Category: Radix Podcast

Podcast 58: how to get value for money from your copywriter

Posted on by The Radix Team

Demand for great B2B content is growing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your budget for copywriting is expanding to match. So, naturally you start looking for ways to get more value for money.

But, obviously, you shouldn’t sacrifice quality just to save a few quid – it’s all about balance.

In the newest episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, David and Fiona discuss a few ways you can get the biggest possible bang for your B2B copywriting buck.

Listen now to find out:

  • How our pricing strategy and copywriting price list came to be
  • Where you can save money and add value to your project
  • Where you really, really shouldn’t cut corners

How to listen…

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Other content we talk about in this episode:

Want to contact the show?

It’s always good to hear from listeners. You’ll find us on Twitter… or feel free to send your thoughts to [email protected] (if you’re feeling fancy, email a voice memo).

Next month, we’ll be talking about the dark art that is writing email subject lines. So if you’ve any questions, thoughts or tips, do get in touch.

 

Credits:

Audio editing and music by Bang and Smash.

Podcast 57: how to write up a B2B marketing event

Posted on by George Reith

Whether it’s a launch party, industry expo, or dinner gala, B2B marketing events happen every day. To get the greatest mileage out of all their hard work, a marketer will often want a copywriter there to capture the day in beautiful prose.

Sounds easy enough. But as a writer, it’s really easy to get this job horribly, horribly wrong.

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy David, Fiona and I share our dos and don’ts for tackling client events, as well as our own personal event successes and horror stories.

Listen now to discover:

  • Why you should always record an event twice
  • How events can make you a much better writer
  • Why it’s essential to capture the ‘feel’ of an event
  • What every writer needs to know before they set off

…and if you want to read the event copywriting blog post I plug so subtly in the conversation, you’ll find that here.

How to listen

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Credits

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Podcast 56: 2017 – a content odyssey (witness B2B marketing’s latest evolutionary leap)

Posted on by The Radix Team

The biggest B2B marketing news of the last 12 months? I’d like to say it was the reclassification of case studies as content by CMI and Marketing Profs – after one plucky content writing agency so eloquently called them out for dropping the format from their annual state of B2B content marketing report.

I’d like to say that… but in truth, the forces at play in B2B marketing this year have been even bigger than our ego. We’ve seen:

  • The triumph of quality over quantity (for now)
  • A battle between data-driven content and creativity
  • A new willingness to invest in deeper, longer form content

And with business-to-business content continuing to evolve, whether it’s through technology (here’s looking at you, VR) or legislation (“Give me a G! Give me a D! Give me a P! Give me an R! Give me a massive new challenge for technology to solve!”) 2018 is shaping up to be even more “exciting” than 2017.

Join Fiona, David and I as we discuss the big surprises of the past year in B2B copywriting and marketing, as well as what we really, really hope to see in 2018.

Listen now to discover:

  • How global politics impacted agencies everywhere in 2017
  • What’s going to replace B2B ebooks
  • How account-based marketing could all go Pete Tong
  • What the current increase in blog lengths really means
  • Why VR fits so naturally in the bottom of the funnel
  • …and more

Plus we’ve got expert insights from:

Evelyn van Kelle (SIG)

John Espirian

How to listen >>

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Credits:

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Podcast 55: what did we learn at Copywriting Conference 2017?

Posted on by The Radix Team

Marketers have no shortage of conferences where they can meet like-minded professionals, get inspiration, and spot the latest industry trends. But a conference dedicated to copywriting? That’s not something you see every day.

Attending a conference can sometimes be a risk, as the return on investment’s not always certain. But Copywriting Conference 2017 struck the sweet spot between being informative and entertaining… very entertaining.

In this episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy – and under Emily’s guidance – David, Katy, Ben and I share our impressions of the event and our key takeaways. (Spoiler alert: if you’re here to get the dirty on the bad speakers, there were none. Sorry.)

Listen now to discover:

How to listen >>

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Credits:

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Podcast 54: why standout content needs writers *and* experts

Posted on by The Radix Team

Every copywriter knows the feeling of being asked to think up content ideas for clients – and in some cases, developing their whole content strategy. But how much of this planning work should a writer do, who should pay… and, crucially, how much client input do we really need?

Talking to subject matter experts can make the difference between “me too” content and a really standout, original take on a subject. It’s why David rates them among the three people your B2B copywriter definitely needs to meet.

It’s pretty clear that an effective editorial board can transform your content – so why doesn’t this happen as standard? And how can writers and experts work together in a focused way, to get the best results?

In episode 54 of our B2B copywriting podcast, Fiona, David and Emily discuss what it takes to go from good copy to great copy.

Listen now to discover:

  • Why there’s issues around access to subject experts
  • The risks of being cagey with access
  • Standing out from the crowd, and why it’s important
  • How deep insight on a niche topic can make all the difference
  • When copywriters should be relied on for content ideas

How to listen >>

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Credits:

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Podcast 53: style guide v tone and voice. What’s the difference?

Posted on by The Radix Team

Do you italicise titles? Or put them in speech marks? The question may seem barely worth your time, but the fact remains: writing “Ulysses 31” and Ulysses 31 in the same sentence looks more than a little sloppy.

A good style guide can help you keep content consistent, even when you’ve a small army of people writing for your brand.

But do you need one? What should it contain? And is it the right place to lay down the law on voice and tone?

Hear Emily, Fiona and David share their expert perspectives in our 22-minute guide to guides (and still find the time to reminisce over 1980s Franco-Japanese cartoons).

Listen now to discover:

  • The difference between “editorial style” and “voice and tone” guides
  • The one thing absolutely every style guide should contain
  • Our gripes with The Economist Style Guide (which, for the most part, we love)
  • Why blog posts are a special case when it comes to “voice and tone” rules
  • … and much, much more

How to listen:

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Economist Style Guide Online

Credits:

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Header based on photo by Tim Graf on Unsplash.

Podcast 51: Do you need jargon in effective B2B marketing copy?

Posted on by The Radix Team

You may think you can escape using jargon in your B2B copy. You may believe that you need to write in a way that your Auntie Kathleen can understand. Alternatively, you might feel that your copy isn’t professional unless it’s couched in the latest technical and business speak. Which is right?

It’s easy to see why technical jargon has a place in B2B marketing copy – you need to call things by the same terms the audience is using. Using industry jargon in context can mark your copy out as relevant to customers.

Even copy laden with full-on business speak can have its place in the B2B copy landscape. It’s all a matter of context and audience.

But how do you do that, without turning your copy into meaningless business BS? Can you use jargon and still stand out?

Join Fiona, David, and me as we take a journey down a linguistical rabbit hole, and find out how to effectively use jargon in business-to-business marketing copy.

Listen now and find out:

  • The importance of speaking your audience’s language
  • Why plain English isn’t always the answer
  • How language affects the credibility of copy
  • Business guff that does need to go
  • … and more

Ready to give it a listen?

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Stuff we mentioned

You can find that awesome article on corporate claptrap, by Lucy Kellaway, for FT.com, here.

Check out the picture of that Pokémon and coding language infused recruitment profile here.

And you can see the “Accelerating Next” copy in Fiona’s blog post on why you need to stop using the present participle in your headlines.

Credits:

Intro and outro music by Industrial and Marine.

Header image adapted from photo by Caleb Rogers on Unsplash.

Podcast 48: B2B blogging keeps changing – so how do you write a good post?

Posted on by The Radix Team

Blogs are one of the most-used content tactics by B2B marketers, according to research by Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. (In fact, they’re the second most used.)

And guess what? Here at Radix, we wrote more blog posts in 2016 than any other content format.

Blogging is still big in business to business marketing – but things are changing, fast. In our recent #b2bcopychat, some people were noticing a trend for longer, better-researched blogs… while others had heard whispers that the format might be dying out.

Which is true – or could it even be both? Join Fiona, David and me as we discuss why blogs play such a huge role in B2B marketing, and how to write blog posts that readers will want to engage with.

Listen in now and find out:

  • Why blogs are such a versatile format
  • Why they’re getting longer, better, and more expensive
  • The importance of quality, and niches
  • Our top tips for writing quality blog posts
  • … and more

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Notes from this episode…

Want to know what a present participle is? Then check out this explanation over on Grammar Monster.

Thanks to Paul Hewerdine of Earnest, and the #b2bcopychat gang for their input to this episode.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Podcast 47: Chatbots and virtual assistants are still young – it’s down to copywriters to help them grow up

Posted on by The Radix Team

We’ve all seen the media hype about how robots are going to take over the world like SKYNET. But while some people may worry about Arnie turning up at their door, copywriters need to stay grounded and focus on making chatbots genuinely useful through great copy.

Chatbots and virtual assistants (VAs) might be new, but the theory behind them has been a big part of websites, search and gaming for decades.

Think of a chatbot or VA as an elaborate search bar on a website. You ask it questions, it finds the answer and fires it back to you in the blink of an eye. But what if I use the word pants instead of trousers? (I hear you ask). This is exactly what any self-respecting search bar (or chatbot, or VA) should account for and learn from.

In our latest podcast, Emily, David and George discuss all things bot, and where copywriters fit in to this brave new world.

They take a look at:

  • The difference between a chatbot and a virtual assistant
  • Top tips for writing for chatbots and VAs
  • Why fun interactions with bots have a serious side
  • Fiona’s interview with tech entrepreneur, Wo King of Hi9
  • The best and worst bots around today

Disclaimer: As Chatbot Champion (yes indeed!) for Radix, George has come up against a fearsome array of bots. Cortana tried to defend herself and Alexa refused to comment – so if this podcast goes a bit Jeremy Kyle, don’t blame us.

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Alternatively: add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Build a bot

Thanks to Samphire Amps, of Electric Dialogue, for pointing us towards Chatfuel.

If you want to send in bot name and personality suggestions, you can email them to [email protected].

Podcast 46: Time to give B2B web copy the attention it deserves

Posted on by The Radix Team

Lately (say, for the last three years or so), we’ve been writing an awful lot of B2B web copy (as opposed to a lot of awful web copy, hopefully). In 2016, it was up 60%. So it’s as good a time as any to talk about what makes B2B web copy work. (We even wrote an ebook about it.)

What’s driving the surge? Could be that mobile web usage has been on the rise since 2013, while desktop use has been slipping. And changes to Google’s search algorithm have been extensive over the past five years, so many enterprises still have to update their online content accordingly.

Undergoing a website refresh is no simple task, but why do so many brands leave web copy to last when it plays such an important role in user experience and SEO? And does it have to be this way?

Join Fiona, David and me as we discuss how to make the most of your web copy, giving it the attention it deserves so it gets the conversions you need.

Listen in now and find out:

  • What’s different about B2B web copy projects
  • Why your homepage should always come last
  • How to plan content around users and not you
  • … and more

Plus: we look at several B2B websites to see what they’re doing right…. or otherwise.

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

(Or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here. Alternatively, add our RSS to your preferred podcast player.)

Music by Industrial and Marine.

If you’d like to play along, here are the web pages we discuss in this episode…

www.grammarly.com – shared by Giles Shorthouse, The Octopus Group

https://www.topazlabs.com/remask – shared by Joanna Weibe, Copyhackers

https://velocitypartners.com/ – shared by Shelly Lucas, Dun & Bradstreet

http://universe.consignor.com/ – shared by Sean Fleming, Enigma…

…plus one we didn’t quite have time for this episode…

http://www.sdl.com/languagecloud  – shared by Bojan Ambrus, SDL Managed Translation

(Bojan explains that these are landing pages for a marketing campaign, and performed particularly well. We appreciated the puns, and wondered how they’d work for people who weren’t native English speakers… or whether perhaps that’s the point.)

http://sciencecanchangetheworld.org – shared by Paul Hewerdine, Earnest

(Paul says: “This is my favourite B2B site. Its aim is to celebrate the unsung heroes of science, but it is in fact a fine piece of content marketing and community building by a company called DSM (who from what I can gather are scientists for hire used by big brands to do R&D work). Anyway it’s based on a brilliant insight that the science industry is full of bright, passionate people who are out to change the world – but no one’s really championing their cause… until now. The current campaign is essentially a competition to get ‘Bright minds’ to put forward renewable energy solutions – where others can vote on them & the winner gets $100k worth of hours (presumably from DSM) to make it a reality. Real content with a real purpose. Like.”)

Free ebook

If you’d like to get your hands on the ebook we discuss in this episode, you’ll find The Nine Sacred Principles of Badass B2B Web Copy here.

And there’s a Video series available here.