Discover ways to improve your B2B copywriting and create content that attracts attention and convinces business customers to work with your company.
Boost Conversions With Better B2B Copywriting
Copywriting is the heart of every content marketing strategy for B2B companies. The text bears a heavy burden when you’re ranking a business website or driving traffic with online ads — it determines whether the reader takes the next step or bounces over to a competitor.
Whether you’re handling B2B copywriting in-house or outsourcing to B2B content writing services, concise, compelling copy is a surefire way to increase ROI and boost revenue.
What Is B2B Copywriting?
B2B copywriting is the process of creating written marketing content that’s targeted to business customers. It focuses on the unique needs and pain points of companies. Typically, in-house writers and B2B content marketing services use this type of copy to educate customers and promote their products.
B2B vs. B2C Copywriting
The difference between B2B and B2C copywriting lies in the audience; B2B copywriting is directed at businesses, while B2C copywriting targets individual consumers. This critical distinction affects everything from the tone to the calls to action. After all, businesses and consumers have dramatically different problems, budgets and timelines.
While B2C sales are typically about speed and convenience, the B2B process often involves educating customers and forming strong, long-term relationships. A single B2B sale can lead to years of repeat business, so communication is key. High-level copywriting is so valuable, in fact, that many companies opt to work with B2B content writing services to access professional writers on demand.
10 Tips for Successful B2B Copywriting
Whether you’re writing copy for a client or your own business, use these tips to sharpen your insights and tighten up your text.
1. Write to Buyer Personas
The people who read B2B copy might be administrators, purchasing managers or even business owners. When you understand exactly who you’re writing for, it’s easier to create effective, targeted copy.
That’s where buyer personas come in. These profiles describe a specific type of customer, giving you a clear picture of their buying process. It’s not unusual for companies to use multiple personas.
A buyer persona might include details about the customer’s:
- Business priorities and needs
- End goals
- Decision-making timeline
- Reporting structure
- Challenges and pain points
- Working environment
- Age and gender
- Communication preferences
- Current solution
Buyer personas inform a laser-focused copywriting and marketing process. They also help you create B2B content ideas and build an editorial calendar that coincides with customers’ purchasing cycles.
2. Define a Target Channel
For each writing project, identify where the text will be published. Are you writing a Facebook post? Creating an informational article for the company website?
Your target channel drives the structure and content of your copy. An Instagram post needs an attention-grabbing hook and a short paragraph that creates a human connection. A sales page, on the other hand, is longer and focused on conversions.
Make sure to keep your buyer personas in mind as you’re selecting a channel and crafting text. This is particularly important when it comes to different generations. For example, Gen Z office managers and Baby Boomer technical sales directors often have disparate tone and platform preferences.
3. Focus on Benefits
When you’re writing for business customers, it’s critical to focus on the benefits your products or services offer. What value do you bring to clients’ companies?
If you’re selling accounting software to small businesses, you could explain that the payment reminders go out automatically, so managers don’t have to hassle clients about unpaid invoices. This strategy zeroes in on the client’s pain points and provides a quick solution.
It sounds simple, but many companies miss the mark. They focus on their own philosophies, processes and products but fail to address customers’ needs. Purchasing managers don’t have the time to connect the dots — they just want an effective solution.
4. Position Your Business as an Expert
B2B purchases can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. Given the high stakes, it’s important to position your business as an industry expert. The content, phrasing and insights should display a commanding knowledge of the field and the client’s needs. Your goal is to make the customer feel comfortable and confident putting a piece of their company’s operations in your hands.
The right vocabulary can go a long way toward establishing yourself as an authority. If you’re selling to hospitals, for example, you might use “census” instead of “the number of admitted patients.” They mean the same thing, but the former is more common among health care professionals. It’s a small, subtle touch that demonstrates insider insight.
Bear in mind that the people who read B2B content aren’t always subject matter experts, which means that your copy must walk a fine line. The content must clearly communicate your expertise, all without using jargon that alienates people in administrative and support roles.
5. Get Clear on Your Brand Voice
Brand voice — the way a company’s personality shines through in text — sets great copy apart from the crowd. If you can capture your business’ unique character in the style and tone of your writing, it leaves a lasting impression.
A great brand voice should:
- Align with brand values
- Resonate with the target audience
- Stay consistent across all customer interactions
- Distinguish the business from competitors
6. Tell Your Brand Story
A brand story explains the history and importance of your company in a way that speaks to customers’ deep-seated beliefs and feelings. It goes beyond the facts on an “about us” page, capturing the essence of the business and explaining why buyers should care.
Compelling brand stories weave together facts and emotions. Legendary adventurer Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia because he couldn’t find lightweight, functional climbing gear; Burt’s Bees arose from a love story between an off-grid artist and an eccentric beekeeper.This strategy capitalizes on the way humans respond and connect to stories. When you weave a narrative into your B2B content, it makes the copy more memorable and convincing.
7. Understand the Purpose of the Copy
Exceptional B2B copywriting is artfully relentless — every sentence and phrase moves the reader closer to a specific objective. Before you start writing, define the purpose of the content. It serves as a reference for everything from word count to word choice.
The most obvious B2B copy goal is to sell a product or service, but that’s just one option. It all depends on your business objectives. When you have an upcoming product launch, you might create copy that builds anticipation and awareness. If your company wants to strengthen existing relationships, your goal could be to help customers get the most value from a past purchase.
8. Make Customers’ Lives Easier
Once you’ve crafted a snappy, persuasive piece of B2B content, edit ruthlessly. Brevity and clarity are the hallmarks of powerful B2B copy. If you can express an idea in five words, don’t use 10. Likewise, stick short, focused paragraphs to keep readers’ attention.
Business customers are often juggling multiple projects and deadlines, so it’s important to get your message across quickly. To avoid an off-putting wall of text and make readers’ lives easier, you can:
- Place important information higher on the page
- Use tables and infographics
- Break up text with headers and bullet points
- Put key ideas in bold
Customers should be able to scan the page in seconds and understand the content in seconds. When readers can find the information they need quickly, they’re less likely to click the Back button.
9. Create a Clear Call to Action
When a potential customer finishes reading your copy, do they know what to do next? If not, it’s time to rethink. Every piece of content should have a clear call to action (CTA) that helps the reader engage further with your brand. In most cases, your CTA should be closely related to the purpose of the copy.
Possible B2B CTAs include:
- Buy a product
- Get a free quote
- Schedule a consultation
- Download a white paper
- Join the email list
- Chat with a representative
- Read a related article
- Connect on social media
10. Know When to Get Help
B2B copywriting takes both time and skill, which can present a challenge when you’re ready to scale. If your writing needs are beginning to exceed your capacity, it might be time to look into B2B content development services. Companies like Crowd Content work with large teams of experienced writers, so they can help you ramp up production quickly or tackle smaller projects that require specific expertise. To find out how our expert writing and editorial teams can streamline your company’s copywriting, contact us today,
