Level up your B2B marketing with copywriting: expert tips and tricks

Remember the TV show Gladiators? In today’s B2B landscape, it’s time for your brand to channel Blaze.

The market is more competitive than ever before. You need to step into the arena, muscles flexed, ready to battle your competitors and win clients.

The trick to grabbing your audience's attention and driving conversions? Effective copywriting: your secret weapon.

But how do you write copy that stands out from the crowd and resonates with your ideal clients?

I have a few ideas. In this blog, I’ll share my pro tips and tricks to level up your B2B marketing with copywriting.

I’m not just sharing insights and copywriting strategies; I’ll guide you through actionable steps that you can take today to infuse personality into your copy and establish a connection with your ideal client.

This process won’t just get your brand noticed; it will be remembered.

The importance of copywriting in B2B marketing

Why are we talking about this? Because copywriting is more than stringing words together: it’s about crafting messages that resonate, persuade and change the mind of your audience.

Remember, every purchase is a transformation. Our audiences are looking for a change and when there are hundreds of businesses that offer the same outcome, the words you use to market your services really matter.

They show your potential clients how you can make that change happen for them, better than anyone else.

What’s in a brand identity and voice?

Good copywriting shows your brand’s identity and voice in the competitive B2B landscape.

Too often I see businesses throwing money at branding, building the perfect website and investing in mammoth marketing strategies without a second thought to their tone of voice.

Your brand’s tone of voice is the way your brand speaks, feels and interacts with your audience. A distinctive and consistent brand voice carves out a unique personality and defines how your business is perceived in the marketplace.

It sets you apart from your competitors, making your message louder and clearer in the crowded B2B arena.

Before you ask: yes, B2B businesses need a brand voice. It’s not about adding emojis to your website; it’s about speaking with authority, aligning with your values and leaving a mark.

Copywriting = conversions

You’re investing in your B2B marketing with a goal – to convert your audience. Maybe your inbox isn’t bursting with new business enquiries as you’d hoped, or you’re finally ready to get serious about client acquisition.

Copywriting should support your marketing strategy. A good copywriter understands the nuances of sales psychology and knows how to weave a narrative that reels readers in, transforming curiosity into action.

The right copy is like a magnet, pulling potential clients in, guiding them from awareness to consideration to conversion – whether it’s an email, download or purchase.

Client engagement and loyalty

But it’s not just about drawing in new clients; it’s about keeping the existing ones engaged. You want to build a loyal community of referrers who keep coming back for more.

The right words are the glue that binds your audience to your brand. Instead of a bland, one-size-fits-all email newsletter that is sent to an old client list once every six months, your copy needs to engage, entertain, and provide value.

When your content resonates, it creates connection between you and your audience. It fosters trust and loyalty, turning one-time visitors into long-term advocates.

Understanding your target audience and their pain points

We’ve established the ‘why’ behind the importance of copywriting in the B2B market and now you’re itching for the ‘how’.

First things first, it’s crucial to really get to know your audience. Do not rush this.

Understanding the intricacies of your audience’s woes, frustrations and hurdles should guide your copywriting. What transformation are they seeking? What are the knots they’re hoping to untangle by working with you?

Digging deep into their psyche ensures your copy doesn’t just hit – it resonates.

How do you do this?

Step one: market research

Market research is the key to unlocking what drives and troubles your ideal clients, and the solutions they’re seeking.

A few ways you can do this

• Ask them! Create a survey or questionnaire that asks your audience about their needs, preferences and challenges. Choose long-term clients who are likely to help. Or offer an incentive for completing it – the data is worth it.
• Get social: analyse your social media platforms to see what conversations are being had around your industry, your brand and competitors. Are clients or new leads messaging you to ask questions? Are your competitors posting articles on LinkedIn that generate lots of debate?
• Look around: research what your competitors are doing. What are they doing better than you? Are there any gaps in their offering that you could take advantage of in your copy?

Step two: pain points + copy

Once you’ve nailed down your audience’s needs and challenges, it’s time to align your copy to address these pain points.

Crafting high-quality, consistent content that speaks directly to these concerns not only makes your brand more relatable, but also positions it as the solution to their problems.

It’s about creating a narrative where your services are your audience’s painkiller; a powerful magnet that attracts and retains clients.

How you could DIY this

• Be their solution: focus your copy on how your service solves specific problems faced by your audience.
• But, benefits over features! This is an easy trap to fall into – instead of just listing your solutions, your copy needs to show your audience the tangible benefits you can bring to their lives. Go beyond saving them money or time.
• Collect testimonials: leverage your existing clients and ask them to provide you with testimonials for your marketing materials (website, socials, EDMs). These build credibility and showcase your problem-solving abilities.

Step three: reread your copy. Are you showing empathy?

Yes, you want your brand personality to shine through your copy and content, but it shouldn’t be all about you.

You need to show you can step into your audience’s world to feel their struggles and address their needs.

Storytelling is at the heart of compelling copywriting. It’s how us copywriters weave empathy, build relatability and forge connections that go beyond a sales transaction. It’s a tactic that makes your audience feel seen and valued, morphing casual readers into brand advocates.

Three ways to inject empathy

• Tell a story: just like your favourite book, your copy should have a narrative. A start, middle and end. Use words that evoke emotions and resonate with those audience pain points you uncovered.
• Put the client first: switch “we” for “you” to immediately shift the focus from your business to your potential client. Make them the hero of your story. Try using the word “you” twice as much as “we”, “I” or “us”.
• Speak their language: tailor your copy and content to match how your clients speak to you and each other. This will help them feel seen and heard.

These three steps are the cornerstone of effective copywriting in the B2B arena.

Align your message with your audience’s needs and inject storytelling to not only make your brand more relatable and trustworthy, but a powerful tool that wins hearts, minds and markets.

Crafting compelling headlines and subheadings

So, you’ve written some copy, but you’re not sure on the layout. Or if it is punchy enough to make a difference.

Let’s look at how to come up with killer headlines and subheadings that are not just eye-catching, but easy to read and Google-friendly.

Headlines draw your reader in. You want a succinct, intriguing title that encourages clicks and reads. My top tips are to:

• Use powerful words that stir emotions and reactions
• Be clear and concise. Clarity always trumps cleverness
• Ask questions: reel in those readers looking for answers.

Do subheadings matter?

Absolutely. They are structural pillars, breaking up content into bite-sized pieces and boosting readability by offering clarity and focus. Plus, they are SEO (search engine optimisation) gold.

Keep them descriptive but brief – don’t make your audience work hard for your content. Add in relevant SEO keywords balanced with engaging copy.

Incorporating persuasive language and calls-to-action

In today’s B2B battleground where every word wields power, persuasive language and compelling calls-to-action are another secret weapon.

But if you’re like me, you want to sell without being sleazy.

Persuasive language is the art of using words to influence; it’s the subtle nudge that encourages your audience to move in your desired direction.

It’s about choosing words that resonate and spotlight the benefits of your services that most appeal to your ideal client’s emotions and logic.

To get started, review your copy and add affirming and motivating language if it’s lacking. You want to build confidence and inspire action: be authoritative, definitive and in your audience’s corner. Newsflash: this does not mean littering your copy with exclamation points.

Now, have you added your call-to-action? Don’t make your reader decide where to go after reading your content; show them. Do you want them to email you, read your media release, download a resource or book a consultation?

At the end of your web page or piece of content, make your desired action crystal clear by using strong command verbs. But let’s avoid the cheesy and the cliché – “Unlock your full potential! Start your free trial now!” might not be the best fit for the B2B crowd.

A/B testing and analysing the effectiveness of your copy

Time to find out what works and what doesn’t for your audience. Writing copy, especially if you’re not an expert, is not set-and-forget. It’s a living, breathing entity that needs constant tweaking and refining.

A/B testing will show you the winners and the losers and help you make sure every word you write is packing a punch.

What’s A/B testing?

A comparison of two versions of a webpage or piece of content to see which one performs better. Think two gladiators in the arena, battling it out with different weapons.

Your job is to decide which captures the audience’s attention better.

Before you start testing, map out your objectives, audience and measurable outcomes for each.

Once you’ve finished your first round, you can tweak one element at a time – swap a headline, tweak call-to-action or flip an image and tune into which makes your audience sing.

Refine, refine, refine until you’re confident your copy is packing a punch in the digital battlefield.

Copywriting mistakes to avoid in B2B marketing

In the world of B2B copywriting, there are common pitfalls that seem to catch business leaders out time and time again. Ineffective copy can hold you back – if you’re failing to connect with your audience, you’re leaving money on the table.

Three mistakes to avoid:

• The jargon trap: you’re an expert in your field, but your clients aren’t. It's easy to overuse technical terms that lack the emotional nuance needed to tap into your reader’s needs and desires.
• It’s all about me syndrome: too often DIY copy ends up sounding like a monologue. Good copywriting is a two-way street – it addresses the concerns of your audience while highlighting your solutions.
• Sleazy sales tactics: there’s nothing worse than content that is too promotional. It’s obvious, robotic and turns your clients off. Avoid excessive self-praise!

These mistakes can be costly. They can damage your brand’s trustworthy, professional image and your relationship with your target audience.

Here’s another piece of advice: keep revisiting your copy. Regularly polish and refine it (yes, even after A/B testing). It might seem tedious, but it’s crucial to weed out any errors and ensure your key messages stay relevant as your business evolves.

If you’re anything like me, you’re nodding along and thinking “Makes sense, I’ll revisit my copy in six months,” and chances are you’ll forget all about it.

Time to set a calendar reminder to regularly review your content for any necessary updates or inconsistencies. Many B2B copywriting pros also offer this as a service.

It can also be a good idea to invite feedback from others in your firm or external stakeholders once you’ve drafted your copy. A fresh pair of eyes will often find tiny mistakes you’ve read ten times over and not picked up.

Trust me, I know it’s tempting to hit publish as soon as your draft is finished and never look at it again.

But reviewing and refining copy is a must, even for us pros.

It’s your opportunity to ensure your messaging is crystal clear, adds value, bolsters your brand’s credibility, and aligns with your business goals.

Conclusion

Copywriting is an important part of any B2B marketing strategy, especially in today’s competitive landscape.

With the steps outlined above ­– using the right language, showing empathy, addressing pain points and signposting next steps ­– you can write quality copy that goes beyond simply selling.

Thousands of words are needed to build your brand, land clients and maintain your reputation. So, make each one count.

Do you have any questions on how copywriting can level up your B2B marketing game? If you’re short on time but want compelling copy that converts, please contact me.

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