that appeals just as well to quantum physicists as it does to CEOs is another matter entirely.
We shouldn’t dumb it down too much, especially at the expense of accuracy or completeness, but we also need to simplify complexity and make the subject approachable.
To recap, these are the top five tips for quantum computing content marketing:
- Hone in on personas.
- Build from the basics.
- Make it concrete.
- Use metaphor.
- Avoid hyperbole.
Looking for a marketing agency with proven experience communicating about quantum technology? Get in touch with us today.
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