Copywriting is one of the most creative parts of any marketing strategy, no matter what your industry. B2B copywriting, though, is a different ball game to B2C content creation. B2B customers tend to act as a decision-making unit, rather than a sole buyer, so marketers are tasked with finding the right words to influence a group of experts. To help you make the most of your copy, we’ve identified a few best practices.
1. Use a professional tone of voice
When trying to communicate your key messages to customers, it’s easy to slip into writing in too technical or too colloquial a way. B2C customers tend to respond well to a light, friendly tone of voice (of course, there are exceptions), but the same is usually not ideal for B2B buyers. Make sure your tone of voice is professional but not too jargon-led, showing your clients that you know them as well as you know your industry. This has numerous benefits – it will build trust, showcase your professional commitment and make life easy for time-poor B2B buyers, establishing your position as the go-to provider in your industry.
2. Spend time on the title
Always pay attention to your title. There’s a reason they’re there, after all. Your headlines need to be fashioned to hook readers into your copy. You want your title to do your carefully crafted content justice and, with 8 out of 10 reading just the headline then moving on, you need to make those words work hard.
3. Give your homepage the most TLC
It’s easy to neglect your homepage with so many other things to write copy for, but the entry point to your website should have copy that stands out. When doing their research, most buyers will come across your homepage first, so you need to make sure it’s got everything they’re looking for, and that it’s all easy to find. Brief, snappy content will show users exactly who you are and what you do – save the rest of your words for your in-depth pages! The idea behind all this? To generate customer interest without being boring or overwhelming.
4. Know your customers
A copywriting strategy wouldn’t be complete without an in-depth understanding of the people who are going to read your messages. Learn their language – use the terminology they use and keep up-to-date with the latest industry buzzwords. When writing, you’ll need to keep within strict boundaries. Limit your content to information your customers will be looking for and the problems you know you can solve for them – even problems they didn’t know they had! When that’s all done, you should make sure content is tailored to each stage of the buying process. Know who you want to read your copy, what information they need, and when.
5. Break copy up
As we’ve already said, there’s nothing more damaging to your marketing efforts than overwhelming prospects. B2B buyers simply don’t have the time to scour reams of information to find what they’re looking for. Keep it simple by breaking content up into bitesize chunks that really hammer home your benefits, USPs and key messages. Use sub-headings to clearly signpost what readers can find in each section. Additional information can be provided at a later stage, with follow-up calls and emails.
Your copy is often the first port of call for potential customers looking to learn more about you, so it’s important that you make it count. Great copy is just one stage of the marketing process, though and you need to supplement it with other channel activity. If you are looking to convert leads that your copy has generated or target the harder to reach contacts that aren’t engaging with your content, a more direct approach is required. B2B telemarketing experts can also bring valuable human interaction into your overall sales and marketing process, so get in touch to discuss how our services can help.