Category: Content Format Tips

Podcast 85: B2B blog writing statistics – what’s changed, and why?

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re looking at not one, but two recent reports into the current attitudes and trends driving B2B blog writing.

With the publication of the 2020 Content Marketing Institute (CMI) benchmarking report, it’s clear that marketers no longer malign blogging the same way they did back in the dark days of… *checks calendar* …oh yes, the mid-2010s.

Back then, blogs were often seen as a quick, cheap, and easy SEO tactic. In the equivalent CMI report from 2016, only 59% of B2B marketers considered them effective – ranking the format behind events, webinars, case studies, white papers, videos, research reports, and email newsletters.

But attitudes have shifted. Today, 89% of B2B marketers publish blogs, and it’s considered the highest-performing format for brand awareness, and the second-highest for lead nurture.

What’s behind the renaissance in B2B blog writing?

To try and explain what’s happening, and frame our own recent experiences writing blogs for B2B tech clients, David and Katy unpack the 2019 Orbit Media report How Has Blogging Changed?

The results are fascinating, and do much to verify that in 2020, blogs are a vital source of informed, long-lasting, and practical content.

Basically, blogs got better.

Here’s a sample of some of the stats that made us feel warm and fuzzy inside (and a couple that didn’t – we’ll let you guess which):

  • The average blog post is 1,236 words long – 56% longer than in 2014
  • 77% of marketers published “how-to” articles in the last 12 months
  • The average blog post takes 3 hours and 57 minutes to write
  • 75% of bloggers who report “strong results” include 10+ images per article
  • 51% of bloggers say their blog delivers strong marketing results

The Anonymous Five:  IT Procurement Manager

This episode also sees a welcome return for our “Anonymous Five” feature – giving a warts-and-all glimpse into the real-life experiences behind common B2B marketing personas.

This month, we talk to a senior IT procurement manager at a leading British technology retailer, and their nominated charity is Sebastian’s Action Trust.

If there are other roles you’d like to see us cover (or if you know someone who’d exchange some honest views for a charity donation), do drop us a line. We’re on [email protected].

Here’s what you’ll find when in Episode 85…

2:30 – 89% of marketers now use the blog format, so what’s happening?

7:30 – Is it ever smart to rely solely on yourself for blog proofing? (Spoiler: no)

12:30 – Katy and David unpack the Orbit Media 2019 blogging report – debate ensues

24:15 – The return of the Anonymous Five, this time with a senior IT procurement manager at a leading technology retailer

Send us your feedback, thoughts, cries for help…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (better yet, send us a voice memo).

How to listen 

Credits 

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

We asked, they answered: copywriting for B2B social media

Posted on by Steve George

It’s understandable that clients often ask us for social media advice. We write social posts, and much of the B2B content we write gets shared online. But we’re always acutely aware that we’re only copywriters, and social media is a fast-moving field, with expertise and best practice all of its own. We can write you a great LinkedIn article, but we can’t tell you how you should use it.

So we were delighted when we were joined by social media expert Kate Stoodley from Comment Ground for episode 71 of our podcast. It gave us a great chance to ask all our most burning questions – but there was still loads more we (and our audience) wanted to know.

And so the idea for this pair of head-to-head blog posts was born.

B2B copywriters and social media specialists approach similar challenges in very different ways and contexts. There’s so much we can learn from one another. So, why not put each other on the spot with a handful of hard-hitting questions, and shine some light on what each side really wants to know about the other?

Here’s how Kate responded to the B2B copywriting inquisition. If you’d like to see how I answered Comment Ground’s questions, keep an eye on their blog: the Comment Ground Commentary. This blog’s twin will be appearing soon!

Question 1: How does the length of copy on a B2B social post affect its performance, and are there any clear trends in the data? (Also, how many hashtags is too many?)

Kate: There are many factors to consider when thinking about social post length; data and trends, the channel, the topic, the goal and of course the intended audience. While it’s absolutely worth considering best practices and guides (like this comprehensive one from Hootsuite), it’s equally if not more important for B2B companies to test, test and test again to determine what performs best for their content, audience and networks.

Across most social channels right now, there’s one clear trend emerging – that less is most definitely more. On LinkedIn, recent data found that shorter updates outperform longer ones, with 16-25 words being a general goal for B2B. Brevity also still rules on Facebook, where posts with approximately 40 characters receive 86% more engagement than their lengthier counterparts.

Interestingly, despite upping the character limit from the infamous 140 to 280, shorter tweets (100 characters and under) also still typically perform best. Hashtags can be used more liberally on this network – though we’re seeing marketers’ focus shift to quality over quantity, even on this rapid-fire platform, and especially for B2B.

Question 2: There’s a perception among copywriters that social channels are a good place to test the limits of a brand’s voice and tone. Is that fair, or is it better to be consistent with other copy?

Kate: Social is definitely a prime arena for testing brand voice and tone limits. In fact, we recommend crafting a social-specific voice to many of our clients. Simultaneously though, we also advise our B2B clients to ensure they keep the focus on what their customer wants, and how they prefer to be communicated with.

It’s tempting to view social as an opportunity to let the creative juices flow, and while that can be true, most B2B buyers aren’t looking for brands to stray too far from their core offering/messaging/style. Most B2B buyers report wanting to feel understood and in good hands – and to be able to quickly recognize a brand’s post.

Question 3: What things are B2C brands doing in social that B2B hasn’t caught onto yet? Can B2B ever be on the same level as B2C in social, given the personal nature of the channel?

Kate: To answer the second question first – Yes! B2B brands can be on the same level as B2C in most ways. However, B2B brands should not aspire to do something just because B2C can.

In terms of the personal nature of social, B2C brands are still definitely quite a way ahead of B2B. Generally, they’re doing a better job of personalizing copy and posts to resonate with consumer buying habits and different personas. However, we are starting to see exciting B2B personalized social content emerging, largely thanks to ABM’s rise in popularity.

B2C brands’ visuals tend to garner lots of attention. For B2B brands, the volume and quality of data at their fingertips presents an exciting opportunity to do the same. By grabbing a stat that their audience is really interested in and presenting it in a compelling way, B2B brands can create engaging visual social content that feels just as fresh as what B2C is doing.

Lastly, B2B is still in the early stages of effective employee and C-Suite social programs. Despite an almost over-abundance of thought leadership content and talk, there’s still a huge opportunity for B2B brands’ subject matter experts, sales teams, C-level leaders and other associates to showcase their brand’s culture and messages personally, in a way that will resonate with various target segments. After all, the people behind brands is where successful social is heading, regardless of industry.

Once again, we’d really like to thank Kate for her time and input. If you’d like to hear more from her, check out Good Copy, Bad Copy Episode 71, or visit the Comment Ground Commentary page.

Podcast 71: how to write B2B social media content

Posted on by The Radix Team

Ah, social media. Everyone’s doing it, but – in B2B marketing, at least – it seems there are still precious few brands doing it very well.

From a copywriting point of view, social is too often an afterthought. Instead of a nuanced, two-way conversation, pre-created content gets blasted out to anyone who wants to read it, in a post desperate to attract any kind of engagement from the widest possible audience.

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B Copywriting Podcast, social media expert Kate Stoodley of New York-based Comment Ground explains why that’s precisely the wrong approach.

Where social ends, and content begins

Give the episode a listen, and you’ll hear Kate tell us:

  • Why, just because you can put content on social, doesn’t mean you should
  • How to decide what to publish on LinkedIn, and what goes on your blog
  • Where Facebook and Instagram fit into the B2B mix
  • The hallmarks of great B2B social content
  • The case for going beyond your competitors, and putting a point of view

How to keep up with social media change

We’re not going to lie; we were pretty relieved when Kate admitted that even social media gurus struggle to keep on top of all the changing formats and specifications. Here are the resources she recommended:

Name that chair

Here’s the awesome new/old Eames chair Fiona was talking about in this episode:

Our lovely new old Eames chair

To name it, drop us a line to [email protected], or tweet us using the hashtag #NameThatChair.

(Thanks to our lovely new account manager Phil for the badass photo skills.)

Add your voice to the podcast

We always love getting your comments, questions and ideas. Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (you can even email us a voice memo, if you like).

How to listen

 

Credits

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

The B2B Content Audio Blog #12: 7 tips to help you write up a live event

Posted on by John Kerrison

Attending industry events can be fun and informative, but they’re not so much fun for the marketer whose time, budget and stress goes into making everything run smoothly. So it makes sense to get as much ROI as you can, by turning your hard work into written content too.

That means you’ll need a write-up. And unfortunately, years of scribing at client events have taught us that turning your speakers’ key takeaways into engaging content isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds.

In this audio blog episode, you’ll hear some of our top tips for producing post-event content, from how to the make the most of your time at the event to how to nail that first draft.

Tune in now to hear:

  • Common pitfalls, and how to avoid them
  • Why you should work out your angle before you begin
  • How food might be the key to successful content

“Looks like we got ourselves a reader…”

If you’d rather read than listen, here’s George’s original blog post: Attending a client event? Here’s how to write a kick-ass summary.

Or if you’d like to try another Radix podcast, there’s always Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B Copywriting Podcast.

How to listen

You can download the episode here, or stream it in the player at the top of the page.

Alternatively, you could subscribe to us on iTunes, or use this RSS feed here. You can also find us on Spotify.

Get in touch

Love this podcast? Hate it? Lonely? Email [email protected], tweet at us, or leave an iTunes review. We’d love to know whether you’d like another series.

Credits

Audio editing: Bang and Smash

Theme tune: “Chinny Reckon” by the Nye Bevans

The B2B Content Audio Blog #8: you’re doing email subject lines wrong; here’s why

Posted on by John Kerrison

If you write marketing emails you’ve no doubt been told over and over again that the subject line is the most important thing to get right. Why? Because it’s first thing the audience will read – and governs whether or not your email gets opened.

But the truth is, it’s more than that. Most of the time, it’s the only thing your audience will ever read.

So, how do you craft punchy, engaging subject lines time after time? In this audio blog we share our top tips for capturing your audience’s attention from the get-go (and delivering at least some marketing value even when they don’t open your mail):

  • Why getting an email opened isn’t even half the battle
  • The importance of targeting your reader’s subconscious
  • Four ways to craft the perfect subject line

“Looks like we got ourselves a reader…”

You’d prefer to read Steve’s original blog post for yourself? That’s absolutely fine by us. Here’s Subject lines: the secret shortcut into the subconscious.

Or, if you’re you’d like to listen to something longer, try our monthly discussion podcast Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B Copywriting Podcast.

How to listen

You can download the episode here, or stream the episode in the player at the top of the page.

(If you’d rather use your podcast app, you subscribe to us on iTunes, and there’s an RSS feed here.)

Get in touch

If you found this audio blog format useful, we’d love to know. Email [email protected], tweet at us, or leave an iTunes review.

Credits

Audio editing: Bang and Smash

Title music: “Chinny Reckon” by the Nye Bevans

The B2B Content Audio Blog #7: how to write an ebook that gets results

Posted on by John Kerrison

Content marketing is full of ebooks; some good, some bad, and some ugly. How do you write content that really stands out?

In this audio blog we present a definitive guide to writing ebooks the right way. We identify the key characteristics and tricks of the trade that will get your words read – and more importantly, responded to.

Listen now to learn:

  • The three hallmarks of a great ebook
  • Top tips for approaching your next project
  • An step-by-step guide to writing every section

“Looks like we got ourselves a reader…”

If you’d rather see the written version of Fiona’s complete guide, here’s How to write an ebook for a B2B audience.

Or, if you’re you’d like to listen to something longer, try our monthly discussion podcast Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B Copywriting Podcast.

How to listen

You can download the episode here, or stream the episode in the player at the top of the page.

(If you’d rather use your podcast app, you subscribe to us on iTunes, and there’s an RSS feed here.)

Get in touch

If you find the audio blog format useful (or if you have a way to improve it), please do get in touch. Email [email protected], tweet at us, or leave an iTunes review.

Alternatively, you can read about our ebook writing services, here.

Credits

Audio editing: Bang and Smash

Title music: “Chinny Reckon” by the Nye Bevans

Want to write great landing pages? Follow these three simple rules…

Posted on by The Radix Team

Here at Radix, we write a lot of landing pages for clients. And yet, after five minutes of Googling “landing pages”, I noticed that every link had something in common: they all focused on design – and not the copy.

To me, this is alarming because it means there are countless people creating landing pages based solely on design, and not giving a fig about the content that’ll actually drive people to take action. You know, the stuff that people actually read once they land on your page.

I’m not saying design isn’t important, but with a landing page, you have 200-300 words (and very little retail space) to get your message across well enough that someone will click on your call to action.

Design alone won’t create conversions, no matter how great it might be.

What can create conversions is asking these three essential questions before writing (or briefing a writer on) your landing page.

1 – What’s the purpose of your page?

The sole purpose of a landing page (in B2B marketing at least) is to act as a portal for what you actually want a user to do.

This could be a simple call to action for a bigger piece of content or a gated contact form that’s the barrier between customers and assets.

All too often though, brands send people from an email or advert to their homepage, or worse, a page that has nothing to do with what they clicked on. And the result? Users will simply drop off your site without a second thought.

The reason? You didn’t deliver what you promised.

Getting a user to click through to your site is difficult – I mean really difficult. So if they’ve given you the time of day to hear what you have to say, you need to make sure it matches up with what you do next. You need to actually send them to the content you promised, preferably hosted on a clear, concise landing page.

Do this, and you’re more likely to keep your audience on your website, and capture their contact details.

2 – Where does your traffic come from?

You now need to consider how people will land on your page. There’s two reasons for this: the content needs to reflect where they’ve just come from, and it also tells you how committed and well-informed your reader is when they arrive.

The two main types of page we tend to write are for email campaigns and advertising/pay-per-click campaigns.

Email landing pages

Generally speaking, an email campaign will consist of many different levels, depending on where the buyer is in the funnel.

More and more emails are using call to actions as a way of driving people to a specific landing page. But this click is like gold-dust. So once you’ve captured people, you need to do your very best to prevent them dropping off your website.

Adverts/PPC

This is where many brands fall foul. If you’re not pointing your adverts towards relevant landing pages, you’re not just going to get high drop off, but you’ll also likely annoy a lot of people.

And they might need more information and persuasion than an email landing page, because ad copy is generally a lot shorter. As a rule of thumb, an ad landing page does the heavy lifting… an email landing page mostly needs to avoid getting in the way.

Remember: if someone’s keen enough to click on your advert, the least you can do is tailor your landing page.

3 – What do you actually want to say?

This is the bit where you keep your copy brief. Usually, the bulk of what you want to say is contained in the asset you’re promoting, so you simply need to give teasers here and point people towards it.

Here, a snappy title that lures the reader in is key. It doesn’t need to be clever or a play on words – in fact, the quicker it gets to the point, the better. Your messaging needs to be engaging enough to pull the reader towards your call to action, but brief enough to keep their interest.

Help your customers land feet first – every time

Ask yourself these simple questions, and you can save yourself a lot of stress with your landing pages.

As long as you nail your title, keep it brief, and treat every click with respect, you’ll be driving shed loads more traffic deeper into your website in no time.

As it happens, we do this content wtiting every day, and we’re pretty good at it. So, if you’d really like to take the stress out of your landing pages, feel free to get in touch. We’ll happily chat through your options.

Subject lines: the secret shortcut into the subconscious

Posted on by Steve George

Everyone knows email subject lines are important. They’re an offer or a teaser that either pulls readers in and intrigues them, or turns them off completely and sends them reaching for the unsubscribe button.

But here’s the big secret: subject lines do so much more than just get your emails opened. Most of the time, they’re the only thing your contact will read. They move the conversation forward – whether the email gets opened or not.

Yes, that goes against everything you’ve probably ever learned about subject lines, but stay with me for a moment. Because even when a subject line is great, most emails these days never get opened. We monitor the open rate, and the unopened majority just gets written off.

Meanwhile, every email we receive hits our pocket and grabs our attention with a smartphone notification – and that means there is huge value to be gained by looking at subject lines as discrete communications in their own right.

When it comes to opening your emails, your contacts get a decision. But, as far as reading subject lines goes, they don’t really opt in, or even make a conscious choice. They just do it. All the time. Day and night.

Taking the shortcut into the subconscious

Chances are, like me, you have hundreds if not thousands of unread emails sat in your inbox, from various companies you’ve engaged with over the years. You’ve grown indifferent to them, rarely opening them, but not going to the effort to unsubscribe from them either.

Think about those companies for a moment, then think about what they’ve said to you recently. Maybe you know that they’re having a sale, that they’re running some kind of contest or other promotion, or that they’ve got a new product launch coming up.

How did you know that? You didn’t go looking for that information, and you certainly didn’t read their emails.

Spooky.

Adding a new ingredient to your subject line soup

So, you’ve made your peace with the fact that the companies you’ve shared your details with are using subject lines as a shortcut into your brain, and we’ve determined that subject lines have intrinsic value as standalone communications.

But what does that mean when we’re writing them?

Even before factoring that new consideration in, your subject lines were doing a lot of heavy lifting. In one way or another, they’re already trying to effectively:

  • Convey the value of opening your email
  • Grab attention without looking like generic clickbait
  • Demonstrate an understanding of your customers’ unique needs
  • Offer something new or insightful without giving everything away upfront

Now, in addition to all of that, you’ve also got the task of ensuring that your subject lines convey a clear message when removed from the context of the email itself.

Here are four quick tips to help you do that (without having to unlearn everything you already know about writing great subject lines):

1: Lead with a single compelling insight/takeaway

Some schools of thought strongly argue that you shouldn’t give your most valuable insight away upfront, because if you do there’s no reason for someone to click through to whatever you’re offering.

I’ve never really agreed with that. If you’re fortunate enough to have something really exciting to share, front-loading it has to be worth serious consideration, at least. Why would you reserve your most important message for just those who open the email – when you already know they’ll likely be the minority?

2: Beware the perils of teasing

Clickbaity subject lines may have worked once upon a time, but today, people know clickbait when they see it. If you create subject lines that purely tease instead of demonstrating value, people that don’t open your email get nothing.

Once you recognise that the people that don’t open your emails are still important contacts, it becomes clear how a dangerous teasing subject line can be. If you consistently provide value, you just might inspire enough interest for them to re-engage. But if you keep giving someone nothing, it won’t take long before they finally do open one of your emails, as they scour it for the unsubscribe button.

3: Personalise the whole subject line (not just their name)

Increasingly, technology allows you to send your contact a tailored email, with strong reasons to click through that are personal to them. So why can’t the same principles be applied in your subject lines?

And I’m not talking about dropping their name and company into a generic title. Your customers provide you with enough data for you to determine what matters to them, so there’s no reason why you can’t lead with a tailored line that really resonates.

4: If your email had an eight-word limit, what would you say?

Emails are a strange beast. Because there’s no real limit on how long or complex they can be, we’re all guilty of not getting to the point quickly enough or spending too long dancing around the big thing we really want people to know or do.

I start any email I write by thinking about what I’d want to say to the customer if I only had eight words to do it. That helps me create subject lines that inspire opens more often – but say what they need to when they’re unopened too.

Say something meaningful, be heard

Seeing your subject lines as discrete communications in and of themselves is important for two big reasons.

Firstly, it’s going to help you communicate with contacts that you’ve long thought of as disengaged and perhaps re-establish your relationship with them.

And secondly, it forces you to look at your subject lines in a completely new way – one that forces you to really consider what value they’re delivering, and whether they actually tell anyone anything.

If you say something meaningful in your subject lines, you’ll be heard – by far more people than your open rates would have you believe.