Category: Insights

Podcast 97: how to write valuable B2B content

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about creating content with real value for the reader. More specifically, writing content that reflects your customers’ priorities and furthers your business goals.

In our feature interview, we get a lesson from the two inspirational voices behind The School of Valuable Content: Sonja Nisson and Sharon Tanton. We dive deep to discuss what prompted them to get the band back together, how they help marketers find that content sweet spot, and why client input is always the most vital part of content creation.

Guest co-host John Espirian – influential B2B tech copywriter, Master of LinkedIn and author of Content DNA – joins us to talk through his own experiences, and discuss how to create content that’s “relentlessly helpful”.

And to top it all off, you’ll catch another tip from our own team of experienced copywriters. This month’s words of wisdom are delivered to you by our very talented (and very wise) consultant copywriter Steve George.

A (super-quick) checklist for creating valuable content

As a brand, creating standout content is one of the best ways to attract your ideal customers, and build your reputation as an expert in your field. But it can be hard knowing what to write, or if your content has any real value (to your customer, or your business).

Sonja and Sharon suggest asking three quick questions:

Does your content help you meet your business goals?

According to Sonja and Sharon, this is the first question you have to answer. There’s no point writing content if it doesn’t further your cause in some way. Maybe you want to showcase your unique expertise. Maybe you want to share a success story. Or maybe you’re targeting a specific client. Whatever the reason, it’s important to know why you’re writing.

Is it (really, actually) helpful for your (real world) clients?

To create value for your clients, you need to answer a real challenge, and provide a solution your customers genuinely crave. But to do that, your content should be written with a real end-user in mind. According to Sonja and Sharon, a good litmus test is asking whether you (or your sales team) would be motivated to share it with a specific individual.

Does it add to the story you’re telling – without repeating yourself?

It’s hard to create truly insightful, original content all the time. Looking at a story from different angles is perfectly fine. But to make people want to keep reading, you have to ensure that you’re not just repeating content – and that every piece you write takes the story a step further.

Of course, there’s much more in the interview itself, so have a listen… and if you’d like to know more, maybe enrol in the School of Valuable Content yourself.

In the rest of the podcast, you’ll also hear a wealth of insights from David and John, including the importance of writing to specific reader profiles (or, as John calls them, “Pen Portraits”), and why you should never refer a “Salesy Douche Canoe”.

In this episode, you’ll find…

01.03 – A warm welcome for our latest guest co-host: John Espirian

04:25 – David talks valuable content with Sonja Nisson and Sharon Tanton

19:08 – John and David discuss how consistently valuable content, written for a specific audience, can build trust

34:22 – Our online community weighs in with valuable content obstacles and tips

41:00 – Steve George’s copywriting tip of the month

Was this your favourite episode yet?

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or pop us a message on [email protected] Or, if you fancy your chances of appearing on the podcast, send a voice memo our way.

How to listen 

Credits 

  • Firstly, a very big Radix thank you to John Espirian. You’re as skilled at co-hosting as you are at copywriting, LinkedIn, and frankly everything else.
  • Thanks also to Sonja Nisson and Sharon Tanton; it’s great to have you back! I think we all learned a lot from that fantastic interview – your students are lucky people.
  • We’re grateful to the awesome folk who answered our questions on social media: Fiona, Scott, Maureen, and Joe.
  • And Steve, thank you for providing an excellent copywriting tip of the month.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 95: how to write B2B social media content

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about writing social media copy for B2B brands – how to write it, what tactics work well, and what B2B marketing experts think great social content looks like.

Guest co-host Lorraine Williams, founder of Lighthouse Proofreading (and undisputed Queen of PDF Proofing), joins David to chat about the wonderful world of LinkedIn and the challenges of writing engaging content for a B2B audience.

You’ll also catch an interview with social media marketing guru Luan Wise. An independent marketing consultant and trainer, Luan knows all there is to know about social media marketing (she even runs courses for LinkedIn). Tune in to hear her best writing advice for B2B social content – as well as her recent research study about social media and how it’s changed in the pandemic.

Plus, three top B2B marketers share their favourite examples of great social content – and our very own Ben Philpott provides the copywriting tip of the month.

B2B social content: a sneak peek at Luan’s “what not to do” list

As Luan points out in her interview, social media marketing follows similar rules to any other kind of content – and anything you post needs to adhere to your brand and messaging. That means ensuring your voice is still clear and recognisable, and that you’re writing towards the right audience.

But along with these tips, Luan shares a few mistakes you should be careful to avoid:

  • Don’t forget your call to action: You’re posting on social media to be social – so don’t forget to involve your reader in some way.
  • Don’t go silent for weeks on end: Being consistently present is key to being great at B2B social media – so don’t just leave all your posting for a quiet month.
  • Don’t publish clickbait or fake headlines: The clearer you are, the more your readers will care about what you have to say.
  • Don’t overthink it: Plan out your social media strategy, then make posting a habit.

You can absorb more of Luan’s wisdom by (you guessed it) listening to the podcast, where you’ll also catch David and Lorraine talking about their own tips and tricks.

And be sure to check out Luan’s website for info on all the courses she runs, and a ton of free resources.

In this episode, you’ll find…

00.50 – (Enter stage left) Introducing this week’s co-host, Lorraine Williams

02.44 – Luan Wise spills the secrets of writing great social media content for B2B

22.31 – David and Lorraine chat about the joys and perils of writing for LinkedIn

35:35 – Three B2B experts share their favourite social media content

43:13 – Copywriting tip of the month, by our own Ben P

Anything you love or hate about this podcast? 

We’d love to chat about it. You can contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected]. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, just send us a voice memo with what you want to say – we might even feature it next month.

As ever, if you’d like to leave us a review on your listening platform of choice, that’s always a bonus.

How to listen 

Credits 

  • A massive thank you to Luan Wise for letting us pick your brain about all things social media. We really appreciate your time and insights.
  • Thanks also to everyone who joined in the discussion about B2B social content on Propolis and LinkedIn – especially this month’s featured commenters: Dan Smith, Kate Roe, and Yvonne Deegan. Y’all rock.
  • Thanks to Ben for the copywriting tip of the month, and of course a big thanks to Lorraine for being an awesome co-host, and an exceptional LinkedIn-er. It was great to hear your social media secrets (btw, here at Radix we’re firmly camp Hula Hoop).
  • Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 93: getting insights from other departments for your B2B content

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about an issue that plagues B2B marketers everywhere: getting other departments in your business to share the insights that are so vital to creating worthwhile content.

Guest co-host Adam Harper, Quantexa’s new Demand Generation Manager for EMEA, joins David in the virtual studio to discuss the challenges B2B marketers face when building better interdepartmental collaboration, like:

  • Mad marketing ideas from senior leadership
  • Lack of trust from other departments
  • Being too darned nice to get the co-operation you need

(Yell “BINGO” if you’ve experienced them all.)

Best of all, you’ll catch an interview with indomitable B2B tech marketer and cross-functional insight expert, Maureen Blandford. With her new, free digital book on the subject “Moats and Drawbridges” hot off the press, Maureen tells us why extracting useful insights from other departments is so “ouchy” – and how to make a start.

Finally, a UK-based Fleet Analyst tackles the Anonymous Five. If you create content for fleet customers, you’re really going to want to hear what they have to say.

Time for every functional area to come together

Every functional area of a business – including product, sales, marketing, and customer success – has a wealth of great information that can help everyone else (and especially those of us who make B2B content). But an unstructured, ad-hoc approach to information sharing makes cross-functional insights nearly impossible.

So how can you start to build up that communication, and get the insights you need to create truly great B2B copy? Maureen offers a few tips:

  • Start small: Learning any new skill feels strange at first, so starting small is your best chance of keeping everyone onboard.
  • Focus on one question you really want answered: It doesn’t have to be marketing’s choice; product could be seeing an under-used feature, for example. Pick a question, work together to answer it, and you’ll build muscle memory.
  • Expect messy: Change doesn’t happen overnight – and breaking down barriers is a tough business. A healthy level of friction is part of getting the job done, and that’s okay.

You’ll find plenty more guidance in the full interview (along with a scathing review of Martech vendors). What more could you ask for?

Maureen’s new book can be found here: Moats & Drawbridges: The Current State of B2B Cross-functional Insight Sharing. And when you’re inspired to drive change (and trust us, you will be), join the conversation at #InsightHarnesser.

The Anonymous Five: Fleet Analyst, UK-based maintenance company

In this month’s no-holds-barred Q&A, a mystery Fleet Analyst gives us some brutally honest insights about crap marketing and the impact of electric vehicles.

They tell us which electric car companies have “terrible B2B service” – and which fall short with their targeting – and reveal why, ultimately, Excel is the tool that any software solution needs to beat.

(Thank you, anonymous Fleet Analyst, for being so honest and detailed; we’ve made a donation to Changing Pathways on your behalf.)

In this episode, you’ll find…

0.53 – Introducing the one and only Adam Harper

3.40 – Maureen Blandford tells us why cross-functional collaboration is key

24.21 – David and Adam discuss the interview, and why “anecdata” is so dangerous

36.42 – What one question would you ask? The people have their say

41.26 – The Anonymous Five: a Fleet Analyst tells all

Anything you loved in this episode?

(Or really, really hated? We can take it, honest…)

Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or pop us a message on [email protected] Or, if you want to feature on the podcast itself, send us a voice memo our way.

How to listen 

Credits 

Thanks, Adam, for being a consummate co-host – we’ve no doubt you’ll be back on the show soon. Ish.

Thank you to the wonderful Maureen Blandford, for sharing your wealth of expertise (and never being afraid to say it just how it is). Did we mention the book?

Thanks also to our mystery Fleet Analyst, and to our merry band of Twitter and LinkedIn responders: Paul A63005, Ian Truscott, Wendy Clack, Matt Dodgson, Gregory Hooven, Sam Armondi, Sam Batstone,  Kate Roe, and Syed Haseen Ahmed. You guys are awesome.

Podcast editing and music by Gareth at Bang and Smash.

Podcast 92: writing B2B content for telecoms (and other changing sectors)

Posted on by The Radix Team

This month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy focuses on the changing role of content in the telecommunications sector – and what other B2B marketers can learn from it.

The pandemic has had a seismic impact on B2B telecoms, with brands moving fast to accommodate the stampede to home working. But even before that, the market’s major players were moving away from just selling connectivity to a wider range of more strategic services. And their content was playing a big role.

Our guest co-host, Radix Consultant Writer George Reith, joins David to get to the bottom of that change – and what it means for content marketing.

David is also joined by Sarah Zammit, Business Marketing Specialist at GO plc – Malta’s biggest internet, TV, and mobile provider. Sarah gives her view from the B2B telecoms marketing frontline, including the shift to selling new kinds of products and expertise, and how this has affected the way marketers position their content.

How do you earn the right to change?

Change has always been at the heart of telecoms. New technologies enter the market, customers’ priorities evolve… and right in the middle is the content marketer who’s tasked with making sense of it all.

But for some organisations, the COVID-19 pandemic compressed five-year digital transformation ambitions into a matter of weeks, and their telcos had to keep up. Sarah explains how B2B organisations had to adapt their marketing twice – first to meet the immediate crisis, and then to help audiences adjust to the new reality.

In the interview, Sarah also discusses:

  • How telecoms breeds agile marketers – who have to deal with constant shifts in technology and business strategy
  • Why telcos need to earn the right to reposition – and how marketers can achieve this through content
  • How marketers can get up to speed with new tech – and how Sarah works with experts in her team to distil technical concepts into digestible content

Following their chat, George reveals his take on creating marketing content for telecoms as an outsourced copywriter. He concludes that while telecoms has unique marketing challenges, much of the way the industry tackles change can apply to other sectors too.

In this episode, you’ll find…

03.44 – Marketing is a process of constant education: an interview with Sarah Zammit

17.51 – George and David discuss the key takeaways from Sarah’s discussion, including how good B2B content can help brands move up the value curve

25.15 – How experts and third-party contributors can help establish authority in a new subject area

30.09 – George shares some unconventional tips you can use to get up to speed quickly on challenging technical concepts

We really want to hear from you

If there’s anything you’d like to hear more about on the podcast (or even things you don’t), contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected].

You can even get on the podcast yourself – just send us a voice memo with what you want to say.

How to listen 

Credits 

Thanks once again to Sarah Zammit for giving us an insider’s perspective on the state of telecoms marketing today – here’s to it being completely different tomorrow! And we’re forever grateful to George Reith for his invaluable ‘on the ground’ insight.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 90: telling stories with data

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we discuss how storytelling, data, and customer insights all come together to create engaging B2B content.

Guest co-host Ramon Vanden Brulle, Copy Director at Yesler (excitingly now part of Accenture Interactive), joins David to dissect why data and a well-structured, strong story are both components you can’t leave out.

Plus, you’ll catch an interview with Dr Christine Bailey, CMO and Managing Director SMB UK and Ireland for the payment tech company Valitor. With a newly-released book on customer insight strategies – not to mention an actual doctorate on the subject – Chris tells us how data and storytelling reinforce each other in your content. (And she shares a structured approach you can totally steal.)

In this month’s Anonymous Five, a Chief Marketing Officer at a large, UK-based telecoms distributor reveals whether their job makes them more judgemental about the marketing content they receive.

And *drum roll * voting is now open for the best content of 2020. We’ve compiled the most exciting and inspiring nominations into a shortlist. Now, it’s time to vote for your favourite – if you can choose, that is.

Blending data and storytelling? Use SCIPAB®

Christine explains how Mandel’s simple(-ish) acronym can help you add urgency and incentive to your B2B content, by prompting you to create a compelling structure infused with the right data points.

What do the letters stand for, you ask? Here you go:

  • Situation: Start by painting a familiar, comforting scene your reader understands.
  • Complication: Bring in the “but” – the issue disrupting the scene – complete with stats to back it up.
  • Implications: Discuss the fallout of this issue – and the opportunity it creates. Illustrate your point with infographics, statistics, or other bits of data.
  • Position: Introduce the good that can come from this opportunity – including success stories.
  • Action: Get into what your reader needs to do, and how you can help. (If it’s appropriate, Christine recommends including some funny stories here – like people who’ve really effed it up.)
  • Benefit: Tell your reader what’s waiting for them if they get it right, with quantifiable results.

In the interview, you’ll hear real-life examples of this in action.

Chris also dives into her new book: Customer Insight Strategies. She shares how you can find out what your customer actually cares about, and why you should use this information to build your value proposition and personas.

(Hint: it involves this TED talk by Simon Sinek.)

After, David and Ramon chat about championing the customer, and avoiding boasts and promises they’ve heard 1,000 times before. Ramon reveals his secret recipe for extracting the right data points from tricky clients… You lucky, lucky thing.

The Anonymous Five: Chief Marketing Officer, UK-based telecoms

Who doesn’t love a brutally honest answer – especially when it comes direct from a B2B persona you might be targeting?

This month, a CMO at a UK-based telecoms distributor tells us how they’ve changed tack to deliver digital sales enablement, why marketing technology is such a boon, and exactly how much of the content they receive is “woeful”.

(Thank you, anonymous CMO. We’ve donated to Downs South London Kids Walk 300 on your behalf.)

And the VOTING IS OPEN for the best B2B content of 2020

Don’t forget we have 15 inspiring examples of 2020’s best B2B content for you to choose from. (Well, they’re mostly inspiring. One of them just made us want to vomit and laugh at the same time.) Which will be your favourite?

Anyway, you have until the morning of Tuesday 8th December to cast your vote.

If you have thoughts on any of the nominees, record a voice memo and email it to us.

In this episode, you’ll find…

00.55 – Meet Ramon Vanden Brulle, straight from Seattle

04.19 – Where data meets story: an interview with Dr Christine Bailey

26.12 – Ramon and David chat about Christine’s pearls of wisdom

40.07 – The Anonymous Five: a telecoms CMO spills (some of) the beans

Send us your thoughts, feedback, or unwanted advent chocolates…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (ideally, send us a voice memo so we can hear from you on the show).

How to listen 

Credits 

Thank you to Dr Christine Bailey for joining us; it was a joy to chat with you (and congratulations on the book). Also, a big hand to Ramon Vanden Brulle for being one of our best co-hosts yet. Thanks also to our anonymous CMO.

If you like the sound of Chris’s new book, you can grab your copy here.

Podcast editing, music, and natty new jingles by Bang and Smash

Podcast 88: the changing face of B2B marketing content

Posted on by The Radix Team

Strange as it may seem, there was once a time where the idea of B2B marketing just didn’t exist. So, from that bleak, cold world, how has B2B evolved into the innovative, passion-led industry we know today?

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, David and co-host Jane Morrin, EMEA Director of Marketing at Udemy, take a look at the pivotal moments in the B2B industry’s history, what it could look like in future, and the dramatic changes taking place today.

And who better to ask than the editor-in-chief of B2B Marketing, industry founder, and B2B evangelist (his words, not ours), Joel Harrison?

From pub conversations to a lively, booming industry

The interview is truly inspiring, with deep insights into the foundation of the B2B industry, and its evolution. You’ll hear:

  • What inspired Joel and co-founder James Farmer to create B2B Marketing
  • How they built a thriving community around B2B Marketing’s content and events
  • Why B2B demands a deeper emotional connection than B2C – and why they should remain two separate entities
  • How two periods of inflection have shaped the industry: the 2008 credit crunch, and this year’s COVID crisis
  • What Joel loves about the industry – and his biggest pet peeves
  • How the B2B industry needs to evolve from here, and the importance of greater diversity

Plus, David and Jane share their thoughts on the interview and discuss under-representation in the B2B tech industry, and how 2020 will change the industry forever.

Jane chats about Udemy’s own focus on diversity, and the recent virtual event by Tile’s Jossie Haines on equality and inclusion. (You can still catch up here – it’s well worth a listen.)

The Anonymous Five: small business owner, UK

For this month’s “Anonymous Five”, the face behind the curtain belongs to a small business owner, at a UK-based womenswear company.

They tell us what a nightmare day would look like, and why marketers should take the time to find out where a small business is in their journey – and the specific challenges they’re facing – rather than just assuming the owner is overwhelmed.

Thank you, anonymous business owner, for your time. We’ve donated to the charity of your choice: The Wave Project.

Here’s what you will find in this episode…

1.00 – Jane Morrin chats about changing jobs during a pandemic

5.00 – Our interview with B2B founder, Joel Harrison

24.46 – David and Jane add their thoughts on the evolution of B2B marketing

36.51 – How this year will change the B2B world forever

47:38 – The Anonymous Five: a small business owner

Send us your thoughts, feedback or cute pet photos…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you’re up for it, email us a voice memo).

How to listen 

Credits 

Thank you to Joel Harrison, it was fantastic to share some of your pet peeves, and hear you get so passionate. Also, a big thanks to Jane Morrin for being a wonderful co-host. You’re both stars.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 87: B2B content for the public sector

Posted on by The Radix Team

The public sector isn’t like any other B2B audience. The people, the practices, and the motivations are very different – and there are whole ecosystems of sectors within sectors. So how do you avoid creating marketing content that’s tone deaf, and publish something that actually works?

In this special edition of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we go pretty deep to find out. We dive headfirst into the world of B2B public sector content, with not one, not two, but three interviewees, alongside other contributions from leading marketers and anonymous public sector buyers.

First up is Raine Hunt, marketing and communications director for NHS Shared Business Services – a joint venture between the Department of Health and the IT company Sopra Steria. As someone who’s part of the NHS, but also markets to NHS organisations, Raine’s double role gives her a wealth of insights into the biggest challenges you’ll face when creating public sector content.

Later, we’re joined by Hannah Marques and Mike Wilkinson of CACI Ltd, who won the B2B Marketing Award for Best Use of Content Marketing for the emotionally-led “Walk in their Shoes” campaign, addressing the youth justice sector. They talk about the power of content that helps a public sector audience to tell their own compelling story – underpinning emotion with logical, data-backed messages.

We also share valuable contributions from Microsoft public sector marketing lead Shona Wright, and experienced public sector marketer Lynn File.

And last, but by no means least, an anonymous director at an NHS trust spills the beans on which marketing goes straight in the bin, reveals what a bad day at the office looks like, and explains why they hate receiving content that’s aimed at local authorities.

Public sector content: takeaways, tips and advice

Here are just a few of the nuggets we gleaned from our guests in this episode:

  • There’s no one public sector. Although there’s a loose categorisation, every service is different – and each require a different vocabulary and messaging. Usually, you can’t speak to a local council in the same way you would to a police force. The NHS alone houses dozens of different sub-sectors.
  • Research, research, research. As with any B2B marketing content, it’s critical to know exactly who your audience is, the challenges they face, and how you can help them do their job. Even within organisations, there’s a world of different job roles, each requiring its own approach.
  • Use the correct language, correctly. The best public sector content carefully balances emotive content with a rational business case. In both cases, speaking the right language is the key to being taken seriously. But don’t scatter terms willy-nilly, or be glib about challenges you don’t understand. This audience can spot phoney engagement a mile away.

Public vs private sector content: what’s the difference?

Turns out, quite a lot. With a little input from Microsoft’s Shona Wright, and Brand Innovation’s Lynn File, George takes a look at how marketing to the two sectors varies – and where crossovers exist.

Take a listen to find out:

  • How customer experience expectations are shifting, and how the public sector can keep up
  • Why the internal processes and timelines in each sector are so different, and how that impacts content creation
  • What local authorities and organisations can learn from the digital disruption of the retail industry

(He’s also working on a longer article for us about this very topic, so keep an eye out.)

The Anonymous Five: Director, NHS Trust

This month’s “Anonymous Five” interview packs quite a punch. Our hardest-hitting yet, the interview offers a glimpse into the life of a director at an NHS Trust.

They tell us the best (and worst) pieces of marketing aimed at the NHS, explain why “service user” is the least-bad way to describe customers, and provide a humbling glimpse into their worst working days.

Thank you, anonymous director, for your time. We’ve sent a donation to your charity of choice: Refugee Action.

Here’s what you’ll find in episode 87…

2.42 – Raine Hunt offers a unique perspective on marketing inside the NHS

20.01 – Hannah Marques and Mike Wilkinson from CACI Ltd discuss emotion-led content

30.41 – We unpack the key lessons from our interviews

38.07 – George shares top content tips from leading public sector marketers

48.44 – The Anonymous Five: The life of an NHS trust director

Send us your feedback, thoughts, and deepest, darkest secrets…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you want to be our favourite listener, send us a voice memo).

How to listen 

Credits 

A massive thank you to our wonderful interviewees, contributors, and anonymous public sector spies for taking the time out of your busy schedules to talk to us. We hope you’re happy with the results.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 84: how to manage a creative B2B content team

Posted on by The Radix Team

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about all the challenges that come with managing a creative team – both in B2B marketing, and outside of it.

Creativity is a difficult thing to handle. As this episode’s guest co-host, Velocity Partners’ Harry Kapur, puts it: “It’s not a tube you can squeeze, and magic comes out. Creativity is insane. Creativity is chaos.” (Can you tell he writes for a living?)

So how can you help your team focus all that weird craziness into creating fantastic, engaging content – while still ensuring they keep to a tight B2B brief?

To find out, we wanted to see how people in other walks of life address a similar problem. So we were thrilled when world-class orchestral conductor Alice Farnham, Artistic Director of women conductors with the Royal Philharmonic Society and Ireland’s National Concert Hall, said yes, of course she’d like a chat about B2B marketing.

How does a top conductor manage creativity?

As it turns out, conducting orchestras is surprisingly similar to answering a B2B brief. Both involve sharp deadlines, collaborating with immensely talented people, and confidence in your decisions. Sadly, in marketing, there are far fewer violins.

Here are some of the top insights Alice shared, that we can apply to making content for B2B:

  • Getting communication right is critical. And sometimes, that means knowing when to shut up. Lead by example, and gain authority through enthusiasm.
  • Give your players (or in our case, writers) a clear box to break out of. Too much creative freedom can be counterproductive. Instead, provide structure (or rules for them to break). You’ll channel creativity towards a more specific goal, and the end result is likely to be a lot more focused.
  • Be very clear in what you are telling your team. For Alice, this is all about the power of gesture – every movement of her hand has to convey information. For B2B marketing leaders, it’s about not people-pleasing. If something is wrong with a brief or piece of copy, tell them exactly why.
  • Respect and communication go both ways. Giving all your writers a voice, and the confidence to speak up about a gap in a brief or bad piece of content, will only improve the team’s creativity (and standards).

Take a listen to the podcast for even more insights into Alice’s world. Plus, you’ll get to hear David and Harry’s thoughts on managing creativity in a B2B environment.

Here’s what you’ll find in Episode 84… 

01.11 – Why B2B tech marketing is the best (and worst) job to have during the apocalypse

05:16 – Top conductor Alice Farnham talks about leading creative people

27.51 – Back to B2B: Harry and David find a tonne of parallels between conducting and marketing

46.43 – Harry’s top tips for getting more from creative talent

Send us your feedback, thoughts, or a baton for David…

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (if you’ve been writing too much recently, send us a voice memo).

How to listen 

Credits 

Alice Farnham, thank you so much for sharing your time, wit and wisdom with us. Not to mention all your insights into the wonderful world of conducting.

And a big thank-you also to this week’s co-host, Harry Kapur. Your enthusiasm (and experience) is unmatched; we hope you’ll be joining us again soon.

Podcast editing and music by 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 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.