Boost Your B to B Marketing Copy: 3 Major Copywriting Blunders and How to Correct Them
When you're writing or evaluating copy for a B to B marketing (also referred to as b-to-b or business to business marketing) campaign of any kind, you may think it's only appropriate to write formal copy in which you refer to yourself as "we" or "our organization" and let lots of other copywriting basics fly out the window.
Sadly, these sorts of mistakes are the result of the major misconception that you have to be cold and impersonal in your copy if you want to seem professional. If you're guilty of this copywriting crime, you probably learned this rule from a well-meaning, but misguided communicator who doesn't understand that business writing is designed to sell.
But fear not -- there's no reason for your B to B marketing to be bland and ineffective. You just need to know what to look out for. In this article, I've outlined the 3 copywriting blunders that happen the most and can be easily avoided in the future.
These B to B marketing mistakes include:
1. Avoiding use of the word "you" in your copy. Apparently many companies are under the impression that business people like their human sides to be ignored -- to which I say, Au contraire.
Last I checked, most of us in the business world still want to feel included in the copy we read. Wearing a suit or working for a large corporation doesn't magically turn that need to connect off. Speak to the person directly using the words "you" and "your," and your results will be stronger.
2. Using technospeak when user-friendly copy better suits the non-technical audience. Sure, some people in your industry know what the word "interoperability" means. But they're rare and probably aren't the ones making the marketing decisions.
To illustrate my point, I would invite you to consider this:
I am a professional copywriter and always aim to deliver accurate copy to my company's clients. However, given that this article is targeted to help a general business audience, it's fair to say it might not make sense for me to start waxing on here about unclear antecedents and the blight that is the dangling participle, even if I am something of a grammar fanatic in my own little microcosm of reality.
The lesson here is that it's probably best to leave the shop talk in the shop and write for your customers using the words in their vocabulary.
3. Forgetting to ask prospects to buy what you're offering! Isn't the point of B to B marketing to get business people to purchase what you're selling? There is no need to be over the top with your call-to-action, but it is important that you include one.
If you're hesitant to ask for the buy, keep in mind that most business people are aware they're being sold to the moment they read promotional materials and accept this as a part of doing business.
Selling to "timid" office workers? Find a way in your copy to speak to their hearts, then ask them politely to consider what you have to offer.
Is your audience a group of somewhat stuffy financial types? Show them the financial benefit of what you're offering, as well as what they'll save when they purchase from you. Then ask them to buy in a way that appeals to their analytical minds.
A word of caution: If your B to B marketing is targeted toward professional marketers, that's even more reason to urge readers to purchase; if you don't, they might not take action because of their over-exposure to marketing messages of all kinds. Just use the approach best-suited to the type of marketing that they handle every day.
The bottom line? Don't forget to ask people to take action, regardless of what that action is.
Of course, there are other ways to boost the results of your B to B marketing, but these copywriting tips will have you headed in the right direction in no time flat. Make sure to use them for all of your upcoming campaigns.
Copywriter/marketing strategist Jennifer McCay helps individuals and small businesses turn their expertise into marketing success stories. She is the publisher of the Avenues to Marketing Success Newsletter, which delivers tips to help you rev up your small business marketing. To subscribe and receive a FREE special report on 7 ways to improve your sales copy, head to http://AvenueEast.com
 Google News Updated : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:56:09 GMT Milk, Sunshine Each Day Keep the Doctor Away - Washington Post
Washington Post - ยท Kids from newborns to teenagers should take twice as much Vitamin D as previously recommended because it may help prevent serious disease, a leading medical group said yesterday. Video: HealthWatch More tenacious about vitamin D Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:17:28 GMT House Race Is Shaken by Report of an Affair - New York Times
New York Times - By IAN URBINA WASHINGTON - The Florida congressman who succeeded Mark Foley after he resigned because of a sex scandal is now embroiled in a sex scandal of his own, and has requested a Congressional ethics investigation to clear his name. A Florida (House) Bombshell House to investigate lawmaker for alleged affair, ethics lapse Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:20:36 GMT Kashkari Leaps From Obscurity to Lead Role in US Bank Rescue - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Robert Schmidt and Rebecca Christie Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Minutes before Neel Kashkari's public debut as the chief of the US Treasury's financial rescue plan, he sat in a hotel lobby in Washington, unrecognized by many of the international bankers ... What Treasury is planning After Historic Rally, Feds To Buy Bank Ownerships Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:57:34 GMT Asian, European Markets Continue Upbeat Rally - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Blaine Harden TOKYO, Oct. 14 -- Feverish buying in Japan on Tuesday replaced last week's market panic, as the benchmark Nikkei stock index soared to its largest-ever percentage gain in a single day, up 14.15 percent -- part of a global rally in ... Video: Asia Markets Mostly Up Monday World Markets Reflect Growing Hope Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:11:14 GMT Berlusconi Shares Investor Pain With $2 Billion Loss (Update2) - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Andrew Davis and Lorenzo Totaro Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promises Italians they won't lose ``even a euro'' of their bank accounts in the current credit crisis. Video: Bush Says He Will Help US Banks Bush To Speak About $250 Billion Banking Rescue Plan Monday Morning Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:46:59 GMT North Korea to resume nuclear dismantlement - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea planned to resume dismantling its nuclear program Tuesday for the first time in two months, days after the United States removed the communist regime from a terrorism blacklist as a reward under a disarmament pact. IAEA: N. Korea disabling set for Tuesday North Korean foreign minister set for nuclear talks in Moscow Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:11:42 GMT Cambodia: Thailand withdraws troops from border - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Thai troops retreated from a disputed border zone Tuesday, a Cambodian general said, averting a possible military clash after Cambodia's prime minister issued an ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw by midday. Thai army to maintain troops in disputed area Thailand, Cambodia spar over border troop positions Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:51:31 GMT Make Money From Home |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... The huge demand for writers online is really for ghostwriters.... Read More It's time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe... Read More Now that your website is up and running, it's time... Read More Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So... Read More Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While... Read More Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips... Read More Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own?... Read More One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More You've probably seen web sites with testimonials - they can... Read More Today I am having a rant inside of my own... Read More From the early days of search engine optimization, keywords and... Read More Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball... Read More There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It... Read More One thing all successful Internet marketers have in common is... Read More When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first... Read More If you find that your progress is blocked by a... Read More So You Want To be A Copywriter?Wannabe copywriters often check... Read More In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More Have you ever had the experience of hiring a freelance... Read More So, you have something you want to sell. It may... Read More One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to... Read More Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster... Read More I worked as a business magazine editor for about 20... Read More If you are interested in creating information products, you will... Read More
Adsense
websites
What A Ghostwriter Needs To Do To Earn Top Dollar
Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional
Writing Tips for Your Website
Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy
Do You Make These 5 Mistakes When Writing Sales Copy?
10 Keys to Copy That Sells!
11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why Theyre All Poor Excuses)
10 Tips for Writing Web Copy
Should You Use Testimonials When You Create A Web Site?
A Copywriters Rant: Either You Get it, Or You Dont
Does Your Copy Look Fake To the Search Engines?
How to Get Instant Attention
Creative Copywriting?
Top 3 Rules for Writing Effective Copy
Who is Your Customer?
Freelancers Can Jump-Start Your Publicity Initiative
Making a Living as a Copywriter; Freelancing Versus Agency
Hey, Client, This Is Me! Sell With Your Writing Voice
Copywriter Rates, Getting The Facts Beforehand
How To Write Direct Mail That Really, Really Works!
Copywriting FAQs
Its Time To Start That Swipe File
7 Essential Tips for Reviewing and Approving Copy
11 Ways to Get an Editors Attention
Working With a Freelance Editor
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
A Writers Secrets
Every person has secrets that only he or she knows,... Read More
The Lost Art Of Fundamental Copywriting
What ever happened to good old fashion, fundamental copywriting? Has... Read More
Prevent Procrastination With Positive Pressure
My wife and I recently bought a house.It's currently being... Read More
How To Write Direct Mail That Really, Really Works!
So, you have something you want to sell. It may... Read More
Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price
Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing... Read More
Engage Your Customer ? Write About Benefits
Think quick. In 10 seconds, can you list the 5... Read More
A Little-Known Secret To Writing Sales Copy, For Serious Copywriters Only!
Have you ever wondered how your copy sounds to your... Read More
Six Reasons You Don?t Need a Technical Writer (and Why They?re Dead Wrong!)
I know, I know. Times are tough. You have to... Read More
The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write
How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More
Give Me $1 And Ill Have A Powerful Marketing Weapon
One of my most powerful marketing weapons costs me less... Read More
Top 3 Rules for Writing Effective Copy
One thing all successful Internet marketers have in common is... Read More
Four Things Every Web Site Headline Must Do
As you know, I'm constantly making the point that the... Read More
Why Copywriting Is The Secret To Your Online Success
Over the last decade, the number of companies selling their... Read More
Calls-To-Action: Making Them Fit Makes All the Difference
It was going so well, so what happened? Many copywriters... Read More
How Cliffhanger Paragraphs Capture Readers
About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming... Read More
Is Your Content Provider Selling You Ripped Content?
Ripped content: well the term itself is self explanatory. Content... Read More
Dissolving Buyer Scepticisim ... A Lesson In Copywriting
When making a purchasing decision, people have their "rip off... Read More
How To Find A Copywriting School
Have you heard the good things about the field of... Read More
16 Golden Rules of Master Copywriting
You could spend thousands of dollars on advertisement and have... Read More
Deciding What Voice to Use in Copy
You have to choose a character or an angle that... Read More
10 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy
On the Internet programmers and designers rule, not the writer.... Read More
How to Write for a Paper or Magazine
l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper.... Read More
Writing Suitable Copy for the Press
Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More
Freelance Copywriters on the Internet: How to Tell the Difference Between Heaven-sent and Hack
If you're hunting for a good freelance copywriter and have... Read More
Better Copy: The Interview is the Key
Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More
Copywriting |