Category: Technology Copywriting

Radix Copycast episode 2 – the jargon conundrum and making boring things interesting

Posted on by The Radix Team

Welcome to the latest Radix Copycast – a podcast exploring the trends and issues in B2B technology marketing through a copywriting lens.

Fiona, David and Emily in our “podcast studio”.

Emily and Fiona are joined by David McGuire of Lungfish to discuss two topics that B2B technology copywriters often wrangle with: how much (if any) jargon to use, and how to make a seemingly dull topic interesting enough to excite and inspire the audience.

On jargon, George Orwell once wrote:

“Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.”

from: Politics and the English Language

Lots of people will tell you to avoid jargon in marketing copy. But is it really a good idea to cut it out altogether? And if not, how can copywriters find the right balance between demonstrating technical knowledge and keeping content approachable?

In the second half of the episode we look at how writers can make boring topics interesting. David is certain that “nothing worth saying is innately boring” – but how do you find the angle or approach that will bring an apparently dull subject to life?

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Radix Copycast episode 3 – getting to grips with storytelling in B2B

Posted on by The Radix Team

Telling stories is a hot topic in B2B marketing, as evidenced by recent articles covering transmedia storytelling and brand storytelling, among many others. But with so many different techniques and approaches being discussed, we wanted to take a closer look at what storytelling actually is, and how B2B marketers can use it to best effect.

Emily and Fiona are joined by James Henry*, a television scriptwriter with titles like Green Wing, Shaun the Sheep and Bob the Builder under his belt, and several comedy and drama projects currently in development with the BBC and independent producers.

We believe marketers can learn a great deal from professional storytellers like James. Listen to this episode and find out:

  • The difference between a story and a series of events
  • What makes an engaging story
  • How the three-act structure works in business
  • The importance of a “relatable character”
  • Why brand storytelling is not customer friendly
  • How companies can use the seven basic plots to create stories about their customers (like this video from AtTask)
  • … and more

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

* Disclosure: James is Fiona’s husband, podcast relationship-spotters.

Radix Copycast episode 4 – how to create better B2B case studies

Posted on by The Radix Team

They are the ‘bread and butter’ of enterprise technology marketing, with 78% of business to business marketers citing them as the most effective format for generating leads.

But if that’s the case, why do so many customer case studies follow the same dry, stale format?

In this episode, Fiona and I discuss how copywriters and marketers can work together to make case studies more engaging – and even more effective as lead-generation tools.

Points covered include:

  • What a typical B2B case study looks like today
  • How to make case studies more engaging
  • The difference between ‘bread and butter’ case studies and ‘superstar’ case studies
  • Why you may need to interview more than one person
  • Techniques you can borrow from journalism

Polishing your interviewing technique

For every good case study writer, the interview is a crucial part of the process. We share tips for getting more value from interviews, including what kind of questions to ask, when to go off-topic, and how to overcome language and knowledge barriers.

(And somehow, we end up wondering if virtual presence robots might be the answer to all our case study interview problems.)

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.
Music by Industrial and Marine.

Radix Copycast episode 5 – is shorter always better in marketing copy?

Posted on by The Radix Team

In 1953 Watson and Crick published their paper on the structure of DNA – drastically changing our understanding of all organisms. The paper was only 800 words long.

Technology copywriting often involves complex subjects and products, but how do you ensure that length doesn’t get in the way of the message you’re trying to put across?

In this episode, Fiona and I are joined by one of our associate copywriters, David McGuire of Lungfish, to debate the issue of succinctness in B2B technology copywriting.

Points covered include:

  • Whether shorter is always better
  • The role of signposting and design in creating readable longer-form content
  • Understanding how audiences and platforms affect the length of your copy
  • How to ensure long-form copy remains concise and to the point

Improving your ability to be succinct

For David, using Twitter is like a gym workout for copywriting – you need to make each word count. We share tips on how to write succinctly and explain what tools are available to you to help put your message across. Words are not all you have in your arsenal.

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Radix Copycast episode 11 – getting the right writer for your content marketing initiatives

Posted on by The Radix Team

Welcome to episode 11 of the Radix Copycast. This time we’re exploring the importance of getting the right kind of writer for the right kind of content, and we also look at what journalists can bring to content marketing.

B2B marketers are using more content types than ever before, but it’s rare to find one copywriter who is equipped with the full range of copy capabilities. In fact, it’s a must to find the right writer for the right job and you may be surprised by the diversity of skills needed to produce a range of types of content.

Fiona and I are joined by Lindsay Clark – associate writer and experienced business and technology journalist (Computer Weekly, Supply Management, Times, Guardian, FT) – to discuss the different types of writer available, and why journalists in particular make good marketing content creators. Topics we cover include:

  • How to evaluate a potential writer
  • What other skills a good marketing copywriter should have
  • Striking the right balance between in-house and outsourced writers
  • How journalists can help with content marketing initiatives
  • What sort of content projects journalists are best equipped to work on

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Further reading:

Radix Blog: The Seven Types of B2B Copywriter – Which One is Right for You?

Content Marketing Institute: 6 Questions Content Marketers Must Ask Before Hiring a Journalist

Content Marketing Institute: The Makings of an Effective Content Marketing Team: Experts Weigh In

Ann Handley: A Simple Content Marketing Org Chart

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Radix Copycast Episode 12 – B2B copywriting trends of 2013

Posted on by The Radix Team

Welcome to episode 12 of the Radix Copycast, in which we look back at what changed in B2B technology copywriting in 2013. Plus we look at a couple of new trends we see coming up in 2014.

This year we’ve seen several trends emerge in B2B content marketing (and hence copywriting), from the increased use of marketing automation to the popularisation of storytelling. It was also interesting to see what didn’t quite happen as we expected, especially around video marketing.

Fiona and I discuss what changed in 2013 for B2B tech content writers, including:

  • eBooks find their place in the marketing funnel
  • Why reports of the death of the whitepaper were exaggerated
  • The emergence of comic book-style storytelling
  • Why experts and influencers were in high demand

And in the final part of the show, Fiona considers what could be the big (and difficult-to-pronounce) content marketing buzzword of 2014: hyper-specificity.

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Radix Copycast Episode 14 – the true value of marketing copy

Posted on by The Radix Team

If 800 words of copy can lead to a $2m deal, you’d think it would be easy to assign a business value to marketing copy. So why do marketers – and copywriters – still treat copy as a commodity?

That’s just one question we try to answer in this episode of the Radix Copycast, for which Fiona and I are joined by Matt Godfrey, Director and Senior Copywriter here at Radix.

We also examine why, in the real world,  it’s largely impractical for copywriters to move away from pricing copy on a per-word or per-hour basis.

But are there some situations where results-based pricing could work for copywriters and their clients? We consider whether marketing automation might make it possible for marketers and writers to monitor how well copy performs, with a view to gauging its true financial value.

Finally we discuss ways in which copywriters can demonstrate the quality and value of their copy, including:

  • Becoming your own content marketer and using your site to showcase your content
  • Establishing a writing niche, either in an industry or content format
  • Asking for feedback from clients to see how your work is performing
  • Showcasing client testimonials and recommendations on your website

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Further reading

Pam Didner: How Many Content Pieces Can You Create with $1,000?

Radix Copycast episode 8 – how to get B2B tone of voice right (and how to get it wrong)

Posted on by The Radix Team

Welcome to episode 8 of the Radix Copycast – this time we’re discussing tone of voice in B2B copywriting.

What we mean by tone of voice, and what can you do to ensure it’s authentic and consistent,  regardless of the organisation’s size and complexity?

Anyone who’s been frustrated by a flippant “Oops, we broke the internet” error message when trying to complete an important transaction knows that a single tone doesn’t work in all situations. Equally, the language used in an annual report could seem out of place in a Facebook update, so the key is to establish a range of tones that nevertheless all speak with the same brand voice.

Fiona and I are joined by David McGuire of copywriting consultancy Lungfish to discuss this issue and much more, including:

  • Is it tone of voice or tone and voice?
  • How tone needs to be adapted for different mediums
  • When translation needs to become transcreation
  • Who’s great at voice and tone, and who isn’t?
  • The importance of remembering that you’re dealing with people
  • Plus: the perils of sounding overly familiar

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

Check out Voice and Tone here.

 

Radix Copycast episode 9 – designers vs. copywriters (it doesn’t have to be all-out war)

Posted on by The Radix Team

Why is it so important for designers and copywriters to work together?

More than ever, today’s B2B copywriters need to work closely with designers in order to meet the demands of enterprise marketing campaigns. The explosion in the use of design in traditional formats – white papers, case studies – and the increased use of visually-led content – infographics, comics – has seen the relationship between copy and design become far more involved.

Fiona and I are joined by designer Tim Hendy to explore this changing relationship between design and copy – and in particular:

  • How the use of external copywriters affects the design process
  • The risks involved if copywriters and designers can’t work together effectively
  • Designers’ frustrations with copywriters and vice versa
  • Which should come first: writing or design?
  • Plus: tips for how copywriters can work more effectively with designers

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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.

 

Radix Copycast Episode 15 – Six core skills every B2B technology copywriter needs

Posted on by The Radix Team

attributes-b2b-technology-copywriter-v2

In a recent mini-survey on content marketers’ challenges carried out by Velocity Partners, 52% of respondents said great copywriting was one of the hardest skills to find.

That’s because, as it turns out, the “writing” bit is only part of what makes great copywriting. So, apart from knowing which words should go where, what characterises a great copywriter? In this episode, Fiona identifies six core skills that every B2B technology writer should have.

Plus I’m joined by two of Radix’s copywriters, Kieran and George, to get the inside track on an experimental copywriting technique we’ve borrowed from the software development industry.

Kieran and George explain how “pair copywriting”, based on “extreme programming”, has potential for certain content projects. Listen now to find out:

  • How pair copywriting can improve creativity
  • The challenges presented by pair copywriting
  • What sort of projects it’s best suited to
  • How you can make pair copywriting work for you


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

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here.

Music by Industrial and Marine.