Writing B2B copy has some similarities as well as differences with B2C copywriting. What some tend to forget is that ultimately, the person behind that company you are trying to reach is just a customer. So, if B2B copywriting seems like a challenge to you, don’t worry. You can handle it. This is a guest post written by Nicole Garrison.
Trying to sell your products to businesses is a strategic process. Developing an effective strategy for your marketing copy is one of the crucial aspects of it. For that reason, we offer you the most important tips that will help you write compelling copy that sells. Ready?
1. Assess Your Current Copy
Use your current data to get a better understanding of what works for your target audience. Look into your emails with the highest open rates and website content that manages to retain the visitors’ attention.
Analyzing the success of your previous copy can let you know in which direction you should go. It can also signalize if you need to rewrite some aspects of your website to drive more traffic.
Instead of making assumptions about your audience’s preferences, the information you collect can help you make data-driven decisions.
2. Be Authentic
There is no room for copy-paste content in this competitive world. You can’t expect to win over your potential clients with a copy they have seen a thousand times. A useful trick to apply here is to take on “what’s in it for them?” mindset. That is, customize the copy you send directly to specific businesses by explaining how your services will improve their business.
Writing a copy that is all about your brand can be very similar to any other information out there. There is no unique value to clients in such content. Dare to be innovative and come up with a writing style that will make your company stand out.
3. Write Like a True Professional
The fact is that you probably won’t be targeting any Gen-Z individuals with your content. The copy you write is aimed at sales managers, senior executives, and other successful men and women from thriving companies.
Marie Fincher, a professional copywriter highlights why you need to be professional when writing a B2B copy:
“Using a professional tone and style will show that you are a credible company on whom they can lean on. Brands that are searching for products or services need help with their businesses and they want you to take that seriously.”
Try to avoid the following:
- jargon
- slang
- humorous tone
- sarcasm
However, don’t mix up being professional with writing dull copy. You should still use conversational language and speak directly to readers. The key is to be professional with a pinch of friendly.
Take a look at how Assurant, a fast-growing B2B company, writes their copy:
4. Look into the Language that Customers Use
Mirroring the language of your customers will make them feel like you are on the same page. How to achieve this? Well, start by looking into their website content or your previous correspondence (if there is any). Focus on the terms they use and the overall language style.
Knowing how your customers speak will help you connect with them and sell your products. Using the same technical terms will present you as someone who truly knows what they need.
5. Shift the Focus from Features to Benefits
Rather than highlighting the features of your services, your focus should be on the benefits that those features provide. Be the person who provides businesses with a solution, not the one who is desperate to make a sale.
Neil Patel, one of the top entrepreneurs and bloggers out there, applies this tactic in his copy. Just take a look at how he describes his products:
Patel doesn’t mention what metrics does the SEO analysis tool display or the steps you need to take to get results. In this first encounter, when you come across this copy on his website, you’ll learn what you can gain by getting a website analysis report (more search traffic, increased rankings, list of SEO errors).
6. Don’t Go All Out
Writing about each and every aspect of your product or service will overload the reader. You should tickle the business’s imagination but keep them wondering about what more do you have to offer.
Concise copy is always more effective, remember that. Select the most relevant and valuable information about the product and share only that.
If you need some help with differentiating what to write and what to leave out, turn to content agencies that offer copywriting. These content agencies will help you come copy that is most suited for your audience.
7. Add a Noticeable Call-to-Action
The point of a compelling marketing copy is to sell, right? So, writing a copy without a call-to-action doesn’t make much sense.
Call-to-action (CTA) needs to give the reader that final push towards taking the right step. It gives them direction and provides them with a path towards the desired action.
Simply adding a CTA somewhere at the bottom of the page won’t do. The CTA needs to be noticeable and easily accessible to readers. Something like this:
Be explicit about what will happen once the reader takes action. Whether that is to sign up, send an email, give a call, or purchase a product, make sure that you point it out and give a good reason why they should do it. Just like Brian Dean (founder of Backlinko) states that he shares exclusive SEO tips only with his email subscribers.
8. Leave No Room for Mistakes
No one in their right mind will put their company in the hands of someone who can’t even write an error-free copy. Yes, to err is human but to edit is divine.
Before you publish or send any sort of copy, you must proofread and edit it. Luckily, there are many online tools that can speed up this process.
If you want to do a quick check (e.g. your email copy) use online proofreading tools like Grammarly. However, if you need to edit a website copy that will permanently be set online, you want to go one step further and hire an editing service like TopEssayWriting to give you some pointers.
Wrapping Up
Writing B2B copy is a craft that demands full attention, dedication, and some strategy. Hopefully, the above-mentioned tips will help you understand what you need to focus on when copywriting for businesses. You’ll see how a few necessary tweaks can change the effect of your content.
