Your brand needs B2B content that truly connects with your readers and establishes you as an industry leader. But for this, you need a special kind of writer.
There’s nothing more effective at driving organic traffic than a B2B content marketing strategy. But in this day and age, your brand’s success requires a lot more than Google rankings and page views. While these are undoubtedly important, your content should be doing a lot more for you.
Highly effective B2B content positions you as a leader in your industry. It connects with your readers and establishes you as the expert your future customers should turn to for their needs. And while an effective content marketing strategy drives traffic, great B2B content also:
- Explains your products and services in a way that positions you as a leading brand, not simply another solution
- Enables you to share expertise and insights, not just information
- Helps you build trust and an authentic connection with your audience
This is probably why the most effective B2B marketing teams spend 40% of their budget on content marketing. In other words, with a great B2B copywriter authoring your content, other businesses are much more likely to partner with your brand.
And of course, the best copywriters are equally adept at communicating in a way that bolsters your marketing efforts, too. Their content doesn’t only inform — it engages, delights and connects with your readers in a way that encourages conversions. This is absolutely necessary since you often need to impress the stakeholders sitting on the other side of the people reading your content.
If you want a truly effective B2B content strategy that drives traffic, establishes trust in your brand and drives conversions, you need great B2B copywriters. There are no two ways about it.
Here’s how to identify them.
5 Traits of a Great B2B Copywriter
Effectively writing to a business audience is immensely different than content that speaks to consumers. From demonstrable domain expertise to knowing how to entice readers and get your products and services in front of stakeholders, great B2B writing requires a few specific skills characteristics. And it takes a lot more skill.
The following are some of the traits we’ve found in common with some of the best B2B copywriters. We also asked a few people who’ve had some success with various kinds of B2B content to share their insights on what makes a great B2B copywriter tick.
1. They Understand the Requirements of B2B Copy
A great B2B copywriter knows how to market to businesses, which is altogether different than marketing to consumers. They’re comfortable with the precise requirements of writing business copy, and they know how to get those readers to engage so your brand ends up in front of the people making the decisions.
“When I’m assessing a B2B copywriter, I’m looking for someone who absolutely understands the difference between B2B and B2C,” says Nextiva CMO Yaniv Masjedi. “A savvy copywriter understands web design and can tailor their words and character count to the space they have allotted. If the writer is sending an email, they know how to maximize open rates; if they are writing landing page copy, they take into account the accompanying graphics, etc.”
When looking for a B2B copywriter, focus on writers with experience writing to businesses. If you’re looking at a portfolio filled with copy marketed to consumers, you may want to keep on looking.
2. They’re Learners, Through and Through
Most great B2B copywriters are lifelong learners who are enthusiastic about picking up new concepts, skills and abilities. This broad set of abilities helps them quickly mould and adapt their writing to fit the needs of the business.
Any freelance writer who produces copy for another brand needs to adapt their tone and voice appropriately. But great B2B writers take their writing far beyond grammar rules and style guides. The smartest ones constantly absorb insights relative to your niche, increasing their knowledge as they write. So long as they have the tools to succeed, these writers will consistently dazzle your audience. And given their broad expertise, they often bring their own tools to the table.
As Clare Bittourna, a marketing designer for Codal, puts it, “When we hire B2B copywriters, we’re looking for fast learners; ones that can quickly adapt to a company’s existing voice, tone and style to produce copy that’s aligned with it.”
Look for writers who quickly assimilate your guidance and perspectives. If you find one that doesn’t require lengthy explanations for complex topics and asks intelligent, pointed questions about your brand, you’re on the right track.
3. They Have Superb Communication Skills
Any writer you hire needs the ability to craft clear, concise prose that communicates well. This much is obvious. But the best B2B writers have a superhuman ability to communicate with anyone about anything in a way that resonates with the reader. No misunderstandings or confusion on every level of expertise —just crystal clear ideas into the minds of your readers.
But communication is more than just writing. According to Bittourna, great B2B content often results from a rapid feedback process. Her writers need to receive, internalize and respond to editorial feedback in a fast and positive manner.
“We’ve had a lot of success incorporating a rapid feedback process with our copywriters,” says Bittourna. “Instead of writing an entire site or white paper and then passing it to upper management for review, we have the writer quickly draft and send over more fundamental core concepts — like hero text or above-the-fold copy — and adjust or approve it before the bulk of the writing is started. By approving these foundational pieces, we reinforce the tone for the rest of the site’s copy early on and give the writer solid touchstones to lean on moving forward.”
Look for writers with superb listening skills. They should possess the ability to absorb the complexities and intricacies of your niche and brand and translate them appropriately.
4. They’re Experts in Your Niche
In every profession and industry, expertise comes at a price. With B2B copywriting, this is definitely a rule. The best B2B writers have positioned themselves in a specific niche and often have years of hands-on experience in your brand’s industry. While brands with tighter marketing budgets may have to settle for a copywriter with less experience, it’s important to keep in mind that quality is much better than quantity for B2B marketing.
Masjedi points out, “If they have a background in the business they are targeting, they’re going to land higher conversion rates.”
Try to find experienced B2B writers with professional industry experience on their resumes. If your business has to go with a writer without experience, at least make sure they have plenty of writing experience in your industry.
5. They Have Amazing Research Skills
Writing for B2B audiences requires a particular kind of skill set that consumer writing just doesn’t need. Business readers are savvy — they can spot an imposter in a heartbeat. And while B2B copywriters are often domain professionals, they still need to stay abreast of happenings in your industry. As such, they need to possess superb research skills so their content isn’t outdated on its publication date.
Bittourna says, “We’ve also found the most successful copywriters are voracious readers and researchers — nobody’s an expert on everything, but writing in a B2B space means familiarizing yourself with a specific industry or market space quickly, even picking up the jargon if necessary.”
Ask potential writers what kind of resources they use to bolster their industry knowledge. If their sources are industry-specific journals and sources regarded as trusted resources in your industry, their research skills are probably keen.
Finding B2B Copywriters for Your Content
Whether it’s for a blog post or a case study, your business needs content that truly lands and connects with your audience in a big way. You need to inform, establish trust and expertise and engage every one of your readers. It’s crucial to find an effective B2B copywriter to bolster your marketing efforts.
Of course, finding truly great B2B writers isn’t easy. Posting job ads and sifting through countless applications aside, finding a copywriter that knows their craft as well as your industry is tricky. For some businesses, it can take months or even years to find the perfect B2B copywriter.
Luckily, Crowd Content can make things a lot easier.
Along with our robust marketplace with thousands of professional writers, we’re the only platform with Subject Matter Experts — professional copywriters with verified industry experience. With hundreds of experienced writers across virtually every industry, we can help invigorate your B2B marketing and establish your brand as an authority in your domain. Get in touch with us today to get started.
