Are you the only non-boring business person?
How to create B2B marketing content that even you'd like to read
An awful lot of B2B marketing communications sound like they’ve been written with very boring people in mind:
‘This partnership demonstrates both companies’ dedication to providing innovative solutions that empower organizations to thrive in today’s digital world’ (LinkedIn news announcement)
‘Secure your efficient solution today’ (call-to-action on a LinkedIn paid advert)
‘The impact of AI on CFOs and Accounts Payable’ (webinar title)
These are taken from my ‘Examples of terrible copy’ folder, where I save stinkers from LinkedIn and the web.
Do you want to buy those products or watch those webinars?
Of course not. You’re not an idiot.
So why would anyone else want to?
Tip one, for newsletter #1 is: Write for yourself
I don’t mean ignore your audience. Obviously you should find out what your prospects are grappling with, what they care about and why they would be interested in your product.
But when you communicate your response to those challenges and aspirations, do it in a way you would find irresistible. Make the language simple and a pleasure to read. Look for a way to turn the message into a story. Lead with an unexpected hook. Bring the content to life with words that mean something to all of us, rather than lazy jargon.
Because although you may be a B2B marketer, and your target audience B2B buyers, there’s something we all have in common.
We’re not robots.
We all hate being bored. We all want to read stuff that’s funny, surprising, fascinating, useful or shocking. Not The Impact of AI on CFOs and Accounts Payable.
(If you do want to read The Impact of AI on CFOs and Accounts Payable, you’re probably in the wrong place.)
Remember your reader is a lot like you
B2B buyers are bombarded with marketing content, invitations and messages. Occasionally - just occasionally - it feels like marketers might have forgotten that their prospects have a day job and a life outside work. And that they like to be entertained.
Let’s test that theory. Here’s the inside scoop on a ‘day in the life’ of a B2B prospect.
If, by any chance, your prospects’ boredom threshold is higher than that of the woman in this video, might it be worth reviewing your expectations?
Before you hit publish, ask yourself this question
‘Would this headline/advert/report title/article topic stop me scrolling?’
Be honest. Because if you wouldn’t make time to read it, it sure as hell isn’t going to grab anyone else’s attention.
PS
It’s easy to sneer at bad writing, harder to suggest a better alternative. How would I rewrite ‘The impact of AI on CFOs and Accounts Payable’? The reality is, I’d ask a lot of questions first about what the webinar covered, what it was intended to achieve and why anyone should care. But without the benefit of that knowledge, here’s my punt:
‘Does AI add up? Find the right formula for finance teams’
I’m Heather Barnett, a freelance B2B copywriter and creator of silly videos about marketing. This is the first in what I’m planning will be a regular newsletter with tips on creating better B2B content.
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