Category: Content Marketing

Podcast 91: the Best B2B Content of 2020

Posted on by The Radix Team

Our final Good Copy, Bad Copy of 2020 is an extra special one. It’s our third annual Best B2B Content roundup – when we reveal what you’ve voted as the best content of the year.

And this year, through the joys of Zoom, David’s joined by an international panel of B2B marketing experts to discuss the results.

Meet our expert panel of B2B marketing all-stars

We know we’re biased, but this year, our best content shortlist has it all. There’s brutal honesty. There’s outrage. There’s celebration. There are surprises. There are insights from industry leaders. And there’s a whole load of fantastic B2B content to talk about.

You can can see all the nominees in more detail here.

Plus, you’ll hear from our all-star panel on the B2B marketing trends that have dominated 2020, their top predictions and tips for the B2B content that could define 2021 – and why B2B content is such a level playing field.

So who have you voted the winner? You’ll have to listen to find out…

In this episode, you’ll find:

00.33 – Meet our all-star panel of B2B marketing experts

05:20 – 2020 in review: how do you make B2B content in a year like that?

12:05 – Our countdown begins: places 10-6

20:27 – We reveal places 5-2, including this year’s runner-up

44:26 – Honorary mentions: the content that didn’t quite make the top 10

46:18 – We reveal what you voted this year’s best B2B content

49:50 – Hear our panellist’s tips and predictions for B2B content in 2021

Tell us your joy, despair or outrage at the results…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (you could even send us a voice memo).

How to listen 

Credits 

Hearty congratulations to our finalists, and a big thank you to everyone who sent in audio, nominations, or voted: Emily King, Doug Kessler, Joel Harrison, Paul Hewerdine, Giles Shorthouse, André Spiteri, Andrew Last, Eman Malik and so many more. We had an absolute blast looking through them all.

And thank you so much to the ABBA of B2B copy – our wonderful panel of experts. Maureen Blandford, Harry Kapur, Karla Rivershaw and Lasse Lund, it was great to hear your round up of the longest year ­ever, find out your honest opinions on our finalists, and get an idea of what’s coming up next. You should do this for a living.

Podcast editing, music, and festive sparkle by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 86: stakeholders and storytelling

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy we’re joined by guest co-host Angela Cattin, as we find out just how much behind-the-scenes work it takes to align stakeholders behind an award-winning B2B campaign.

Our interviewee is Mwamba Kasanda, from Barings. In her previous role at Korn Ferry, Mwamba spearheaded the Global Talent Crunch campaign, which managed to bring a new perspective into the crowded space that is “Future of Work” thought leadership. It ended up garnering hundreds of PR features, reaching a business leadership audience, generating millions of dollars in revenue, and winning pretty much all the awards.

But that success is just the last mile in a long, long journey. And Mwamba shares the process she used to secure global stakeholder support for the company’s biggest and most ambitious campaign to date.

Ideas for aligning your stakeholders

The interview is a real eye-opener, with inspiration and ideas for B2B marketers in all kinds of organisations – especially if you’re in a sector with a lot of companies talking about the same subject. You’ll hear:

  • How Mwamba used a small, preceding campaign as a springboard to the big idea
  • The challenge – and benefit – of involving stakeholders right from the idea generation phase
  • Tips for preparing global champions to tell resonant local versions of the same story
  • The eleventh-hour stakeholder intervention that improved the campaign’s international appeal
  • When to fight for your idea, and when to compromise
  • Why data and storytelling are both essential factors in winning stakeholder support

Mwamba’s unusual approach succeeded in elevating the idea from a marketing campaign into an organisation-wide business initiative. And ultimately, this helped colleagues around the world to run with the story, and turn the content into sales.

The Anonymous Five: SME IT Director

This month also sees an outsourced IT director tackling the “Anonymous Five” – our semi-regular feature giving you a quick window into the minds of the real people behind key B2B marketing personas.

The subject, who works with small and medium-sized businesses, opens up about their ambitions, which content they actually read, and whether cybersecurity can ever be anything more positive than an annoying pain in the bum.

(Thanks, anonymous IT director, for your time. We’ve made a donation to your nominated charity: Pregnancy Sickness Support.)

Here’s what you’ll hear in episode 86…

2.25 – Angela shares how different tech companies are responding to COVID

5.33 – How Mwamba and Man Bites Dog gave “The Future of Work” a human angle

8.16 – Winning stakeholder support though involvement in the idea generation phase

11.40 – The stakeholder conversation that inspired a key campaign improvement

17.17 – Building on a smaller campaign to secure support for the big idea

25.15 – Mwamba’s key tips for winning stakeholder engagement

29.10 – Creating a global  “Champion’s Pack” with instructions and a social contract

32.34 – Angela shares her own perspective on global stakeholders and storytelling

44.34 – The Anonymous Five: an IT director talks technical content and cybersecurity

Send us your feedback, questions and thoughts…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (best of all, email us a voice memo from your phone).

How to listen 

Credits 

Mwamba Kasanda is now Global Head of Client Communications at Barings. Mwamba, thanks for sharing your stakeholder engagement process in such detail. We’re certain our listeners will be inspired.

Angela Cattin provides specialist marketing support for B2B technology businesses – including interim marketing leadership – through Interalia Marketing. If you’d like to chat, you can find her on LinkedIn. Thanks, Angela, for being an awesome co-host.

Podcast editing and music, as ever, by the masterful talents of Bang and Smash.

Podcast 83: Lean-Agile B2B Content

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about Agile and Lean-Agile processes, and whether B2B content producers can learn something from software development and engineering.

David’s joined (virtually, of course) by a very special guest co-host: our former host Emily King, now Content Coordinator at Bluefruit Software. She shares her wealth of experience on adapting Lean-Agile processes for B2B content, and tells us how you can create more meaningful copy with less waste.

We also interview Bluefruit’s UX design expert Dan Goodwin on the role of the user in content creation. He reveals how personas can be used more ways than you think,  shares his tips on bringing customers into the creation process, and gives us some really clever ways to get to know your audience when you can’t actually talk to them (which, sadly, is a common obstacle to B2B content).

So, what is Lean-Agile B2B content?

Put simply, it’s content created with maximum collaboration, communication and flexibility. We’ve put together some basic guidelines:

  • It doesn’t mean you do everything; you shouldn’t start until you and your client have a clear idea of what they need and who it’s for. If it’s a drive-by content request, push back. Ask: “is that genuinely what you need?” (Emily told us there’s no room for subservience in true collaboration. Put that foot down.)
  • Once you have that understanding, start small. Think “minimum viable product” – a phrase you’ll become extremely familiar with. Break the project down into smaller parts, get them out, test them, gather evidence and build out from there.
  • Most importantly, keep communication open, stay responsive. Regular reflection from everyone, especially stakeholders, gives you a clear direction on what needs to change and what is going well. Then you can quickly problem solve any issues, together.
  • Bonus hint: Emails can be miscommunication minefield. Picking up the phone is often a safer, more personal option.

To reduce content waste, add value for the audience

In theory, by starting small, and being clear about objectives, you won’t waste time or money throwing yourself into big complex campaigns that are later scrapped by indecisive stakeholders. Plus, with frequent communication and reflection, you can make sure you’re always on track – so there’s no falling down expensive rabbit holes.

But Dan points out that user-centred development takes things to another level. At its best, Lean-Agile is about focusing on content that meet the real needs of the people you want to read it – and the more you can learn about their context, the more likely you are to create something that gets read and shared.

But how do you get all that information? Dan’s suggestions include:

  • If you can, ask your clients (d’oh)
  • If you can’t, find the people in your organisation who talk to customers most, whether that’s sales, account managers or field staff
  • Get the whole team on board with what you need to know, and they’ll bring you helpful insights from their own customer conversations
  • Go where your users go – whether that’s the right conferences, the right online forums, or even just the right LinkedIn pages

In Episode 83, you’ll hear…

0.55 – The Return of the King: Emily tells us what she does as Bluefruit’s Content Coordinator

4.36 – What ‘Agile’ and ‘Lean-Agile’ really mean for B2B content marketing, and how you can adopt them

19.56 – How to bring users into content creation: an interview with UX Designer Dan Goodwin

39.55 – Emily’s tips for getting more information from subject matter experts

Read more about Lean-Agile, user-centred B2B marketing content

Resources Emily and Dan mentioned in this episode include:

Send us your thoughts, criticism, spare toilet roll and flour (please)@

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected]

How to listen…

Credits

Thank you to Emily and Dan from Bluefruit Software for sharing your time and expertise. You can find Dan on twitter @bouncingdan and on LinkedIn. And if you haven’t heard Emily’s podcast Nerds Assemble, you really should give it a listen.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 80: Survey results special – barriers to effective B2B content

Posted on by The Radix Team

This episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy is a bit special. It reveals the results of our survey into B2B content problems, and it’s also peppered with insights from some stalwarts of B2B marketing. As a result, it’s a little longer than normal, but we promise it’s worth your time.

At the end of last year, we conducted our first survey of B2B marketers and content creators to uncover the Barriers to Great B2B Content. More than 105 of them took part, representing every part of the industry.

(You can see the resulting research report for yourself, here.)

The survey unearthed some surprising findings – not least that nobody said they’re proud of all their content. Clearly, there are significant roadblocks preventing people from doing their best work, so we dug into the details to see what we could learn.

Crucially, we found these barriers aren’t just an annoyance for marketers. They can also significantly restrict content performance – reducing brand awareness and stifling business results.

The survey also revealed that:

  • Just 14% of respondents say that everyone in their organisation agrees on what good content looks like
  • 81% of B2B marketers have to fight to publish their best work
  • Stakeholder interference and changing priorities can reduce content satisfaction by more than 25%
  • Only 44% agree that the best content gets the best results

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, David and Fiona examine the survey results in more detail, and unpack the six big content obstacles experienced by at least 75% of B2B marketers.

Listen now, and you’ll also hear what four top marketers think you can do to overcome these barriers, including:

What you’ll find in this episode…

03:17 – An overview of the key survey results, including David and Fiona’s top takes

05:58 – Anonymous comments about nightmare stakeholders

07:19 – Maureen Blandford on inter-department issues and challenging cultures

21:12 – Doug Kessler says stakeholder alignment is your most important job

33:49 – Shaema Shazleen Katib brings a data-backed view on which content works

47:44 – Mat Harper talks about making space for creativity in a large tech enterprise

Tell us what you think of the results (or use us for content-related counselling)

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

How to listen

Credits and resources

We released this report in a free webinar. If you like, you can watch it on demand.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 78: Maths for B2B marketers

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about… maths. Yes, maths. The bane of my life as a student and, to this day, a subject I remain bewildered by.

Judging from Fiona and David’s discussion, I’m not alone. B2B (and B2C) writers have often had a difficult – no, abusive – relationship with maths or, more specifically, statistics. And while many marketers are guilty of mixing up percentage points with percentages, we must take responsibility for the accuracy of the numbers in our copy.

That’s why we invited the award-winning maths resource designer, writer and podcaster Lucy Rycroft-Smith of Cambridge University, to talk us through the fundamentals of statistics for marketing copy – and put an end to some common mathematical misconceptions in the process.

As Fiona rightly points out, “our job is to communicate clearly and accurately, and if we aren’t sure ourselves, we can’t do that job properly”. So, get ready for some truth bombs – and possibly the toughest maths test you’ve taken since you last wore a school uniform. We promise, it’ll be fun!

Vote for the best B2B content of 2019…

It’s finally time to vote for the best B2B content of 2019.

We’ve compiled a shortlist of content based on your nominations. Head here to explore the nominees, and choose your winner using the Typeform at the bottom of the page (don’t forget to hit the enter button at the end to submit your vote).

It’s a diverse list of bold, original and inspiring content – and a wonderful opportunity for us to spotlight some of B2B’s greatest content creators. So, get stuck in.

CAST YOUR VOTE

In Episode 78, you’ll find…

3:25 – Why writers need to get comfortable with numbers

8:09 – ‘Why is maths so scary?’ with special guest, Lucy Rycroft-Smith

14:30 – Why we shouldn’t think about maths as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’

17:14 – What is “mathwashing”, and why should marketers avoid it?

21:00 – How percentages can mislead our readers (and complicate our copy)

28:00 – Lucy’s special three-part percentage challenge

Read more about maths for B2B marketing…

Resources Lucy mentioned in this episode include:

Send us your praise, criticism, Christmas cards, favourite cracker jokes…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you really want to make David’s day, send us a voice memo).

How to listen…

Credits

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 77: B2B content formats – copywriters v the PDF

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about B2B content formats with a whole bunch of marvellous guests.

Lorraine Williams from Lighthouse Proofreading shares tips to help you check a PDF properly, while Nick Mason and Karla Rivershaw from Turtl put forward a convincing case for the format’s indefinite retirement. Contrarian as it may sound, they provide a convincing (and cathartic) argument.

(While you’re listening, be sure to check out Turtl’s apocalyptic ‘Kill the PDF’ campaign story.)

Also, David returns after hosting this year’s Copywriting Conference with a ton of great tips shared by copywriters throughout the day. (Hello to Mel, Ashley, Rohan, Melissa, Paul, Jason Isaacs, and Sam!) We’re not sure how he managed to snag so many of you to talk at such a busy event, so thanks for giving the charmer your time.

Nominate your favourite B2B content of 2019

Our rundown of the best of B2B content is back. And this year, we’re casting our net even wider.

So, if a piece of B2B marketing has impressed you this year, now’s your chance to give it props. It could be a social post, a blog, a white paper or even multi-media – whatever the format, let us know.

To nominate a piece of content, you can either open our nifty Typeform (remember to hit “submit” at the end)… or better yet, record a quick voice memo on your phone, and email it to [email protected].

And don’t forget to tell us your name, and where you work, so we can give you a shout out.

One checklist to rule them all…

86% of B2B content creators say people in their organisation can’t agree on what good content even looks like. If that sounds familiar, our webinar on 15 content checks is for you.

It’d be nice to interact with you directly as a podcast listener, but spaces are limited, so please register before you miss out.

In Episode 77, you’ll find…

1:25 – How to share your favourite B2B content of 2019

3:24 – “What did the PDF do to you?” interview with Nick Mason and Karla Rivershaw

9:45 – Our take on the PDF debate and writing for new B2B content formats

15:33 – How to proof a PDF: interview with Lorraine Williams

29:55 – How do copywriters find the PDF proofing process?

31:10 – Attendee tips from the Copywriting Conference 2019

Send us your praise, criticism, ideas, jokes, pets…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you really want to make David’s day, send us a voice memo).

How to listen

Credits

Big thanks to Lorraine, Nick, and Karla for their time. And to everybody who David teased tips out of at this year’s Copywriting Conference.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 76: what makes bad B2B content?

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about the obstacles that stop good B2B marketers making good B2B content.

It’s easy to come up with glib answers like “just be braver”, but in the real world the reasons B2B marketers can’t do the work they’d like to are often very real. We dig in to the issues… and try to find some solutions.

Also, Harry Kapur, who’s Head of Writing at the all-conquering Velocity Partners, gives us a sneak preview of his Copywriting Conference keynote on the importance of “Skin in the Game”.

A chance to vent about your B2B content frustrations

We really, really want your input on this issue – so please visit our survey on obstacles to good B2B content:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B2B-Content 

…and share the link widely among other B2B marketing folk you know. The more answers we get, the more representative the results will be.

In Episode 76, you’ll find…

1:47 – Harry Kapur introduces the idea of “skin in the game”

7:20 – The best kind of research to add authority to your content

10:20 – Being honest with your client when they’re not as good as they think they are

19:18 – Why tight deadlines undermine authentic B2B content

21:43 – How podcasts can help you understand your reader’s mindset and language

24:20 – Are we having a crisis of faith in B2B content marketing?

28:20 – What stops marketers creating the content they really want?

31:35 – How to stop stakeholders overcomplicating content for the sake of it

Send us your praise, criticism, ideas, jokes, pets…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you really want to fill us with joy, send us a voice memo).

How to listen

Credits

Thanks to Harry for his time, and for the sneak preview into his CopyCon talk. If you want to hear more (and assuming you’re not going to Harry’s talk in Copenhagen), you’ll find he’s excellent value on Twitter.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 74: how to use research in your B2B content

Posted on by The Radix Team

This month, we’re talking about the B2B content superpower that is original research. How to use it, when to use it, and the impact of using it.

We’re joined by B2B research whiz Simon Hayhurst, business consultant at Coleman Parkes, to discuss the nuances of good research, and why you should make room for it in your content marketing.

How important is research?

At Radix, we think research is crucial to good marketing content. In fact, it’s included in our Quality Assurance Checklist for B2B copy. (Check out last month’s podcast for more on that.)

And it seems that other marketeers would agree with us. Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media says it’s the “one kind of content that crushes almost anything else you can publish.”

Simon agrees too and, having worked with clients like Accenture and PwC, he thinks impactful research gives your content more credibility. In fact, in a study of C-Suite attitudes to thought leadership content (wait, is that thought leadership about thought leadership? that’s meta…) Grist and Coleman Parkes found that one of the biggest bugbears is ‘unsubstantiated opinions’.

In short, if you want to be referenced or taken seriously, research wins.

What does good B2B research look like?

But all research is not the same. And Simon told us when conducting research for thought leadership, there are three important things to consider:

  1. Is your research relevant to its audience?
  2. Is it distinctive – does it explore an angle that’s unique, and hasn’t been done before?
  3. Is it demonstrably true?

Those three points are integral to whether your content will be enjoyed, endured, or eliminated from the pile.

Listen to find out more

If we’ve whetted your appetite for research wisdom, there’s still more to find out (you lucky thing). Listen to the podcast to hear:

  • How you do research well
  • How you support your argument when there’s no primary research
  • Advice on sourcing your stats
  • What not to reference
  • What to do if there’s no research available at all

Simon also discusses exactly how to structure research if you’d like to start out by doing it yourself!

Want to be on the next “Good Copy, Bad Copy”?

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (the best thing you can do is send us a voice memo).

How to listen

Credits

Thanks to Simon, for being so generous with his time and expertise. If you’re interested in the thought leadership research on thought leadership research, you can find Simon at [email protected], or head over to the Coleman Parkes website to see all the great work he’s involved in.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 72: stop telling B2B marketers to be “brave”

Posted on by The Radix Team

“B2B marketers need to be braver.”

It’s a statement we hear pretty often, not least from Martech brands and content marketing experts. But in reality, creating stand-out B2B content is rarely as easy as just doing something brave (though there are a few risks you should definitely take).

B2B marketers are often restricted by arcane guidelines, conservative stakeholders, interfering bosses, and time-sucking tech. And when you’re struggling with all that, getting blamed for lacklustre content feels frankly a trifle unfair.

It’s a frustration that’s been on our minds for a while, so we knew it needed to be discussed on the podcast. And who better to weigh in on the subject than B2B marketing colossus Maureen Blandford – VP of marketing for the event fundraising tech firm Givesmart.

Bravery is not the answer

Most B2B content is a bit rubbish. (OK, as writers of B2B content, it’s a bit rich for us to make this claim. But it’s true, and Maureen agreed.)

The solution isn’t to start getting riskier with content willy-nilly, or to make radical changes in the type of content you produce. Instead, Maureen gave us two key tips that most B2B marketers actually can do:

1. Get out there with your salespeople

Go into the field with your salespeople and interact with the customers you’re writing for. Even if it’s just listening to their phone calls.

“Generally, what resonates with targets is their own words. Particularly in a complex sale, I need marketing to behave in the way great sales people do. Bubble up pain points, ask the customer questions.” – Maureen Blandford

2. Talk to your peers

Maureen says B2B marketers are fed the idea that they have a horrible gap in their strategies, and buying the right technology or visiting the right conference will fix this. It won’t.

Instead, talk to your peers in similar industries and see how they’re approaching their B2B content. Building informal relationships is the easiest way to get genuine value into content as you begin to understand what customers care about.

Listen to find out more

You’ll find plenty more practical tips in the podcast, as we discuss:

  • What’s stopping B2B marketers from creating their best content
  • What needs to change before marketers can become ‘braver’
  • What B2B marketers can do in the meantime to make their content better

(And you’ll hear Maureen get a tad sweary as she calls out the Martech brands and content experts behind all this drama.)

Want some great content tips? Join our webinar!

Conveniently, our first ever webinar tackles just this topic.

“Five terrifying risks you should definitely take with your B2B content” will be on Wednesday 5th June, at 4pm UK time (11am ET).

This has now finished.

(Spoiler: we won’t be telling you to be braver. Just sharing some sensible, calculated risks that make a difference.)

Want to be on the next “Good Copy, Bad Copy”?

What do you think… is Maureen on the money with her criticism? Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (the best thing you can do is send us a voice memo).

How to listen

Credits

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Want to hear more from Maureen? Follow her on Twitter, and head over to the Givesmart website to see all the great work she does.

Podcast 40: How I made content marketing work for our small B2B business

Posted on by The Radix Team

Google “benefits of content marketing” and you’ll be served up a host of articles explaining why it should be a part of your overall marketing strategy.

But in the four years since I joined Radix, approaches to content marketing have matured and evolved. Today it’s not just enough to be producing content; you need to have three things:

  1. A content marketing strategy to keep you focused
  2. Great content that sets you apart from your competition
  3. Reliable ways of measuring your content’s effectiveness

This may seem difficult, if not impossible, for small businesses to reach for.

I’m here to tell you it isn’t impossible for SMEs to do effective content marketing.

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, I talk to Fiona about my approach to content marketing for our own 12-person business. I explain how I’ve made content marketing work for Radix Communications since we started our programme in 2012.

Listen now to find out:

  • Why you need a content marketing strategy
  • Which free or low-cost tools you can use to run your content programme
  • Where to find the best content advice
  • How to overcome the challenges of creating good content
  • How to figure out your niche
  • … and more

Download the episode here (right-click and “save as” to download). Or listen in the player at the top of the page.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Alternatively: add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Resources

The B2B Content Marketing Workbook from Velocity Partners

How to make an editorial calendar in Trello

Editorial calendar template for Google Sheets

How to use Creative Commons images safely on blogs