Most writers believe that they’re proficient enough to develop copy for any audience, but that isn’t always the case.
Copywriting demands a unique voice and approach when targeting a specific audience, especially B2B copywriting.
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B2B Copywriting And Why Is Matters
What Is B2B Copywriting?
B2B (business-to-business) copywriting means content creation for businesses that sell to other businesses.
The B2B model is different from the business-to-consumer (B2C) model, where businesses offer products and services to consumers directly.
Examples of popular B2B brands are IBM, Google, and Docusign. Popular B2C companies that you may know include Spotify, Netflix, and Starbucks.
Did you observe how the clientele between both models differs? So does their content copies too!
Why Does B2B Copy Matter?
A B2B copy presents your business’s value proposition in a way that various businesses will find personally beneficial.
Statistics suggest that B2B brands that adopt personalized content strategies find it to be 80% more effective.
So, adopting such strategies in B2B copywriting will help you engage a wider audience and convert them into B2B clients and/or partners.
Furthermore, since 93% of B2B brands are leveraging content marketing, you must write compelling B2B copies to compete for new clients.
So, what are the benefits and intricacies of a B2B copy? And how can you leverage it to boost your conversion rate in 2021 and beyond?
Benefits of Solid B2B Copywriting
An excellent copy is like having an online salesperson available 24/7. Once it’s out there, it will work on attracting new B2B clients and businesses for you.
Some reasons why a solid B2B copywriting could transform your business include:
- When done right, B2B copywriting can boost your sales rate.
- B2B copywriting can present your brand as trustworthy, dependable, and reliable.
- A fantastic copy can promote your brand message to the world.
- A well-optimized copy can boost traffic to your website and increase conversion rates.
- Targeted B2B copies can help you achieve different objectives, including attracting specific clients or building your contact list.
B2B Copywriting Best Practices To Avoid Low-Quality Content
A B2B copywriter could apply these B2B copywriting best practices to improve their copywriter skills.
Create A Brief And An Outline
A clear and concise content plan will ensure that you compose relevant messages with a natural flow.
After all, you need to impress businesses through a series of copies (from the “About” page to the “Products/Services” page to the “Features” page) to convert them.
Briefs and Outlines play significant roles in helping B2B businesses develop copies that provide the targetted clientele with guidance.
Briefs summarize copy plans, including objectives and specific topics, while outlines help businesses to plan the skeleton for any copy.
B2B businesses can create correlations between their different copy types with this approach.
Furthermore, they help you pinpoint potential weak/missing points or confusing sections.
Additionally, you can revise, rethink and rejig your B2B copy ideas in their brief or outline formats. This approach allows you to establish your strategic direction before writing any copy.
Some critical steps to developing a copy outline include:
- Choose a topic.
- Brainstorm the main points
- Organize your ideas/thoughts for the best content flow.
- Expand your main points.
- Review your outline.
Adopt Industry Keywords & Expectations
Optimize your copy to maximize its potential. Over 75% of B2B traffic comes from organic and paid searches.
Adding industry keywords will direct relevant traffic to your website and, thus, present your business copy to your target audience.
Additionally, your copy should incorporate industry expectations. For example, what are your target businesses searching for in your industry?
Keyword research tools can help you pinpoint the right keywords/keyphrases and most common search queries within your niche.
These tools also help you to discover the latest trends and interests that are specific to your niche.
Some popular keyword research tools include:
- SEMrush
- Google Ads Keyword Planner tool
- BrightEdge
- AnswerThePublic
Sometimes, the most challenging aspect of SEO is embedding these keywords within the natural flow of your copy.
Keywords should never disrupt your copy’s natural flow. If you need help, you can hire SEO copywriting services.
Professional copywriters and editors can incorporate the relevant keywords while preserving the high quality of your B2B copy.
Reputable Data & Social Proof Are Critical
Studies suggest that 92% of B2B buyers will most likely buy a product/service after reading a review. Additionally, reviews and social proof can boost conversion rates by 270%.
Furthermore, 94% of B2B buyers conduct online research before contacting sales representatives. So, your copy needs to convince them to contact your brand.
You can’t expect business clients to believe and trust your brand without any supporting data or facts.
Facts and data prove that you have specific numbers/reviews as proof of your efficiency.
Your copy should feature at least 10 reviews if possible. That’s because 85% of prospective clients read that much before considering a business to be trustworthy.
Explain Your Business Benefits & Values
Business professionals base every buy decision on the benefits of that product/service to their businesses.
They put their organizations’ gains first ⸺ Can it help them improve workflow and productivity? Is it cost-effective? Or does it improve their profitability?
Educate prospective buyers on how your product/service can save them time, money, or resources.
Your copy’s priority should be to present your product/service’s benefit to help B2B buyers make a logical, rational, and justifiable buying decision.
Keep your Copy Focused & Professional
Your copy represents your business. Do you want to convince your potential clientele that you’re focused, committed, professional and direct? Then, your B2B copies must embody these characteristics.
Use a professional, brand-appropriate, and target audience-oriented tone that presents your business as an industry expert.
Furthermore, your copy should focus on a specific topic/issue to show your brand’s straightforwardness.
Edit & Format To Suit Brand Standards
Your copy is an essential part of your brand’s image. As a result, it should synchronize to your brand’s standards and principles.
It should highlight your brand’s voice, tone, and style. So, edit and format your copy to align with your brand’s image.
Also, use appropriate and consistent branded terms, voice, tone, and so on in your content.
Common B2B Copywriting Mistakes To Avoid
Low-quality content can prevent your marketing campaign from achieving the desired success. Thus, your copy must be consistent, clear, and precise. Some common B2B copywriting mistakes include:
- Not inspiring action: Avoid “passive” phrases & adverbs and uncommon words & expressions. Also, simplify complex sentences and include CTAs where needed.
- No sense of direction. That can frustrate your audience. Set goals for your copy, format your texts, develop a brand voice and prioritize the right things.
- Limited or zero use of additional content. Engage your target audience with different types of content. For example, your copy should include images, arts, videos, animations, gifs, infographics, etc.
- Avoid beating around the bush or sounding overly friendly or humorous. Potential buyers might perceive you as being unserious.
Conclusion
B2B copywriting is critical to your content marketing strategy. When appropriately used, B2B copywriting can be a powerful conversion tool when combined with effective designs.
The tips above aim to help B2B sellers discover the power of an excellent copy. If you want to attract more potential clients to your website and convert them into loyal purchasers, try applying these concepts to your business copies.