When it’s dark outside and you’re walking through the park, you’ll find it easier, safer and faster to find your way if the path is lighted. This holds true for B2B communications as well.

B2B communications get easier to write, get more effective in the marketplace and therefore more profitable for your company when you have a lighted path to follow.

This path is a guide on how to avoid common mistakes and it keeps all your marketing on a consistent track. And I’m not talking about a style guide for your communications.

The blog, B2B Voices by Allan Schoenberg refers to the path as a B2B Manifesto.

Schoenberg includes seven “lights” in his manifesto:

1 – Understand your customers’ needs. Here’s a great suggestion by Schoenberg: Think of three or four questions to ask every customer you meet, and then ask them whenever you have the opportunity.

Don’t guess. Find out what’s most important to them and then write about it in a reader-centric style.

2 – Stop comparing B2B with B2C communications. Sure you can learn a lot from B2C. Just recognize that there are differences and you can’t always duplicate what the B2C world does. Spend most of your time reading about what’s working for B2B marketers.

3 – Do awesome things. This is another great point he makes. It starts with being passionate about your job. Think big. Push the envelope. Make what you share interesting for your readers by including some emotion and excitement about the subject.

I’ll add that you’ll be even more amazing if your writing is reader-centric, conversational, and as free of marketing and industry jargon as possible. Again, make it interesting. Avoid dry and stoic copy like the plague.

4 – Understand digital. It’s here to stay. Any and all campaigns should include digital as a crucial part of it as opposed to a “separate” digital campaign. And if you don’t understand digital or want to do it, then hire someone who does.

5 – Take the long view. Another way to say this is, don’t lose sight of the forest because of all the trees. Or don’t get so wrapped up in today’s problems and workload that you fail to think strategically. That you fail to think long term. That you fail to evaluate progress and any adjustments to make. This includes adjustments to your marketing communications.

6 – Build relationships. Not contacts. Regardless of your age or the age of your prospects, clients, and vendors, we’re all human. And that means making time to meet people, both internally and externally. Focus on relationships that matter to your brand. You’re free to choose whether you do this or not, but if you do it Schoenberg wisely states that the investment in time will payoff in many ways.

7 – Change is going to happen. Not only will it happen, but these days it happens faster and faster. There’s no avoiding it (assuming you want to stay in business). So figure out how to deal with it. Figure out how to react to the unexpected as much as possible. And while we’re on the subject of change, I’ll ask you to consider the likelihood that it includes the need to change your B2B writing style. (See my comment on #3)

I wrote about Schoenberg’s B2B Manifesto because I think it contains many elements of winning content. I especially like that it goes far beyond a style sheet / guide for your company. This is because it includes being inspired, motivated, prepared for change, and continually evaluating how your communication efforts are going – what’s working and what isn’t.

I recommend you read his post, “A Manifesto for B2B Communicators.”

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Whether it’s a B2B press release, email subject line, white paper title, trade journal article, or anything else . . . the headline must get the job done.

What is that job?

It goes far beyond grabbing the reader’s attention. The B2B headline must also take the reader to the next step by drawing them into the copy. You need to give them a reason to read more!

As an example, here is a press release about a super nifty technology for the energy industry which benefits people in the facilities management sector:

New Energy More Than Doubles Patent Portfolio for Novel Technology Able to Generate Electricity on Glass Windows

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Why don’t I like that headline? Because it’s all about New Energy – the company that developed this first-of-its-kind, see-through technology.

Yes, they ought to be proud of what they’ve accomplished. And definitely should issue press releases as they continue to improve their technology.

But let’s consider their target audience. I’m assuming it includes facility managers. As a manager of a building or complex of buildings . . . Do I care that you [New Energy] doubled the number of patents you have?

No.

As a facility manage I care about reducing energy costs, saving money, having a more efficient building, making an economical improvement to the facility, and so forth. This is what the headline ought to focus on.

One alternate headline is this:

Generate Electricity with Glass Windows

This technology by New Energy just got a whole lot better and more affordable

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Or better yet:

More Affordable Electricity Generation from Glass Windows

This technology by New Energy just made life easier for facility managers

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Do you see how the headline above is more likely to catch the attention of the target audience? It features one of their primary issues they continually work to solve – more affordable electricity. And the second part of the B2B headline even uses the name of the target audience. That’s what I mean by “beef up” your press release headlines.

These two alternate headlines are far more likely to get the job done – get more prospects to at least start reading the text of the press release – than the headline used by New Energy. Why? Because the reader saw something they care about in the headline and have a reason to read more.

More on B2B Press Releases:

50,000 press releases. How to get yours to say, “Pick me!”

Google Cracking Down on Online Press Releases?

The Press Release and Integrated Content Marketing for Aviation

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There are a lot of good quality B2B websites. Yet there’s always room for improvement.

Having a website that is focused on your reader – your prospects and clients – is what I believe is most important.

And although images (especially scrolling images with copy a visitor seldom has time to read) are all the rage these days … don’t forget to include reader-centric copy. Copy that expresses how the web visitor will benefit from your products or services.

Today I’ve chosen a couple of B2B website home pages as examples. With each site I’ll point out a few tweaks I would make so they’re more reader-centric.¹

Harkins Builders

1. I like how the cities – the region – they serve is identified right below their logo. Specifying the geographic area is important to prospects looking for a construction firm.

2. What I don’t see is anything that immediately – within a couple seconds – tells me what market they serve. By that I mean the type of construction projects. By spending more time on the site and visiting multiple pages I’ve learned that their specialty is multi-dwelling housing such as apartment buildings.  I would add a statement or two above the scrolling images citing their specialty as well as other markets. Don’t make your visitors click and click, or guess.

3. The other big gaping hole is why I should choose Harkins over any other builder. What is their USP? They strive to achieve this with the testimonials within the scrolling images. However, these are very hard to read because of the reverse font (i.e., white text on a red background). Again, along with the statement clarifying the markets they serve, I recommend adding a statement or two about their USP.

Tramfloc, Inc.

1. Their name doesn’t give a clue as to what they do (that’s not a criticism). Therefore I think it’s important to have a tagline or slogan in the header that states this vital information. They could also say whether they serve only the USA, or also other countries.

2. This text is right below the water image:

“Tramfloc, Inc. Industrial and Mining Chemicals for Wastewater Treatment | We also provide polymer feeding systems, emulsion breakers, super absorbent polymers, metal remediation, dechlorination and defoaming chemicals.“

It’s good there’s a statement about what Tramfloc does. However I consider the image to be a tremendous waste of priceless real estate on the site. Instead put this critical information within the image since it is such a simple one and the text won’t get lost within the pool of water.

The text also needs to be edited so it’s reader-centric. Don’t write about Tramfloc. Write about the prospect or client and how Tramfloc products benefit them. It’s not about you. It’s about your readers.

3. Again, make this copy reader-centric. Here’s what is on the site: “Tramfloc offers the broadest possible line of polymeric formulations to separate suspended solids and liquids in a wide variety of industries and applications. Tramfloc polymers are designed to improve the efficiency of your process water, raw water, wastewater, and potable…”

One simple change to make it more reader-centric is this: Improve the efficiency of your process water, raw water, wastewater, and potable water treatment system with Tramfloc polymers. With the broadest possible line…

With regard to websites in general, another pet peeve of mine is the rampant use of gray font.

Folks, nothing is easier to read than black text on a white background. Don’t sacrifice readability for what a designer thinks is “pretty.” Because you pay for that loss in readability in your bank account. Stay as close to black on white as possible. You can use a few other colors as attention grabbers for key calls-to-action, or possibly your headlines and subheads.

Finally, when designing or updating your B2B website, always keep in mind its primary purpose. Now this can vary from company to company, but the purpose is probably to capture leads, make sales, or something equally significant.

This is why it’s paramount for your website to be focused on the needs of your visitors (i.e., your prospects and clients). What’s in it for them? What do they want to know? Put readers / visitors in the spotlight by stating what they’ll get instead of what you do.

More on website copy:

Why is B2B Web Copy So Lousy?

Copy readers understand? Or jargon?

Getting visitors to your B2B website

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1- Disclaimer: I don’t know what has been tested or how the websites have evolved over time. My suggestions are based entirely on what I saw when I clicked on their site.

Harkins Builders website

Tramfloc website

One of the things that distinguishes B2B from B2C is that quite often many individual customers have to “buy” before one product is sold.

B2B is research-heavy. The engineer/technician is looking for a solution to her problem. The shop supervisor wants to make sure the product indeed meets the solution. The Compliance office is looking for all the correct specs. Accounting is looking at the price/value proposition. Legal is looking at contractual issues. Upper management is looking at the brand relationships (among others).

You, of course, know all this. You know that all of these buyers have to be sold before your product is purchased. And your website is full of information that will help these buyers make their collective decision, including:

• Pricing information
• Peer testimonials/reviews of a product
• Professional publications or white papers
• News or press releases for a brand or company

Even though many searchers in the tech-buying chain are searching for similar information, the search phrases they use will be different. As you look through your web analytics, you’ll see search phrases that will key you on what phase of the research/buying process that searcher is in.

And that’s one of the benefits of using PPC.

Within PPC campaigns you can segment your keywords (search terms) that address various stages of your company’s purchase funnel. That means you can create ads and landing pages that speak to the exact questions the decision makers have in mind – and then direct them to your white paper, recent awards, press release, price list, or whatever is appropriate to that searcher.

Remember – when someone is researching online, they have a question in their head that they’re looking to answer. With your knowledge of your customers, you already know the questions each level of buyer is likely to ask. And with PPC ads and landing pages, you can show them that you know exactly what they’re looking for, and where on your site they can find it.

It takes some thought, investment, and a little bit of work. But when you can intercept potential buyers early in their research, you have a much better chance of converting the searcher into a satisfied customer.

Related Posts:

B2B Buyer Study: How B2B Content Impacts Buying Decisions

The Diversity of Pay-Per-Click: How it helps other marketing channels

5 Steps to Higher Converting B2B Landing Pages

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Graphic credit: our friends at WordStream.

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There’s been a lot of talk recently that, in an effort to clean up web spam, Google is now “cracking down” on online press releases. As is often the case, the facts point to a different story.

First off, Google is not interested in press releases, advertorials or online articles per se. They’re actually “cracking down” on link schemes – which they define as links that are intended to manipulate Page Rank or a site’s ranking in the Google search results. In their documentation, Google cites “links with optimized anchor text in articles or press releases distributed on other sites” as violations of their guidelines. This sounds like the death of press releases, right?

Here’s where a careful reading of the Google guidelines comes into play. Google cites the following example:

There are many wedding rings on the market. If you want to have a wedding, you will have to pick the best ring. You will also need to buy flowers and a wedding dress.

One of the things that identifies this as a link scheme is that all the optimized keyword links in the above passage point back to the same site. In other words, this is a blatant attempt to game the search engines into ranking this site for all of these keywords.

So if Google will be scrutinizing them, are press releases still effective? Yes and no. “Yes” if you’re looking to attract leads and build credibility in your market. But “no” if your primary motivation is gaming your SEO.

Here at B2B Scribe, we’ve always advocated that an online press release is best used as a lead generator and a credibility tool. A properly written online press release can readily establish you or your company as an expert in the field, and at the same time differentiate you from your competition. And with a strong call to action, it can bring highly qualified web traffic to your site.

But what about links?

It’s only natural that there should be a link or two – including your full URL – pointing back to your website. But one strategy we recommend is to have external links pointing to sites and pages other than your own. No, I’m not saying to send your competitors free traffic! These external links would be to sources that confirm the points you make in your press release; offer additional in-depth information that the reader can visit for further study; or quotes by recognized authorities that support your position.

I know it’s counterintuitive – but these off-site external links go a long way in establishing your credibility with your readers. They not only show that you have confidence, but they also project an understanding of the reader’s internal dialog. You recognize that they may not want to just take you at your word, and are willing to help them verify your points. That inspires trust.

So Google’s crackdown on link schemes not only gets rid of a bunch of web noise, it also helps to restore the effectiveness of a properly-written press release. And that’s a good thing – for you and for your market.

More posts on press releases:

Attracting Prospects through the Online Press Release

50,000 press releases. How to get yours to say, “Pick me!”

 
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You’ve likely read this about B2B email dozens of times: Be brief and to the point. Avoid jargon. Make it worth their while to respond.

Those three statements aren’t the only solid guidelines for getting a reply to your B2B email … but let’s keep our focus narrow for today.

To illustrate these guidelines I’ll choose one of my pet peeves: Asking readers to respond to a survey.  For the record, it’s HOW B2B companies ask for customers to respond to a survey that usually irks me.

1.    Be brief and to the point.

This subject line is often used because it works for survey-like emails: Some quick questions for you

However, it’s better to be specific. Here a number would strengthen the email subject line and likely increase response: 3 quick questions for you

This illustrates being brief and to the point within your subject line. But the same holds true for the body of the email.

And speaking of the body text … keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Aim for an average length of 16 words in a sentence. Less is even better. And I recommend paragraphs that are one-to-three lines long, with a longer one here and there if need be.

2.    Avoid jargon which includes numerous adjectives and adverbs along with ambiguous marketing and/or industry phrases.

For example:

We’re re-inventing our website design services by integrating secure technology with high-end artistic value for products that define the true meaning of multimedia.

We would like to get thoughts from real people like you so we know precisely how to make people excited about what we offer and how our web designs perform for their company.

Who cares that you’re “re-inventing.” That’s a prime example of jargon. Or at least it’s a worn-out phrase.

In the first paragraphs everything after, “…services by…” is jargon in my opinion. It’s also ambiguous and doesn’t tell the reader anything tangible.

The second paragraph is something out of a TV commercial. You know, that tiny text at the bottom of your screen that says: Real people. Not actors.

I’m still trying to figure out what a non-real person is. Using the word “people” also strikes me as cold and awkward.

The other problem I have with the second paragraph is that it’s a lousy disguise for trying to collect marketing intelligence. The author is really asking the reader to admit what they need so the author can turn around and offer it to them. What’s more it sounds phony.

3.    Make it worth their while to respond.

Folks, your customers and clients are also busy. Their time is valuable.

Even a few minutes to answer 3 quick questions demands a darn good reason for them to stop what they’re doing and answer your questions.

Why should they do that? What’s in it for them? Can you offer them an incentive?

By the way, I didn’t make up the example text I used to illustrate my three quick tips. Although I did have to alter it slightly to keep the author/company anonymous.

Conclusion: If you can’t write reader-centric B2B emails that are brief and to the point; avoid jargon; and clearly show how it’s worth their while to respond … then please stop trying.

For the sake of your business, hire a professional copywriter. Your customers will be grateful. What’s more you’ll see the difference in your bottom line even if your customers never say a word about it.

Related posts:

Do your B2B email subject lines perform like a great race horse? Or more like a tired nag?

3 industry examples of jargon versus reader-centric copy they can understand

6 email subject line tips

4 reasons B2B copy is ineffective … How is the content in your B2B marketing?

If you’re like 63% of small businesses . . . you believe your customers have higher expectations of you than they did five years ago. (Note: Small Business = annual revenues of $33-million or less per U.S. government parameter.)

What’s more . . .

71% believe customers expect more value

48% believe customers expect better customer service

44% believe customers expect more deals and coupons

What do YOUR customers want? And what are you doing to find out? These are valid questions regardless of the size of your business.

Once you’ve discovered what your B2B customers expect and value … once you find out what’s most important to them … are you able to write the copy and deliver the content they want? Easier said than done. Here at B2B Scribe we’re ready to help you make it happen.

And that’s not the only interesting set of statistics from a survey of small businesses conducted by Constant Contact.

Other challenges include:

• 40% say it’s harder to run their business because of more direct competitors. You’ll stand out from the crowd if you dare to be different in your B2B marketing. If you clearly communicate WHY customers ought to buy from you as opposed to a competitor.

• 65% say “finding enough time” is a primary business concern. Let’s face it. Success today depends on a team effort. You can’t do it all yourself. Let’s talk about how B2B Scribe can make your work easier by creating content for your lead generation and marketing campaigns.

• 49% believe it’s harder to find customers today because prospects pay less attention to marketing. Again, you need to stand apart from the crowd and deliver what people want. And you need to do this across multiple channels.

It’s an understatement to say that marketing is challenging today. Yet it is possible to make strong connections with new customers; and retain more of your existing customers. Another secret of success once you find out what customers and prospects expect; is to exceed their expectations. Don’t merely meet them.

What’s your biggest B2B marketing challenge today as compared to five years ago?

How do you compare to the infographic below? And again, are you not only meeting but EXCEEDING your customers’ expectations so they’ll choose you over your competitors?

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Related posts:

B2B Buyer Study – How B2B Content Impacts Buying Decisions

B2B Buyers Say They Rely Most on White Papers, Case Studies and Webinars to Make Decisions

How to PROVE the Value of your B2B Product or Service

Resource for this post: Direct Marketing News

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Getting a landing page to convert isn’t rocket science. But the final result – design and content of the page with highest conversion rate – isn’t always what you think it would be either.

Here are five steps to take in order to increase the conversions on your B2B landing pages:

1 – Is your landing page consistent with the copy / offer that sent prospects to the page?

Does your landing page continue the conversation started by your pay-per-click (PPC) ad? Does it continue the conversation started by your Tweet or LinkedIn ad? Does the headline and call-to-action align with what the prospect was promised?

2 – Are the graphics, copy and overall design in sync with the desired action? For example:

If you want prospects to fill out a form … does everything support that?

If you want prospects to download a white paper … does everything support that?

If you want prospects to call you … does everything support that?

3 – Why are you special?

What value do you offer that no one else does? How are you unique? Why should a prospect do what you ask (i.e., respond to your call-to-action) as opposed to going to a competitor?

4 – Does your copy “speak” to your prospect … to your target audience?

Are you designing an offer and landing page that hits the bull’s eye for a niche? And therefore increasing your odds of successful conversions?

Or are you a milquetoast? Are you trying to be all things to all people? And therefore sending an ambiguous message that few prospects respond to.

5 – Have you tested your landing page to hone the content? For example:

Strongest headline

Where to put the sign-up box or call-to-action (CTA) button

Best colors for the CTA

Good eye flow and easy to scan

High graphic / image quality

Concise, tight copy including bullets of the most critical value statements for the prospect to read and comprehend

Minimize distractions to the eye (e.g., not too busy with tons of images, colors and multiple CTAs)

Regarding point number 5: Testing never ends. And it often yields surprising results.

For example: Sometimes tests reveal the highest conversion rate occurs when the form is below the fold. That’s counter-intuitive and it shows the value of testing. You need to find out what works best for your company and what you’re offering.

B2B landing pages are the life blood winning lead generation campaigns. Use the five steps above to create landing pages that convert – and convert well. Pump new life into your campaigns.

More posts on landing pages:

Think B2B landing page “first”, mobile “second”

 Increasing B2B conversions? Start here.

Don’t make your landing page a stranger

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Yet another study – this one published by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council – showing that the quality of online content significantly impacts buyer decisions on vendor selection and product selection.

Over 400 business buyers worldwide, from a wide range of industries and functional industries, weighed in with their thoughts and preferences on content relevance, composition, educational quality and delivery.

Some key findings of the survey:

• Eighty-eight percent of respondents say online content plays a major to moderate role in vendor selection.

• Some 28 percent say they share content with more than 100 colleagues while another 31 percent share it with 25 to 100 people.

• 67 percent of respondents named research and white papers from professional organizations among their most trusted content sources, compared to just 9 percent who named vendor white papers.

• Other trusted and valued types of content include papers from industry organizations (50 percent); customer case studies (48 percent); analyst reports (44 percent); and independent product reviews (41 percent).

Respondents cited breadth and depth of information; ease of access, understanding and readability; and originality of thinking and ideas as the most valued characteristics in online B2B content.

Topping the list of characteristics most disliked were excessive requirements for download; blatantly promotional and self-serving pieces (a pet peeve of ours, too!); and non-substantive/uninformed papers and posts.

As we have said before, B2B buyers are relying on online content more than ever. The challenge, then, is creating content that demonstrates value and conveys trust. And do that over and over again.

Related Posts:

Top 3 Content Types for B2B Buyers

Why is B2B Web Copy So Lousy?

9 Benefits of B2B Content Marketing

Resources for this post:

Study: Better Lead Yield in the Content Marketing Field from Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council

Infographic courtesy of MarketingProfs.com

Do you “know it all”? I sure don’t. That’s why I’m continually researching and studying my profession of direct marketing and copywriting. And that leads me to today’s post.

As a rule I don’t regularly publish a collection of B2B blog posts and articles from other websites. But lately I’ve come across a batch that I want to share. These colleagues and experts are worth reading … worth studying … because together we’re all smarter and better at our work.

I hope you find the wisdom from this collection of marketing “artists” as helpful and interesting as I did.

• OUT with the sales funnel, IN with the cocktail shaker by BtoBonline.com – Love this perspective on how B2B buyers really interact with your lead generation marketing.

• Beyond Lead Generation: How to Use Content for Sales Enablement, Lead Nurturing and Retention by Marketo.com – Again, you never know at what stage of the buying cycle prospects will start interacting with you. So pepper your great content everywhere … not only at the top of the funnel.

• 10 Crazy Stats About Content Marketing by LogMyCalls.com  – why content marketing matters even for a non-contact marketing company.

• How to Turn a White Paper into a Content Marketing Machine by FearlessCompetitor.com – read it carefully and you’ll find at least 5 ideas

• 7 Key Steps to Creating an Awesome Infographic by JeffBullas.com – Infographics attract attention and flow across a social web. And they can enhance lead generation and lead nurturing, partly because a concept can be illustrated and explained visually. And visual content is effective!

• How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog Post by Copyblogger.com – Five ideas on how to open a blog post along with 10 winning examples.

• 6 B2B Marketing Mistakes That Are Easy to Make by B2BdigitalMarketing.com – The hardest mistakes to avoid are the ones that don’t look like mistakes. This post has six such mistakes and links to a post with five more.

There are tons more articles just as solid as these are. What’s one that you found particularly insightful? Please share the link in the comments below.

Related posts:

B2B Buyers Say They Rely Most on White Papers, Case Studies and Webinars to Make Decisions 

From 1-to-10 … How is the content in your B2B marketing? … and how to improve it

Dialogue with B2B Prospects for Higher Quality Leads

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