The Understated Art of B2B Copywriting

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” – Leo Burnett

Copy, copy, copy! In the world of marketing, everything depends on how fabulous your copy is. You could have a solid SEO presence, a top-notch tech stack, flawless A/B testing practices, you name it. But what do they all revolve around? What’s the center of this universe? A killer copy! As they say, a pen, or in today’s world, the keyboard is mightier than the sword.

The most common, and surprisingly often, mistake that B2B writers make is to forget that while they’re writing their copy for business collateral, it’s a human who’d be reading it.

Telling your brand’s story and finding the exact words for it isn’t an overnight triumph but a tour de force. There’s an ocean of content out there and everyone obviously wants theirs to stand out. The only way to get closer to achieving that goal is to ace the understated art that is copywriting. Let’s quickly dive into it, shall we?

What is B2B Copywriting?

Before we dive into the “how” of B2B copywriting, let’s get the “what” out of the way. When talking about business, some uninitiated people think of B2C (business-to-consumer) that directly sell to consumers like restaurants, mechanics, department stores, etc.

A completely different and a much bigger world out there is the B2B (business-to-business) world in which businesses sell to other businesses like software companies, logistics organizations, customer service brands, etc.

B2B copywriting is the marketing material you create to promote your products or services. The copywriter’s job is to apply the wit and clarity of literature to pluck out the jargon and replace it with brand stories. It’s also important to keep in mind that everything you write should be backed up with solid substance, data points, and evidence.

5 B2B Copywriting Sins

Copywriting is subjective, everyone has a unique take on it. There are, however, a few common mistakes that B2B copywriters make like:

• They write boring stuff with too many facts and a lot of data, forgetting that they’re writing for people. Their copy sorely lacks the elements of a conversation, a story, or an emotional component.
• They don’t understand the persona they’re writing for. They do not research the prospect profile enough to know what really makes them tick and base their writing on assumption.
• They don’t understand the industry well enough to ensure if their readers would be familiar with the jargon, trending topics, and tone.
• They write superficial copies for technical products/services because they don’t learn more about the technology and its market, making their copy look like it’s written by a sales person.
• They don’t learn the craft well, don’t practice enough to be good at it, and are just too eager to get the copy over with which is serviceable at best.

The 5-Point B2B Copywriting Checklist

In copywriting, or life, be anything but boring. Of all the content you’ll find on B2B writing, we’ve handpicked a few essentials for millennial copywriters who are ‘marketing for the now’. Here’s our tried and tested checklist:

1. Write your copy like you speak: Adding a lot of complex technical jargon and industry buzzwords to your copy doesn’t make you come across as cool but as a robot. Before you submit your copy, read through it and think if a human would ever speak like this or say this out loud. If not, trash it and rewrite it.

2. Know that casual language is acceptable: Several B2B organizations think that their copy should be somewhat similar to an affidavit to maintain a professional image. What they need to figure out is if they just care about their professional image or if they want to make sales. Creating sample copies and testing them is a sure-fire way to find out if ‘casual’ is a good look for a brand.

3. Understand the difference between being casual and unprofessional: Your copy does not need to be funny or offbeat each time to be interesting. As a copywriter, your job is to make it interesting for the reader, keeping it clear, explicit, and professional.

4. Cut the chatter: Business folks are incredibly busy, so get to the point. Don’t try to paint a vivid, hypothetical picture for them, be concise and get your point across in as few words as you can.

5. Know your persona like the back of your hand: Knowing and understanding your exact prospect inside and out gives you clarity on their struggles and objectives. It helps you create a copy that they’d feel is tailor-made for them.

Take your cues from your ideal personas and market trends and mix them up with your brand of punch, brevity, and clarity, and you’ve got yourself a fabulous copy. Just remember to keep it simple, memorable, inviting to look at, and fun to read.

Want more from your B2B copy? Let’s have a word.