Category: Radix Podcast

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 73: our 15-point checklist for reviewing B2B copy

Posted on by The Radix Team

Reviewing B2B copy can be tough.

Every client has different expectations, every writer has a different style, and every reviewer has specific things they look out for. So, how do you ensure every piece of copy that crosses your desk is consistently great, every time?

It’s a challenge we’ve faced for a while at Radix, but we think we’ve cracked it. We’re proud to introduce The Radix Quality Assurance Checklist.

Focused on the five key pillars of stand-out B2B copywriting – accuracy, clarity, authority, empathy and wizardry – our checklist can help you remove the subjectivity from reviewing B2B copy.

But how can it help me?

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, Fiona and David take a closer look at the review process, and give you some key advice on how to use it.

Whether you’re a marketer reviewing work or writing the content yourself, the checklist can help you take an objective approach to reviewing B2B copy (and wrangling your stakeholders too).

Give the episode a listen, and you’ll find out:

  • The fifteen points that all B2B copy should aim to meet
  • How the checklist enables you to give more constructive feedback
  • What it means to achieve copywriting wizardry
  • How the checklist can help you – or your colleagues – develop as writers

What do you mean you “forgot” our first ever webinar?

We want to say a huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our first webinar, “Five terrifying risks you should definitely take with your B2B content”.

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

Podcast editing and music by the ever-majestic 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 71: how to write B2B social media content

Posted on by The Radix Team

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

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

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

Where social ends, and content begins

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

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

How to keep up with social media change

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

Name that chair

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

Our lovely new old Eames chair

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

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

Add your voice to the podcast

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

How to listen

 

Credits

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 70: how to write B2B copy for engineers

Posted on by The Radix Team

One of the greatest challenges a B2B copywriter often faces is writing for a new audience. Vocabulary, tone, expectations, pain points, turn-ons, turn-offs…

Whether you’re creating a though-leadership blog for tech-hungry IT leaders, or a series of laidback podcasts for refrigeration engineers, there’s a lot to think about.

That’s why for our 70th (!) episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B copywriting podcast, we’re joined by Lasse Lund, copywriter and content marketing consultant at Danfoss Cooling, to discuss writing all things engineering – as well as his own journey into the strange world of B2B copywriting.

Technical, engineering content… for a worldwide audience

A Danish native raised in the States, Lasse offers great insight into what it takes to write ‘definitive’ English-language copy for a global and culturally diverse engineering audience. And why writing for engineers is, in theory, a game of two halves: the technical and the business.

Also in this month’s episode:

  • Technical editing tips to make localisation easier
  • The value of reading niche technical publications
  • How to not alienate marketing-averse engineers

More on B2B’s “Gender Say Gap”

Before we sign off, we’d like to thank everyone for the inspiring feedback we received following last month’s podcast on the Gender Say Gap. We’ve never had a response like it.

So, Bisma Hashmi, Barry Whittle, Roberta de Lima, Caroline Robinson, Daryl Newman, Anna McLoughlin and everyone else who liked, commented, shared or emailed… thanks. It’s good to know you care about this too.

(Thanks once again to the brilliant Claire Mason of Man Bites Dog for bringing this important issue to our attention; we’re sure it’s something we’ll revisit.)

Add your voice to the podcast

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

How to listen

Credits:

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 69: B2B tech copywriters versus the “Gender Say Gap”

Posted on by Katy Eddy

I once dialled into a conference call in time to hear the tail end of a conversation between the client’s marketing manager and the expert I was about to interview. The manager was breathlessly explaining that they would be talking to a “lady copywriter”, as if I were some sort of elusive cryptid, only recorded in grainy photographs and poorly sourced Reddit threads.

It was quite sweet, really – they sounded genuinely pleased that they’d be dealing with a female writer. (Plus, depending on the inflection, “lady copywriter” makes me sound like I own a very large manor house in the country and can trace my lineage back to the Plantagenets.)

But, until that point, I’d never thought of myself as a novelty.

And in a way, that’s what our latest episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy is all about. Why are “lady copywriters” such a rarity in our industry?

Let’s talk about gender in B2B tech copywriting

In response to some sobering statistics from the most recent ProCopywriters survey (including the fact that female writers are still somehow paid 25% less than male writers, despite making up the majority of the workforce), David asks Fiona to share what it’s really like to be a female B2B tech copywriter.

We’re also lucky enough to have a truly excellent interview with Claire Mason of Man Bites Dog, discussing what she calls “The Gender Say Gap”. We aren’t just missing women’s writing in the B2B tech marketing – we’re missing out on female experts to showcase and quote, too.

I won’t spoil too much here, but listen in to hear Claire, Fiona, and David chat about:

  • Why auditing diversity is just as important as auditing everything else in an organisation
  • How to get expert female voices in front of our audiences – and why it’s so important
  • Practically, what can we all do to make business tech marketing a more inclusive industry for every gender?
  • Why encouraging more young women into STEM isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s vital for the UK economy

Add your voice to the podcast

As always, we love getting any comments, questions and ideas on the podcast from you. If you’ve got a contribution you’d like to make, you can send it to us via @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (you can even email us a voice memo, if that tickles your fancy).

How to listen

Credits:

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

Podcast 68: the best B2B content of 2018

Posted on by Katy Eddy

Alarmingly, the end of the year is upon us.

To avoid thinking about the fact that January is looming, and we haven’t finished writing out our 2018 resolutions, let alone done any of them, we’ve been looking back on just some of the great B2B content this year has had to offer.

In our final episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy for the year, we’ve put together a deeply unscientific top 10 based upon nominations and votes from our esteemed listeners (plus some of our own favourites).

So, here’s to excellent marketing content (and here’s our list of excellent marketing content):

10. Arco: “Be Sure” safety campaign

Fresh from its win for “Best Thought Leadership” at the B2B Marketing Awards, our number 10 is Arco’s “Be Sure” campaign, created with Born + Raised, to make us think a little harder about the fact that not all safety equipment is created equal. You can read more about it here.

Thanks for the nomination, Adam Harper!

9. SI Partners: marcoms agency growth survey

Nominated by Grist’s Andrew Rogerson, number nine goes to the Marcoms Agency Growth Survey by SI Partners.

According to Andrew, it’s a “compelling, research-driven thought-leadership programme” – and we’re inclined to agree.

8. Goldman Sachs: interactive briefing on drones

Rocking up at number eight is Goldman Sachs with its “Drones: Reporting for Work” interactive briefing.

According to Paul Hewerdine of Earnest Agency fame, it’s worth overlooking the company’s “pantomime villain” reputation for content this well-written and visually compelling.

7. Ceros Originals: a decade of Bitcoin

Long-time Radix friend and head of writing at Velocity Partners Harry Kapur has provided us with lucky number seven, Ceros Originals’ “Riches and Regrets: A Decade of Bitcoin What Ifs”.

It’s another of those scrolly infographicy website thingies, which charts the peaks and troughs of the original cryptocurrency with a heap of fun pop culture references. (It’s sadly lacking a CTA, though. Rookie mistake?)

6. Three personal stories

In sixth place is a mildly self-indulgent three-way tie, nominated by our very own David McGuire:

They’re three of the content pieces that most challenged David’s thinking this year (but you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out how).

 

5. Nokia Bell Labs / Lonelyleap / Reeps One: “We Speak Music”

From Ogilvy’s head of copy Glenn Sturgess comes our mid-point nomination, “We Speak Music” by Lonelyleap and Nokia Bell Labs.

It’s a huge project – a six-part documentary series in the making – about the future of voice. We can’t wait to see it in full.

4. Saxoprint: “Great British Postcard” competition

Rising to the top of a predictably crowded category, “Best Use of Content Marketing” winners Saxoprint and Freestyle’s postcard competition comes in at number four.

With an unexpectedly rock ‘n’ roll endorsement, they boosted the hell out of Saxoprint’s brand awareness on a paid media budget of basically nothing.

 

At the top of the list, things get interesting… with another three-way tie:

=1. Kingpin’s blog post about humour and marketing in B2B

Nominated by Yvonne Deegan and Evelyn van Kelle, “Is humour and marketing the new B2B double act?” from Kingpin is one of our top contenders.

“B2B content can be intelligent, informative and humorous at the same time.” – Yvonne Deegan

=1. LinkedIn’s Britpop-infused content creation story

With a double nomination from Sonja Jefferson and Jane Morrin, Jason Miller’s “How LinkedIn’s Lead Generation Went Supersonic” has got some good weight behind it.

“Always enjoy reading Jason Miller’s work.” – Jane Morrin

=1. Hubspot’s “Conversational Marketing” string

Yet another double nomination – and some cheeky self-promotion – Velocity Partners’ Rutger Frissen and Ogilvy’s Glenn Sturgess have thrown Hubspot’s hyper-visual conversational marketing slideshow into the mix.

“Maybe I’m just the target audience, but it’s got something to say. And the typography, the visualisations, and the format all amplify the message.” – Glenn Sturgess, Ogilvy

So, how to pick a winner?

To hear Fiona’s deciding vote – she is our new CEO, after all – well, you’ll have to listen to the podcast. (And you’ll hear a special, festive bonus: a B2B content poem, read by the amazing Molly Raycraft.)

As if all this wasn’t enough (you lucky things) David finally adds his nomination to the B2B Content Hall of Fame, the Maxon Motor Catalogue. (Bear with us; it’s far more interesting than a catalogue has any right to be.)

Want to contact the show?

We always welcome comments, questions and ideas (particularly if you think there’s excellent content we’ve missed).

You can send them our way via @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (or, if you’d like to add your voice to the podcast in a more literal way, you can even email us a voice memo).

How to listen

Credits:

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

The B2B Content Audio Blog #13: how to run a B2B messaging workshop

Posted on by John Kerrison

Successful B2B marketing requires everyone pulling in the same direction: sales, marketing, product specialists… everyone.

Which is why you can’t properly market your brand unless there’s alignment around your key messaging.

We’re increasingly asked to run messaging workshops to help our clients nail down a core set of wording they can use across all their external communications, sales collateral, and training. And this audio blog explains how these messaging workshops work, and why they’re so valuable to the business as a whole.

Hit “play” now to learn:

  • Who you should invite to your workshop
  • What to do before, during and afterwards
  • The key components of a successful messaging framework

“Looks like we got ourselves a reader…”

If you’d prefer to read Fiona’s original blog post for yourself, here’s What happens in a B2B messaging workshop?

This is the end of this podcast season, so if you’d like to keep hearing from us, you’ll want Good Copy, Bad Copy: the B2B Copywriting Podcast. (The next episode drops next week, revealing the best B2B content of 2018.)

How to listen

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

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

Get in touch

Want to hear a second season of this audio blog? Let us know. Email [email protected], tweet at us, or leave an iTunes review.

Credits

Audio editing: Bang and Smash

Theme tune: “Chinny Reckon” by the Nye Bevans

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

Posted on by John Kerrison

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

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

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

Tune in now to hear:

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

“Looks like we got ourselves a reader…”

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

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

How to listen

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

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

Get in touch

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

Credits

Audio editing: Bang and Smash

Theme tune: “Chinny Reckon” by the Nye Bevans