Category: Content Marketing

Webinar: What does good B2B content look like? 15 essential checks

Posted on by The Radix Team

What does good B2B content look like? 15 essential quality checks
Thursday 7th November, 4pm GMT / 11am EST

It’s hard to create great B2B content when everyone’s idea of quality is subjective. You get vague, unhelpful feedback like “this reads well”. Eight sets of conflicting amends to consolidate. Stakeholders – who should be fine-tuning technical accuracy – spending precious time changing “use” to “utilize” because they think it sounds “more professional”.

It’s a lot of noise. And importantly, there’s nobody speaking up for your reader. The process that was supposed to improve your content ends up focusing on the wrong things, and ends up making it worse.

At Radix, we can’t afford to work like that. We write a lot of B2B content, and every scrap of it is reviewed by our own editors before it leaves the warehouse. We need to work fast, and keep our standards consistently high, or we’ll be broke.

And that’s why we created our 15-point content checklist, covering everything a piece of B2B content needs to work – from basics like grammar and spelling to audience value, voice and tone.

In this one-hour webinar, we’ll take you through every point of our list, and give you some tips on how to create your own. We’ll also talk about how you can use it to:

  • improve your content
  • wrangle your stakeholders
  • guide your training and development

As B2B content creators, none of us have as much time as we’d like. So I solemnly promise to cram as much valuable stuff into the hour as I can. Spaces on the webinar are limited, though, so do reserve yours ahead of time.

This webinar has now finished.

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 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.

Webinar: 5 terrifying risks you should definitely take with your B2B content

Posted on by The Radix Team

Five terrifying risks you should definitely take with your B2B content

Here’s a sad fact: behind every piece of bland, lifeless, me-too B2B content, there’s a marketer.

A marketer who wanted to do something different. Who had a better, bolder idea, but had it rejected – or shelved it because they’d never get their stakeholders to agree. Who’s frustrated, because they weren’t allowed to take a risk.

And that’s why the internet is full of  bullshit like “experience our end-to-end digital solution” and “in today’s fast-moving digital world…”

Standout content necessarily involves an element of risk – otherwise it wouldn’t stand out. But the right risk, the right way, at the right time. And that’s what our first ever webinar is about.

Spoiler alert: I’m NOT going to tell you to be braver. But I am going to share five ways you can take a sensible, calculated risk that will set your content apart. Importantly, I’ll also talk about how you can get your clients and stakeholders on board.

After the presentation, we’ll have plenty of time for questions and answers, to swap nuggets of best practice, and to tell stories from the B2B content trenches.

If you write, create or specify B2B content, I solemnly swear it will be a valuable and thought-provoking use of your time.

Hope to see you there.

David

Note: This webinar has now ended. Thanks to all who took part.

A content marketer’s guide to the B2B Marketing Expo 2019

Posted on by The Radix Team

The sheer size of a big marketing exhibition can be both promising and frustrating. With all those exhibitors and talks, there’s bound to be a few unexpected gems that can add value to your work – but how do you cut through the parts that aren’t relevant, to find what you really need?

As a company that’s both speaking and exhibiting at London’s B2B Marketing Expo in March, we have the same concern. The niche we work in (writing content for B2B tech agencies and brands) means we’re bound to be of interest for content marketers visiting the show. But will they find us amid all the videographers, Hubspot aficionados and branded cupcake firms?

To help, we’ve combed the listings (don’t even go there… Soooo. Many. Buzzwords…) to come up with a focused tipsheet for content marketers in particular – with the keynotes, seminars and stands you won’t want to miss.

Into content marketing? Go on the Wednesday.

It may seem counterintuitive – what with SAP’s Jack Dyson giving his big content keynote on the Thursday – but we think there’s marginally more for a content marketer to see on Wednesday 27th. (And no, it’s not just because that’s the day we’re speaking.)

Here’s one potential route through the day…

11.00–11.30 Scaling visual content marketing (Keynote theatre)

This clashes with a promising-looking Inbox Insight talk in Theatre 27, but that’s also on Thursday (see below) so we’ve gone for Grant Munro from Shutterstock. Tailoring a message at scale is a tricky thing to do – whether it’s writing or visual content – so the “tools and strategies” Grant promises should be helpful. (We just hope this isn’t simply a big stock photo pitch in disguise.)

11.45–12.15 How to plan an inbound campaign in 20 minutes (Theatre Hall 26)

If Ian Guiver from Axon Garside can deliver what he promises, there should be plenty of good ideas here to set your content within an effective sales and marketing strategy… with ten minutes to spare!

13.15–13.45 Five terrifying risks you should take with your content (Theatre Hall 12)

A good hour to grab some lunch, browse some exhibition stands and hit the networking area before joining the queue for the undisputed highlight of the event. Yes, it’s Radix’s own seminar, which will give you five calculated creative risks that will help your content to stand out.

(If you’re attending on the Thursday – or if you can’t get a seat – don’t despair; we’re also planning to run this session as a webinar. Sign up for our copywriting advice emails, and we’ll keep you updated.)

14.00–14.30 Cut the crap: transparency in video (Theatre Hall 28)

This is the year video marketing is supposed to take over (which is what they said at the start of 2008, and every year since). Whether that’s true or not, we’re big fans of the insane honesty school of B2B content, for video and writing alike. Most B2B marketers could do with an occasional reminder to keep it real, so if Paul Hamblin of The Video Club has some practical tips to share, you can count us in.

15.30–16.00 10 key pointers on B2B market research (Theatre Hall 14)

OK, this one’s a bit of a curve ball. But a great, original piece of primary research is always a brilliant starting point for a tasty bit of content that really stands out. (Don’t believe us? Ask Orbit Media, or Grist and Coleman Parkes.) A basic grounding won’t go amiss, and Teresa Hadfield from The ICG’s talk promises a key pointer every three minutes on average, which seems like a pretty good return to us.

Thursday’s agenda: content marketing in context

OK, so you’ve booked to go on the Thursday. No problem; there’s still plenty of promising sessions for you to attend. Some will improve your content directly, others are more about the context where it sits.

11.00–11.30 Content that Works (Keynote theatre)

With a capital “W”, no less. Jack Dyson from SAP is promising hacks that can save your life, squeeze every last drop of value from your marketing, and takes your content from bland to brilliant. SAP create some good stuff, so this should be worth a listen (even if it’s just to find out what “couture content” is).

11.45–12.15 ABM: what it is and how to do it in B2B services (Keynote theatre)

Don’t move a muscle; stay right in your seat. Account-based marketing (ABM) is the close cousin of content marketing, and we think there’s lots of scope for crossover between the two. Andrea Clatworthy from Fujitsu is as good a speaker on the subject as you’ll find (and we’re not just saying that because she contributed some great advice to our ABM content ebook). If you want a crash course in ABM, this is the place to be.

12.30–13.00 You’re looking at the funnel the wrong way (Theatre 27)

We’ve long agreed that the funnel is a useless metaphor for the buying journey, and that other alternatives would be much more fun. But we’ve never heard the thought applied to content amplification before, and we’re intrigued to hear what Ross Howard from Inbox Insight has to say.

14.00–14.30 7 steps to creating the perfect explainer video (Theatre 25)

There are few things to beat a really good explainer video. Sadly, few explainer videos are really good. If you’ve never wondered why some work and others don’t, these seven steps from Eden Videos’ Martin Ray-Jones could be just the ticket. We’re certainly hoping to learn a few tricks and tips for our own script writing efforts.

14.45–15.15 Make B2B prospecting great again (Theatre 11)

Yes, this is Leadfeeder (one of those services that tells you which companies have been looking at your website). And no, we haven’t lost our marbles. As long as it’s above board, and not personally identifiable data, the more intelligence we can all get about who’s enjoying what content, the better we’ll all get at writing for the clients we most want. The speaker, Dipak Vadera, is a sharp guy, and we reckon this will be full of tips for bridging the gap between content and sales, without being weird about it.

Our pick of the exhibition stands

You might want to mark a few stands on the floor plan, to visit between the talks. But unless you have a military-grade tolerance for marketing clichés, we recommend you steer clear of the online exhibitor list. Seriously; we barely made it out alive.

While we were there, though, these stands struck us as worth a visit:

Animation and video production

If you want to make video content, you’re in luck. It seems like very third stand at the expo you’ll find a videographer, lying in wait. Unscientifically, the ones that caught our eye include FLETCHERWILSON (we like corporate documentaries so we’ll overlook the all caps) on stand 1582, and we like No Magnolia’s brand (stand 1986). The Animation Guys (stand 2374) have a brilliant animation showreel and The Videonauts (stand 2348) have a brilliant name. And finally, we love a whiteboard video – the more of them in B2B, the better – so we’re delighted to see Eden Videos on stand 1584.

Site search

There are any number of SEO companies to talk to at the expo, but Sooqr Search (stand 2422) are a bit different: they optimise your on-site search so your visitors can find exactly what they’re looking for. Sounds like a good idea.

Translation services

Getting content into a language your buyer is comfortable with is so important for engagement and search. And if 101translations (stand 1732) can deliver everything they promise (cultural analysis, international SEO, etc) then theirs could be a good business card to have in your pocket. We’re slightly freaked out by the lack of a space in their name, but what can we say? We’re writers.

Branded content

If branded content’s your bag, you might want to make a point of visiting the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA) on stand 1580. Apparently, they can connect you with experts, but we can’t say much more than that because their exhibition blurb is kind of… intense.

Content delivery

A tonne of B2B content gets shared on LinkedIn, so if InSurge (stand 1922) can help you make it that bit more successful, that’s got to help your content ROI. Maybe even see actual LinkedIn themselves on stand 2350 while you’re at it. And Landingi (stand 1982) reckon their platform can make your landing pages better – which means more downloads for your assets. Could be worth a look.

Market research

As we’ve mentioned, original primary search is always a content winner. So you might want to chat with Ardent Fieldwork (stand 2382), or The ICG (stand 2284). And we reckon there are all sorts of fun ways you could use Wizu (stand 1546) to collect useful information.

Digital asset management

There’s no point making content guidelines and assets if nobody knows how to use them. So maybe have a chat with Asset Bank (stand 1740). Widen (stand 2346) looks fancy, too.

Something a bit different

We’ve no idea how it works, but apparently CoolTabs (stand 2321) can make your written content into an “interactive experience”, which sounds intriguing. DataSine (stand 2614) say they have a “personality-based marketing content augmentation tool” (no, us neither) and it’s called Pomegranate, which is cute. Peek and Poke (stand 2349) make addictive branded games. And if you want something *really* clever, maybe talk 3D modelling and AR with bloc digital (stand 2512).

Branded cupcakes

OK, it has nothing to do with content marketing. We just love Eat My Logo’s name. If you go to stand 1784, bring us back a couple of samples.

B2B copywriting

And of course, if you’d like to talk about any aspect of B2B content writing, come and have a chat with Radix, on stand 2184 (we’re over the far side, near seminar theatres 11 and 12).

We’ve had a load of free writing guides printed, so if you want the inside track on creating good web copy, ABM content, case studies, B2B comics, blog posts or messaging, we’ll give you something helpful to take away.

If you play your cards right, you may even get a natty pencil, made from a recycled CD case. (And if that’s not worth coming to ExCeL for, I don’t know what is.)

Be there, or be an equal-sided parallelogram.

Content SOS: what to do when B2B writing goes wrong

Posted on by Steve George

We’ve all been there. You (or one of your clients) have a great idea for a piece of content, it seems simple enough to create, and you drop it in with the most readily-available resource to bring it to life.

Then it happens. Flop. It’s all gone Pete-flippin’-Tong.

Perhaps it’s gone to the wrong writer – someone without the requisite knowledge of the market or subject area to do the best job first time.

Or maybe you’ve just had a stab at writing it yourself and – much like the shelving unit you were sure you could build on your own – it now hangs loosely from the wall, crying out for some expert attention.

That’s usually the point a marketer will turn to an external professional. And as a result, I find myself rescuing clients’ broken projects more often than any of us would probably care to admit.

So if you’re experiencing a content SOS, read on. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way, to help you get things back on track.

#1) Settle in for a long task

One of the most common misconceptions I come across is that rescuing a piece of content is a lot easier than writing it from scratch. Not only is this incorrect, it’s the kind of thinking that can seriously hinder your content rescue operation.

A quick fix is rarely the best one, and solving this issue properly is going to take time. While yes, sometimes large swathes of the existing content may be reusable, it’s important to recognise the unique challenges posed by a project gone wrong.

There’s a higher level of stakeholder expectation than usual, because this has already gone through a failed attempt – even if that failure wasn’t yours personally.

Meeting that expectation takes time, focus, and dedication to turning this tangled mess into the best piece of content it can be. Chances are, it was rushing that got you here in the first place. Doing it again isn’t going to help you get out.

#2) Conduct a full content autopsy

Before you can fix the problems with your content, you need to understand what those problems are.

The you there is very important. Even if your angry stakeholder or bemused boss has a very clear idea of what they think is wrong with the piece, it’s important that you conduct your own analysis of the problems that conspired to cause its demise.

Often, big problems (think ‘this reads horribly’ or ‘you’ve entirely missed the point’) are caused by a series of much smaller, underlying issues with the piece. It’s on you to sniff those things out.

Inversely, one big misconception could be throwing up lots of false problems with the content. In that case, you need to be able to look past what the person giving the feedback has decided is the big problem, and determine where the piece really went off track.

It’s worth spending some time really breaking down where things went awry, so you can resolve all the problems with the piece at once – rather than treating the most prominent symptoms and hoping that cures the disease.

(And if you’re not sure of the best ways to pinpoint what you don’t like about a piece, check out David’s blog post that details 5 tests your B2B copy needs to pass.)

#3) Rebuild your story

Once you’ve identified what the major (and minor) problems are with the piece, you’ll need to start planning out a revised story or structure for it. This process can vary in difficulty depending on how much you’ve had to edit and cut away.

If you’re truly able to say that the issues are isolated to specific sections of the copy, then great – you’ve probably not got much work to do. However, in my experience, the kind of problems that cause total content failure tend to be pretty insidious.

With all of the bad cut away, you’re likely to end up with a bit of a mess of points that, while objectively correct and of value, don’t stand up on their own without a coherent narrative.

You’ve got to rebuild that narrative. You must find the thread that links the copy you’ve identified as salvageable – filling in the gaps as needed once you’ve done so.

#4) Fill in the blanks (and don’t be afraid to do some serious rewriting)

Personally, once I’ve cut out the irrelevant copy and information from a piece like this, I like to approach it as I would a completely fresh project.

The copy left over acts as a brief, giving me the key points I need to hit – and when paired with feedback on what’s missing, forms a full picture of what this piece actually needs to say, do, and look like.

The key here is looking at the previous content as source material rather than copy you need to keep. All too often I’ve seen writers try to crowbar passages from a failed piece into the revised version. Usually, that’s a mistake; while there’s nothing wrong with those passages per se, keeping them forces the writer to approach their new copy in a specific and limited way.

Much like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, a pre-existing passage clearly defines what can and cannot connect to it. Trying to drop pre-loved copy into a reworked piece puts a burden on your new creation, dictating and shaping what you can write around it.

Inevitably, this pulls the copy in a direction. And problematically – because the existing passages have been lifted from a piece that didn’t work – that direction tends to be the exact one you’re trying to get away from.

(If you’d like to learn a bit more about the differences between copyediting and rewriting, my colleague George explored the subject in detail a couple of years ago.)

There is no quick fix

The one thing I’m really trying to pass on through these tips is that fixing a problem piece of content takes three key things: time, care, and attention. It’s as much as – if not more of – a job than writing something from scratch.

Understanding that, and making your peace with it, really is half the battle.

The problem is, when you face a challenge like this, you’re usually up against the clock. Very few marketers factor an allocation for ‘total first draft failure’ into their project timelines, so it’s easy to feel the squeeze when it comes to turning a rewritten or restructured piece around.

Once you understand the value of investing a decent chunk of time into a thorough rework instead of just slapping on a few plasters and hoping for the best, it’s worth selling that idea to others around you so you’ve got the time to do this right.

If you aren’t given the luxury of that time, though, you do have options. You could always hand it off to some experts that have a lot of experience helping businesses and agencies out of situations like this – and are masters of creating great content within tight turnaround times.

Now if only I knew where you could find that…

9 ways to measure B2B content performance (better than bounce rate)

Posted on by Steve George

As B2B copywriters, we all believe in the value of the content we produce. But when our clients need to prove the effectiveness of what we’ve created, all the belief in the world isn’t going to be of much help. They need to measure content performance.

That’s where analytics comes in. Analytics can prove how effective our content is, tell us what’s working and what’s not, and help refine what we do to get better results.

But analytics isn’t a magic wand that you can wave to instantly understand every aspect of content performance. What you learn will ultimately be decided by what you decide to measure. Choose poorly, and you can end up seriously misinterpreting what you customers want from your content – and your business.

To help us understand how best to measure the success and impact of our B2B content, we recently invited 3WhiteHats analytics consultant Jake Kimpton onto the Good Copy Bad Copy podcast.

In fact, Jake spent a good deal longer with us than we could include in the programme – so here’s a roundup of all the tips he shared on using analytics to work out what content works, and what doesn’t.

Bye-bye, bounce rate

According to Jake, there are two big mistakes that a huge number of marketers make when it comes to measuring content success: looking at bounce rates, and obsessing about the average time spent on a page

“Bounce rates in particular are a bit of a trap for marketers”

Firstly, he explains, bounce rates are based on averages, so they don’t give you a clear idea of individual engagement with a given page, which is what we as content creators really want to understand.

Secondly, they assume that a bounce is a bad thing. People look at bounces as deflections, drawing the conclusion that when someone leaves a page, they did so because they didn’t like what they saw. But that’s based on the obviously nonsensical notion that we all stay on websites until we find a piece of content that dissatisfies us – completely ignoring the idea that we might simply leave because we found what we came for.

Jake gave us a great example of this during our interview. “Imagine I’m browsing your website, and I come across a blog I like. I read it myself, I invite a colleague over to my desk to take a look, and I’m totally engaged with it. Then, when I’m done, I close the tab, satisfied with my experience.

“That’s a bounce. It’s an almost perfect content engagement scenario, but it’s read as a bounce.”

And he’s totally right. We perceive bounces as a negative, when really, they may represent the best possible outcomes that our content can drive.

So what should we measure instead? Engagement

The short answer is that we should be measuring the big thing that really matters to us – reader engagement. But you already knew that; it’s why you started looking at average stays on pages in the first place.

The big thing we need to change is how we measure engagement. Jake told us how the team at 3WhiteHats use reasonably simple scripts to measure things like mouse movement and navigation throughout the page to build up a much more reliable picture of who’s really engaged with content. (He assures us it’s easier than it sounds.)

“Ultimately, only you can decide what success looks like for your content” says Jake. “You know what kind of actions you’d like the people reading your content to take afterwards – so often, those are the best things to measure.”

Tracking things as simple as “contact us” links on each page can give you a clear idea of which content is inspiring the right action from your audience. And when paired with detailed information about page navigation habits, you can understand where you’re going wrong if those events are happening less frequently than you’d like.

Eight more ways to measure content performance

During our conversation, Jake provided a lot of practical tips that marketers can use to improve the way they measure content success using Google Analytics. Here are his top eight tips:

  1. Add extra tools to your blogs such as social sharing functions, comment sections and reaction polls that make engagement tangible.
  2. Enable scroll depth monitoring in Google Tag Manager to see how far readers are scrolling through your content before moving on in their journeys.
  3. Use HotJar or a similar tool to heatmap your content pages and see where activity is really happening… and where it’s tailing off.
  4. Make sure you’re adding a suitable number of calls to action in your content so you can clearly see how many people have followed which links for more information.
  5. Track where your newsletter signups have come from so you can determine exactly which piece of content persuaded someone to subscribe to hear more from you.
  6. Keep an eye on your referral traffic to identify when people are actively sharing your content and are genuinely excited about it.
  7. Look at your new vs return user rate for each page so you can gain a better understanding of whether bounces represent dissatisfaction with your content, or if people are simply saving it for later.
  8. Add a data layer for each page that tells Google Analytics what they are so it can better understand when the page is serving its purpose for readers.

Define what ‘good’ looks like – then measure

There’s a common thread between the insights that Jake shared with us: to successfully measure how well our content is performing, we must first define what good performance looks like.

If the ideal outcome of reading a piece of content is that a customer’s problem is solved, a bounce may actually be a sign of great performance. Whatever the action or outcome that you want to drive with your content, there’s a way to measure it. Start with that – not the metrics that are easiest to find.

Interested in learning more? You’ll hear more analytics insights from Jake on episode 67 of Good Copy Bad Copy. And if you want to discuss your own content needs, get in touch with us.

Ghostwriting in B2B: fake content or essential thought leadership tool?

Posted on by The Radix Team

This may not come as a shock to you, but a lot of blogs, articles, and white papers published by influential names in B2B aren’t necessarily written by that person.

Even thought-leadership pieces, where the named author is an expert in their field, are often ghostwritten by a copywriter – either because words aren’t that expert’s strong suit, or they simply don’t have the time to write it themselves.

Matching the best writing with the best expertise is a recipe for great content. But where anyone who’s willing to pay for the goods can commission a copywriter to make them look like a thought leader, there’s also the temptation to pretend you know more than you do.

So, in a bid to rid the world of disingenuous content, here’s a short guide to ghostwriting – why it’s an opportunity for true B2B experts, and why easy thought leadership isn’t something you can just buy.

What can a B2B ghostwriter do, exactly?

Let’s make one thing clear. Ghostwriting is a perfectly acceptable thing to do in B2B content marketing.

In fact, it’s invaluable for people who have a lot of important stuff to say, but little time to write it. Or who may be super smart, but simply don’t have a way with words.

Done well, ghostwriting helps to ensure we get to read interesting, engaging stuff from the real thought leaders – not just people who happen to write well, and have time on their hands.

Consider a day in a life of a CEO. They’re extremely busy, and barely have enough time as it is. And while they may have the drive to write their own content, they just don’t have the time. Or think about a product specialist, who knows absolutely everything about their subject, except what a non-expert would find interesting.

That’s where a ghostwriter is essential.

A thought leader can brief a writer on a subject – even if it’s just their big idea, or a brain dump of what they know. A good copywriter who understands the audience can find the angle, and present it in a way that reflects the true views and deep knowledge of the expert, and also chimes with their real voice.

You get the piece they would have written, but sharper and more engaging. (And actually written instead of still in their head.)

Critically, because it’s based on the expert’s real knowledge and opinions, the content says something that no one else is really talking about, or that contains genuinely unique insight.

Why can’t we all be thought leaders?

Simply, to be a thought leader, you need to know your subject inside out. You need to have insights that other people don’t have.

As a B2B technology copywriter, I’ve amassed a broad enough knowledge to write confidently about enterprise tech, and translate someone else’s knowledge into a decent piece of copy. With a solid brief, a call, and some desk research, I can soon write in a confident way on even a niche subject. On a good day, I can make the real thought leader look like a writer as well.

But I’m still far from a thought leader in anything.

Without that crucial insight from a real expert, my best content is still only going to be a rehash of views and information that’s already available in the world. It won’t add any value. It’s not thought leadership.

Faux thought leaders: why ultimately, the frauds lose

If a specialist copywriter can produce something decent from their own knowledge, why aren’t people pretending to be thought leaders in the pursuit of new business?

The short answer is, they are. And it’s a really big problem in B2B technology. Faux thought leaders passing themselves off as experts, while copywriters do the leg work of re-presenting old thoughts as if they’re new.

As a result, the internet is awash with blogs and articles which merely repeat what’s already being said. It’s disingenuous, and it contributes to the noise that makes the B2B internet such an annoying place to be.

Happily, though, the phoney thought leaders are usually wasting their money.

Fake thought leadership (the kind without any leading thoughts) is easy to spot. And not only does it reflect badly on the brand or person it represents, but when it comes to actually deliver the goods, they simply can’t.

I’ve got the knowledge, but no time. Help me.

Perfect – that’s what we like to hear. We’ll bet you have a tonne of insight ready to be put down onto paper, and copywriters are here to help.