As a business-to-business brand, you’re, no doubt, familiar with concepts like copywriting.
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But how much do you really know?
And how can you leverage copywriting to make your B2B business thrive?
The truth is: copywriting is an absolutely crucial part of your business strategy. It can make or break it.
So, even if you plan on writing your copy yourself, you need to be aware of why good copywriting works, and – more importantly – how it can help your business grow.
What Is Copywriting?
Just in case you’ve not quite got the memo, let’s take a look at the definition of copywriting.
Some say that copywriting is words that sell. Others say “it’s salesmanship in print”.
Both statements are true. But, it’s actually far simpler than that.
Copywriting is any written piece that aims to persuade and, ultimately, convert.
Don’t get lulled into the false statement that copywriting only converts to sales. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a financial conversion.
When I say “conversion”, I mean taking someone from one stage of the buyer’s journey to the next.
This could be converting a website visitor into an email subscriber. It could be taking a cold lead into a warm lead, or a warm lead into a hot lead. Whatever the transformation, it aims to get your lead one step closer to making a purchasing decision.
So, copywriting does sell. But it doesn’t have to sell immediately.
Unless, of course, we’re talking about direct response copywriting.
Copywriting, as a whole, is written with an overall goal and strategy. It ties beautifully into your sales and marketing strategy.
What Are Examples of Copywriting?
So, where have you seen copywriting before? Here’s a few places you’ll have interacted with copy:
- Websites
- Marketing emails
- Sales pages/landing pages
- Billboards
- Commercials
- Online ads
Notice that I didn’t mention “blog articles”, “social media captions”, “case studies”, or “white papers”?
That’s because those are examples of content writing.
That’s a totally different kind of writing. The contrast lies within the purpose of the piece.
Just as copywriting is written to convert, content writing is written to:
- Educate
- Entertain
- Motivate
- Inspire
While a piece of content might persuade a lead to take action and get them closer to making a purchasing decision, it’s not the primary aim.
Content marketing plays the long-game. It allows readers to associate the brand with the industry as the top-dog.
The go-to.
The expert.
And that, by itself, can be a lead generation machine all by itself.
But it’s not copywriting.
Both use writing. As both soccer and swimming use physical activity. Yes, both are sports, but they’re not the same.
Why Is Copywriting So Important?
So, what’s the deal? Why is copywriting so important for your business’s success?
Good copywriting uses human psychology, sales and business strategy, and creativity to push people toward taking action.
Take your website, for example.
You could have the most stunning website around. You could have all the bells and whistles – animation, sliding testimonials, videos – the whole lot.
But if someone lands on your website and they don’t connect with the words immediately, it won’t convert.
It’s really as simple as that.
When you’ve got it right, your copy will:
- Speak directly to your ideal buyer
- Make them feel something
- Ooze your brand
- Position your brand as the expert
- Reveal your true benefits
- Show the ideal transformation
- Push your readers to taking action and entering the next phase of the buyer’s journey
Realistically, you can’t be present at everything 24/7. Whether that’s digitally or in person, it’s just not feasible.
When you have solid copy that you know feeds into your sales strategy, is written to perfection, and speaks to a specific buyer, you’re assured that your copy is selling for you.
So, selling on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving – which were once off the cards – is now an annual reality.
And good copywriting, written by copywriters, will often be far more effective. Because we have the understanding of human psychology that we need to make more sales.
Can’t I Write My Copywriting Myself?
Many new businesses begin by writing their own copywriting. Unlike design, it’s not something that you can look at and say “that’s great!” or “that sucks!”
Instead, copywriting requires copious research. Ask anyone who runs a copywriting business–copywriting is research heavy.
For effective copywriting, a copywriter will research:
- Your ideal buyer’s demographics and psychographics
- Your competitors
- Your branding (tone of voice and atmosphere)
- Your services or products
- Any marketing trends within the industry
- Language use within the field
- Your current sales/marketing strategy
- Your SEO (if applicable)
A well researched project will allow far more punch within every word.
A copywriter knows what they’re looking for and where to look. For those that aren’t trained, they tend to skip this step. And it shows in their copywriting.
Also, it’s worth noting that copywriters know how to take your product or service and make it shime. Sometimes, we’re so close to our own brand that we can’t see what makes it special and unique anymore.
A good copywriter can peel back layered benefits and find the root – the one that’ll get the right people saying “I simply cannot live without it”.
Another reason why outsourcing to a copywriter should be your course of action is due to data. A copywriter can and should split test various components of your copy to analyze different interactions.
With emails, for example, a copywriter may choose to split test multiple subject lines of the same email. Even changing an emoji in the subject line could adjust the data. A copywriter will then be able to form a narrative from the data, before testing once again until you have a clear idea of what works and resonates with your readers.
There’s so much more to copywriting than just words.
How B2B Copywriting and B2C Copywriting Is Different
B2B (business-to-business) copywriting requires a different approach to B2C (business-to-consumer) copywriting.
However, it may not be what you think.
Many B2B owners fall into the trap of thinking that, because their brand is aimed at a business, they should write in a corporate, formal fashion.
The reality is, no matter who you’re selling to, you’ll be selling to people.
Real human beings with lives, emotions, and problems.
So, what are the differences?
Purchasing Behavior
First up, it’s key to know that business owners take a lot longer to make a purchasing decision. This is probably down to the fact that they have more riding on their investment.
Investing in website design, for example, feels more meaningful than buying a new scented candle.
Of course, there’s a tie to cost here, too. As a rule, B2B prices are higher than B2C offers.
This needs to play a factor in your copywriting.
Making a sale to business owners will require more effort. However, when you get the sale, it’ll be heftier than that of a B2C (as a rule of thumb).
So, in your copy, you need to provide lots of reassurance, add guarantees and a risk-reducer, and put your offer under a spotlight.
Business Owners Are Busy-ness Owners
The reality is: being a business owner is hard.
We’re constantly tired. Because there’s so much to do.
Whether they’re aiming at another brand or aiming at consumers, the to-do lists never seem to end.
As such, they don’t have time to read large pieces of writing.
When you combine this with the previous section, and you acknowledge that brands need more convincing than consumers, you realize how tricky it’ll be to write words that convert.
You’ve got a very short amount of time to capture, engage, and convert them with your words.
So, every single word needs to serve a purpose.
There should be no filler content.
And you should be able to explain why every word you write is there.
The snappier the copywriting is without diluting the meaning, the better.
Time to Hire Or Get Learning
Unless you’re playing on investing in copywriting courses and learning to master the skill yourself, it’s time to hire a copywriter.
You can outsource your copywriting to a copywriting agency or a freelance copywriter. Whichever you choose to do, remember that copywriting is an investment. Your brand encourages businesses to invest in your product or service. Copywriting is no different.
Author Bio: Liz Slyman
Over the past decade, Liz has worked as a copywriter and digital marketing executive for a multitude of companies from startups to and mid-sized businesses to working as the VP of marketing for award-winning, platinum-selling artists. Leveraging an understanding of the nuance of language in marketing, Liz founded Amplihigher, a content marketing and copywriting agency, designed to connect consumers to companies in a way that results in next-level brand expansion.