Category: The Blog

10 things I learned about B2B content marketing in 2020

Posted on by The Radix Team

2020. What a year to try to learn a new job, a new company culture, a new niche. Meeting my new colleagues through little black squares on the screen, with only the cat to bounce ideas off or ask pertinent questions.

Lisa: “Where is the podcast file?”

Cat: *Look of disdain*

Luckily, the team I joined at Radix are very understanding, professional, flexible, and THE VERY BEST at what they do (hey, I’m new, so I still get to boast about my colleagues, OK? I’ll try not to make a habit of it), so what had been weird quickly became my new normal.

And what did I learn by diving into B2B content marketing in 2020?

1. Being adaptable counts

Every event, conference and face-to-face meeting across the globe was shut down by the pandemic from March onwards. Virtual team meetings, events and webinars became the norm, and, until the vaccine gets rolled out to most of the population, will continue for a good while yet.

That means our marketing schedule went out the window – and the really epic secret thing at the centre of this year’s plan had to be cancelled. Instead, we hosted a series of informal webinars and Q&A sessions – B2B Content Tuesdays – each of which then became a blog topic.

It was lo-fi, shoestring stuff, mostly intended to help people feel connected in the early days of lockdown. But it helped grow our audience in some unexpected ways, and also happened to bring us a brilliant new client. Turns out it’s good to listen to your gut, and give your audience what you feel they need in the moment – even if it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’d usually expect.

Question is, why didn’t I buy shares in Zoom, and hand sanitiser?

2. Remote working demands high-value content

Everyone is working from home. They’re distracted and maybe they’re anxious, alternating between watching doom on the news and then discussing it online. Meanwhile, marketers can’t reach them in person… so every B2B brand has turned to content to fill the gap.

Cutting through all that noise is no easy feat; you have to work even harder to make sure your content resonates with the reader, and shows them exactly what they’ll get for their time. So I was really interested to read my colleague Katy’s handy guide to writing B2B content with value.

3. “Niche” is a superpower

One of the trickier things I’ve needed to get my head around this year is the niche where we work. Not all of marketing, but copywriting. Not all of copywriting, but B2B. And not all of B2B, but B2B tech.

But as I’ve come to understand that niche, it has become clear what an advantage it is to have a clearly defined specialism. It means I know exactly who our marketing is speaking to at any given time, and what their challenges are likely to be.

And when our marketing does generate a good lead, the conversion rate is really high – because the marketer has a clear idea of what we do, and we already have the expertise to do the job well. Having a niche creates a platform where my colleagues can be genuinely world class (OK, that’s the last boast, I promise).

4. Social responsibility isn’t just an external issue

Global pandemic? Check. Climate change? Check. Socially responsible? Check.

2020 was the wakeup call that showed us now more than ever that we are completely vulnerable as a species. Companies who promote the environment and implement socially responsible practices will clearly benefit from a better, more human brand.

But it’s not just about perception outside the business. Since joining Radix, I could also see how important our social stance is to our own team – and how people can be motivated by being part of a company that tries to make a positive difference. If anything, that’s even more important because you can’t fake it.

5. A little more conversation

This is the first time I’ve dealt with a podcast, and I can already see it’s a great marketing tool. You don’t need a fancy recording studio; just Zoom or a smartphone, something interesting to say and someone interesting to talk to.

It takes those niche B2B conversations on Twitter and turns them into interesting, downloadable recordings for people to listen to as and when. For us, the podcast has been invaluable in reaching our audience this year.

(And here’s a secret tip: it also gives us a perfect excuse to start conversations with smart people we’d like to meet.)

6. Show don’t tell

Quietly letting the content do the talking; that’s how we like to reach our perfect client.

There are two parts to that. First, addressing their challenges in thought-provoking and interesting ways – be it via a podcast, a blog, a newsletter, a Turtl story or a white paper.

But we also need those thoughts to reach them where they are.  So we aim to get our content published on third-party platforms and publications, and write guest blogs for B2B institutions, as well as speaking at events and running workshops.

7. Good feedback is the best marketing

Getting good client feedback is THE most satisfying barometer of measuring success. There’s nothing we like more than when we’ve made a marketer look good, and we can all congratulate the colleague who did the work.

But it doesn’t just feel great; it’s a vital step in our own marketing. Even if we can’t always create a full case study, testimonials from our best clients are extremely powerful in persuading other, similar marketers that we can help them too.

8. All for one and one for all

Working from home can make us all a bit isolated at times. So, as a newbie, having the whole team cheerleading behind our marketing endeavours feels really good. And it demonstrates to clients that our whole team is committed to the cause.

Our team write the marketing blogs, often co-host the podcast, and get involved in conversations on social media. They are our brand ambassadors. It shows our personality and it’s essential to growth… as well as being a great help to me.

9. Personas non grata

We’re not satisfied with concentrating on the vague personas we want to target. Instead, we are laser-focused on finding real-life people in real jobs of the companies we want to work with.

This year, we’ve tried to make content that speaks to the right person, in the right job, in the right company, in the right format at the right time and the right frequency. That’s a lot to get right. But that’s our mission, and we choose to accept it.

The idea is not necessarily that we’ll attract that avatar marketer, but that we might reach someone like them. And it works, too. We’ve had a brilliant crop of new clients this year, many of them closely aligned to our checklist of what an ideal client would look like (yes, we have one of those).

10. What you measure is what you get

Like everyone, we watch the data to understand which content performs for us, and do more of what works. But because we have a very niche B2B tech service, we have to think carefully about what that measurement looks like.

That starts by aligning our marketing KPIs to our company’s business plan. For example, we’ve been deliberately growing our international business, so website sessions from outside the UK are a key indicator for us.

And we know our success depends on our reputation among B2B marketers, and that they tend to group in industry networks, so we look for the content that brings us the most social and referral traffic.

Prioritising those metrics means we automatically double down on the content that helps us achieve our broader business goals.

A momentous first year

2020 was a disrupted year on a biblical scale, and it’s one I won’t ever forget.

That disruption made the B2B marketing world adapt quickly to new technologies, strategies and ways of working. And I had to adapt too – and learn some lessons I’ll find helpful as we venture into the unknown territory of 2021.

So from the cat and me, home alone in my Christmas jumper, have a wonderful break. And a cheerful and positive new year.

How to get value for money from your copywriter

Posted on by The Radix Team

Let’s face it, few businesses can afford to hire a copywriter to bring every idea they have to life. But when an idea is just too damn good to let sit on the back burner, our clients seek copy that’s both of a high quality and value for money.

But unlike shopping around for say, insurance, diving into the digital murk for a great copywriter can be a long, laborious experience – and as of 2018, there is no ‘comparethecopywriter.com’.

It may be tempting to seek a writer who works fast, and while it may save you money, it’s doubtful they’ll be using that time to really understand your audience. What marketers need is great content that hits the mark every time, without having to pay over the odds to get it.

Not sure how to make that happen? Here are our top tips…

Confirm quality control

As marketers scramble to position their brand as thought leaders in their respective industries, quality content has (quite rightly) become hailed as ‘king’. For example, where blogs were once seen as a cheap and easy way to hit the front page of search, today, they’re home to some of the most engaging B2B content you can find online.

And as Fiona noted at the end of 2017, blogs are increasingly seen as high-value content that can directly engage prospects and customers, and even spark actual buying conversations. The result of that? Blogs are getting longer, more in-depth, and most importantly – better.

So, what does this mean for you? Settle on a writer that values quality control and is willing to allow for ample amends time to ensure the copy you publish is the best it can be.

A good briefing saves time (and money)

As a writer, there’s nothing better than receiving a clear, succinct brief with all the copy essentials, including:

  • Target audience
  • The background to the campaign
  • Brand tone, voice, and story
  • Content formats and structure

And if you think we’ll need it, links to supporting content to get us up to speed (and save us some time doing avoidable desk research) are always appreciated. The sooner we’re clear on what it is you want, and how you want it, the faster (and better) we can deliver it.

Onboard properly

Copywriters are a flexible bunch, and in most cases – if we can learn about it, we can write about it. But first, your writer needs to know what makes you tick: your values, tone, voice, concerns…. Who are you really?

When approaching a copywriter, spend some time getting them up to speed on your company and if possible, provide examples of your existing copy for reference. It’s a bit like method acting – the sooner they can get inside your head, the sooner they can emulate you on the page.

Listen to the copywriter and balance expectations

They say the customer is always right… There’s truth in that, but just remember: if you’re paying for a writer’s services, you should listen to their thoughts on your projects. They know about this stuff, and if they offer advice – chances are it’s good.

You might have a very clear idea of how your content should look, sound and read, but if your writer tries to nudge you in a different direction, hear them out. Their advice could offer a whole new perspective on things that takes your content to the next level.

Hear us ramble

To hear Fiona and David discuss this topic in greater detail, check out our February 2018 podcast ‘How to Get Value for Money from Your Copywriter’.

Writing for the public sector? Follow these six tips from sector experts

Posted on by George Reith

“The public sector.” Those three words should be a delight to see at the top of a brief or content plan. It’s a sector that delivers meaningful improvements to real people’s lives every day. It offers the kind of human stories every content marketer dreams of sharing.

But the reality is very different. All too often, content targeting the public sector falls short, failing to home in on what really keeps its decision-makers awake at night.

I wanted to find out why, and how to make public sector content that really sings. So, along with Radix Creative Director David McGuire, I asked public sector employees – and the gurus that market to them – how to get it right.

We ran a whole podcast on the topic. But I still felt there was more concrete advice to share, and that’s where this blog comes in. I’ll share six tips based on interviews with industry experts and my own experience writing for this extraordinary audience.

1. Make sure you really understand your audience

You can’t create something that resonates with your reader unless you know who they are. That’s true for any content. But for the public sector, this kind of specific audience knowledge is even more important.

In fact, it’s really more than one audience. The public sector is vast and varied, so if you don’t know whether you’re talking to a local council or a central government department, you’ll have no way of speaking to the unique challenges each type of institution faces. Instead, it’s important to map those challenges out, so you can tailor the right message to the right person.

“It can be tempting to want to create noise in the market, but I’d never recommend taking a scattergun approach,” says Shona Wright, Public Sector Marketing Lead at Microsoft.

“Taking time to create a messaging framework (and training your people on it) is often an overlooked step, but I think it’s essential for anchoring your content and having a cohesive impact on your public sector audience.”

2. Use the language of the sector, but don’t over-use jargon

Specific info on who you’re targeting helps you get the specificity your content needs. But you still have a tough task ahead of you: making sure your content is written in a language that really speaks to your public sector reader, and focuses on the topics close to their heart.

Most B2B brands have a whole roster of tried-and-tested terms and topics they can lean on when speaking to the private sector. However, many of these translate poorly to public sector readers, or at least need some finessing before they’re fit for purpose. For example, some might detest the word “customers”.

While it’s important to speak your audience’s language, Lynn File, Founder and Managing Director Brand Innovation reminds us it’s essential to keep your content human: “The public sector is full of jargon and acronyms. These should be avoided at all costs. If you start using public sector jargon, all the power and emotion drains out of your content immediately.”

3. Get to the purpose behind your audience

But it’s not just language that’s different in the public sector; there’s also a different motivation to their work.

Lynn continues: “By definition, the public sector is there to serve their public and, in my experience, most of the people who work in the public sector are very committed to delivering that. You can latch into what they see as their overall purpose and reflect that back at them.

“So, for example, the NHS at heart is all about delivering great patient care. To be effective, marketing communications have to promise to contribute to that goal. When marketing to them, you should speak about the big picture and the benefits their role ultimately delivers.”

4. Learn from commercial enterprises

While it’s crucial you get the tone and language right when speaking to the public sector, you shouldn’t discard your knowledge of the private sector completely.

Shona says: “Local authorities could learn a lot from disruptive retailers in delivering great customer experiences. As public sector marketers, we need to have the courage to look across industries and help our public sector audiences open their eyes to what they can learn from commercial businesses.”

The way you present this information is crucial. A message that’s overly commercial can turn a public sector reader off – but show them how a private sector solution can be adapted to help them achieve their own public-facing goals, and they might well listen.

5. Balance positive and negative messages

While much of the public sector is about building a better society, some jobs are focused on avoiding a negative outcome rather than pursuing a positive one. But how much can you (and should you) dwell on the risks in your content?

“Risk is an inherent concern in the public sector, and I don’t see that dramatically changing,” says Shona.

“But I do believe we have a viewpoint on the changing landscape of risk. Moving the conversation, from ‘on-prem is safer than cloud’ to understanding the risk of not transforming, is key. Also, I think the role of the public sector CIO has changed. They need to be aware of financial, commercial and reputational risk more now than ever before.”

Where possible, then, discuss the wider elements of risk rather than focusing on one specific area. Beyond this, it’s also important to see where you can flip negative messages around to something more aspirational – showing the reader you understand the importance of their job.

“I think marketers should get fired up and share the enthusiasm that the best public sector workers have for their role,” Lynn suggests.

“Use upbeat exciting language; be positive; be optimistic. Emotion beats reason when it comes to content. Believe in the better future society your audience wants to deliver and show how the product or service you are marketing will help them do that.”

6. Think carefully about the decision-making unit

One anonymous source from the UK civil service explained how the complex decision-making process in some parts of the public sector can be a barrier to common marketing approaches.

They said: “Procurement is a lengthy process, so standard marketing techniques are unlikely to get most companies anywhere. There’s also very little that I can actually act on because the final decision-making power does not sit with me. And I’m someone who was used to having sign-off in private sector roles. So, for the civil service at least, I would suggest that the rulebook doesn’t apply.”

We spoke with another anonymous source with experience working in parliament, and they offered concrete advice for handling the complex tech sign-off process: “In general, there’s very little understanding of what IT solutions are out there. And, unlike the private sector, few have the spare time or dedicated roles required to research the technologies available. If you can show what the options are quickly, and why they should care, and make it easy for them to share this info with decision-makers, your content will go down much better.”

Different audiences, different advice, similar themes

Not all this advice above will apply to every public sector audience. Much depends on what type of organisation you’re targeting – and what their mission is.

However, there are a few constants that can help all public sector content hit a little closer to home:

  • Don’t use jargon as a substitute for communication – both public and private sector buzzwords won’t get you very far
  • Believe in your audience’s mission – and avoid trying to frighten the reader with risks; chances are they handle them every day
  • Be clear and helpful – by openly educating the reader about the options available, and the benefits of each
  • Use examples from other industries – but be very clear about how it applies to public sector objectives

Remember, many public sector audiences face an uphill battle every day, to justify their budgets, their objectives, often their own jobs – even though they’re only working on behalf of the public, to make society better. As private sector marketers and writers, you and I can’t claim to know what that’s like. But we can write content in a way that makes the job a little easier, and shows the reader we’re on their side.

If you need a hand writing public sector content that resonates, reach out to our team.

What is long-form B2B content, and why does it work so well?

Posted on by The Radix Team

When you’re building a B2B content strategy, you need a mix of content lengths. Long-form and short-form content are both vital tools, and each has its own specific use.

If you want to present a snack-sized stat to your readers, for example, or to promote a new product or service, you’re likely to use social seeds or a short article, rather than a ten-page white paper. Likewise, tackling a subject like “Everything you need to know about writing a B2B case study” is going to require more than a 280-character tweet.

But there’s no doubt that across the B2B industry – and in content marketing generally – longer content is becoming increasingly popular. According to Orbit Media’s 2021 blogging survey, the word count of a typical post is up 57% since 2014 – from 808 words to 1,269.

So how exactly can we define “long-form content”? Why is it gaining in popularity as an effective marketing tool? And how can you ensure that even your longest pieces still have impact? I took a look at the research – and completed some semi-scientific studies of my own – to find out.

What is long-form B2B content?

For starters, it’s not just lengthy blog posts. Although blogs are still the most popular B2B content format, long-form content can many other formats, including eBooks and whitepapers, guides and tutorials, and webinars and virtual events.

Essentially, it’s any piece of content that educates your audience on a specific topic or answers a specific question – in an in-depth, informative way.

There’s also a lot of debate around how to define “long” word count, with definitions ranging from 700 – 1,200 words. In truth, there’s probably no set figure; it’s more about the role your content plays. But for the sake of this blog, and in deference to science, I’m defining long-form as anything 1,000 words or over. (Even if it is just to make the maths that bit easier in my own research…)

How can long-form content boost your B2B marketing?

According to the research, writing more long-form content could help you boost your online presence and even drive conversion rates. Here’s what the stats tell us:

Fact #1: Long-form content tends to rank higher on search

You’ve probably heard that long-form content ranks higher – but I wanted to know how true that is for B2B. So, I searched 16 common terms and phrases, like “writing a B2B ebook” and “original research for B2B content”, then recorded the word count of the top five results.
Here’s what I discovered:

  • Across all 80 results, 76% were over 1,000 words, and 31% were over 2,000
  • Of the 16 top results, 12 of the posts were over 1,000 words
  • On the longer end of the scale, 13% of the results were over 3,000 words – and just 4% were over 5,000
  • 35% of the 80 results were between 1,500 and 3,000 words

So, it holds true: long-form content does seem to rank higher. But why?

Some studies suggest that it’s easier to grow organic traffic, and employ SEO tactics, as there’s more scope to include keywords or backlinks (more on this in a moment). But there’s also a simpler explanation: it gives you the opportunity to provide something of real, tangible value for your readers, that they’ll enjoy and want to share.

Fact #2: You can provide your customers with greater value – and showcase your subject authority

This year’s CMI B2B benchmarking report found that 83% of B2B marketers who reported high levels of success in 2020 said this was because of the value their content provides.

And long-form content is the perfect vessel for providing that value. It gives you the opportunity to create more in-depth content on a high-value topic or challenge that really matters to your customer – and (as long as it is genuinely helpful) build up a positive association with your brand in the process.

Side bar: When I searched for common B2B phrases, 44% of the top results were ‘How to’ articles (and all bar one were well over 1,000 words). Only 19% were listicles. So format is likely quite important – the value you’re presenting needs to be really obvious. My colleague Katy has written a splendid blog on how to achieve it.

Fact #3: You could get more traffic, more shares, and more backlinks

According to Semrush’s 2020 Content Marketing Survey, super long-form articles with over 7,000 words drive nearly four times more traffic, and 43% more shares, than shorter articles. And while it’s unlikely you’re going to be writing such bulky pieces on the fly, there’s a clear correlation between long-form content and the amount of traffic it creates.

On the other end of the scale, 59% of published content with between 300-600 words isn’t shared at all. And posts between 300-900 words are likely to gain 21% less traffic – and 75% fewer backlinks – than articles of 900-1,200 words.

And when it comes to Google rankings, backlinks are crucial. The top result on Google has an average of 3.8x more backlinks than the following nine – and the same study found that long-form content generates more backlinks than shorter posts.

So, how can you write long-form content with impact?

Knowing why long-form content works is one thing. Knowing how to write it in an engaging, impactful way is another. Hopefully, these tips will help:

Tailor your content to your audience’s interest

Reading takes time. So you’re asking your (probably very busy) reader to do a lot – especially if your content is above the 2,000-word mark. Make sure you’re rewarding them for that time, and providing information that’s genuinely helpful and tailored to their interests or challenges.

There are plenty of sites to inspire you, and help you cut to the core of whatever conversation is happening in that industry. AnswerThePublic is a great place to start, and BuzzSumo’s content search engine can help you see what articles your customers are already engaging with.

Make sure your content is easy to navigate and read

When you’re writing long-form content, presenting your reader with a wall of words is only going to turn them off. So it’s critical that you make your copy as easy to navigate as possible:

  • Break down sections into smaller, skimmable chunks or bullet out the key points or stats you’re making (see what I did there?)
  • Include headers and subheaders that summarise what’s contained in each section
  • If it’s a really long piece, you can create a content page, so it’s easy for your reader to skip to the parts that most matter to them

In short, make it easy for the reader to see the value of your content upfront, and help them find the information they need quickly.

Use tried-and-tested approaches to make your reader comfortable

Bit boring, I know, but there’s a reason that 44% of the top results were “How To” guides. Sometimes, the tried-and-tested formats just work the best, and are familiar and approachable for you reader.

Update your work regularly

According to Orbit Media, bloggers who go back and update old content are more than twice as likely to report “strong results”.

So even after you’ve written and published your content, go back and update it when necessary.

And remember…

Just because long-form content works, it doesn’t mean that everything you write needs to be over 1,000w. Sometimes, less is more – and padding out work with waffle, just to hit a word count, won’t go unnoticed by your readers.

Got any questions? Just email us at [email protected].

How to get good B2B content quickly

Posted on by The Radix Team

Whether you’re sat at your window pining for a delivery to arrive, or you’re stuck in a digital queue for concert tickets, few feelings are quite as frustrating as wanting to speed up a process that you have no power over.

It’s a feeling many B2B marketers are familiar with. From waiting on stakeholder responses, to staring at the back of a copywriter’s head wishing they’d get a move on, it’s an everyday annoyance that a lot of people simply write off as something they just have to live with.

But (in the latter example at least) those marketers aren’t as powerless as they feel. You can’t reach over your writer’s head and start tapping away for them, but you do have a lot more influence over how quickly your content is delivered than you may realise.

In writing – just as in any other endeavour – the fastest path to a positive outcome is the one with the fewest obstacles. You might not be the one walking it, but you certainly do have the power to move a lot of those obstacles out of your writer’s way.

The journey starts with a thorough brief

The strength of a brief is what sets the pace for a writing project. If we only get one line of briefing to work from, we’ll have to spend time filling in the blanks before we can even start writing.

Most importantly, we need to know why the target audience should be interested in what we’re writing. What are their challenges? Why should they make a change from what they’re currently doing? And what do we want them to do after reading the content?

As a good B2B marketer, it’s all stuff you know. And kickstarting the writing process is as simple as jotting it down into a brief, or picking up the phone and talking the writer through it.

Above all, it’s an area where cutting corners really doesn’t pay off. Skipping over a piece of information like your desired audience response, or where the content will be published can appear inconsequential. But, in practice, every detail you leave out (or leave up to a writer to determine for themselves) is an opportunity for a failed draft, sending you right back to square one.

Next, a comprehensive briefing call

If there’s anything in the brief that needs a bit more clarification, a briefing call is the quickest way to sort it. The more thorough the written brief we have in advance of a call, the easier it is for us to figure out exactly what we’re missing, and what we need a bit more information on.

And a call goes both ways. It also gives you the opportunity to stress to us precisely what parts of the brief you want us to prioritise, what areas are most important, and any clarifications that you want to make.

The best calls are the ones that are well prepped and get everything out on the table without the need to follow up. But if you can’t answer all our questions while on the actual call, don’t worry. Just follow up with an email as soon as you can afterwards.

Finally, let us know exactly what needs changing

If you required an outline from us before a full draft, then it’s important that you can turn it around to us quickly. It’s simple: the faster you get back to us, the faster we can start (and finish) writing the piece.

As amazing as it is to achieve perfection in a first draft, it doesn’t always work like that. But the better the brief, the better the first draft – and hopefully – the better your feedback.

The principle around the feedback process is exactly the same as the briefing process. If you can be clear and specific in the changes you want made, we can make them more quickly. And if your content has a change in scope, be as clear as possible with the new brief. Don’t just tell your writer what’s changed; tell them what’s staying the same too.

Now you know how to get your B2B content quickly

So, next time you’re putting together a brief with a tight turnaround, don’t rush to get words on the page as quickly as possible. Instead, focus on making sure those words are right first time – because it will help your writer do the same.

If you’d like more ways that you can improve your B2B content delivery, sign up for our newsletter to get content tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Maintaining momentum after a B2B content blockbuster

Posted on by Steve George

A good marketer should believe in every piece of content they publish. They put it out in the world because they believe there’s an audience for it, and that audience will find it engaging and valuable. But every now and again, something amazing happens – a piece sees huge engagement, far beyond what anyone would have projected.

Usually, it’s cause for celebration – especially if it immediately creates some new leads or conversation around your brand. But it also raises a lot of questions: how did this happen, why did people like this so much, and most importantly, how can we make this happen again?

Following up after a runaway hit is tough, especially one that you didn’t see coming. So, what can you do to make the most of your moment, create momentum from it, and prevent it from becoming a lone anomaly in your marketing metrics?

Your first task: identify and isolate the ‘why’

If a content piece has been a huge hit, the first step towards replicating or continuing that success is identifying exactly what it was that drove so many people to engage with it. And to work that out, you’ll need to look far beyond the content piece itself.

To get a clear picture of the ‘why’, you’ll want to talk to:

  • The team responsible for creating the content to identify if there’s anything that they felt was of particularly high or unique value across the piece. Perhaps they already knew they might have a blockbuster on their hands.
  • Your social manager(s) to identify if there were any high-value shares or bits of commentary around the piece that may have driven the spike.
  • Sales and service experts to find out if the theme of your content was relevant to a particularly hot topic in the customer base at the time.
  • Your customers themselves who, thanks to social media, will often already have told you exactly what it was they liked about the piece. All you need to do is listen.

Breaking the success down and looking at all the possible drivers of your content piece’s explosive results is a really important exercise. It enables you to take highly-targeted next steps, rather than just pushing ahead with the default response to content success – saying ‘well that worked, let’s do more of it.’

It acknowledges that high engagement isn’t necessarily an endorsement of the entire content piece. People could have loved the approach and viewpoint, but not be particularly interested in the topic. An opinion or viewpoint presented through your content could have been controversial, or even drawn a crowd due to how tremendously wrong many people felt you were. Or a high-profile share may be almost entirely responsible for the spike. Each of those scenarios should warrant a very different response.

Capitalise on the short-term hype

With your ‘why’ identified and isolated, your next priority should be getting something out quickly to take advantage of the hype surrounding your content blockbuster. The strategy you choose should align with your ‘why’. Here are a few examples of what that can look like across some common content success driver categories:

  • High unique value (e.g. original research): When unique value is the core driver of your content’s success, the fastest and easiest way to extend the attention it’s getting is repurposing and atomising that content piece. Share your findings with more people by breaking your insights down into infographics and digestible social content, or dive deeper into specific findings in standalone content pieces.
  • High-value shares: If your demand surge was triggered by a prominent figure in your industry sharing or discussing it, use that as an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with them immediately. Interview them for their thoughts on the subject, invite them onto your podcast, or explore opportunities for content co-creation with them.
  • Hitting a hot topic: If your content just happened to cover the right subject at the right time, it’s important to move fast and get follow-up pieces out into the world before the conversation moves on. Don’t rework your entire strategy around a single theme, but it’s worth taking a short-term detour down a specific path while it’s timely and relevant.
  • Active conversation: If your engagement spike can be traced back to particularly active discourse around your content piece, listen closely to that conversation. And quickly prepare a follow-up that addresses the various views put forward by your audience and advances the conversation.

At this stage, speed is extremely important. Don’t get too bogged down in trying to craft the perfect follow-up right away. It’s much more important to seize the hype while it’s still alive. Then, you can focus on applying longer-term lessons across your content strategy.

Apply some long-term lessons

The biggest mistake marketers make following a runaway content hit is not fully unpicking that success and learning broader lessons from it. Again, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of ‘that worked, let’s do more of it.’ It’s a strong enough strategy in the short term, but long-term, that way of thinking is what creates one hit wonders.

If you keep recreating the same piece of content, or following the same theme, your audience is going to lose interest pretty quickly. Instead, you should try your best to recreate the conditions that led to that success.

If you can trace your success back to a high value share, you don’t want to endlessly hound that same person into working or discussing relevant topics with you. Instead, make directly engaging with popular thought leaders a bigger part of your content strategy. Build bonds with others to increase your chances of seeing the same success again, in a new context, with entirely fresh content.

Similarly, if people loved your content for its unique value, prioritise the work that enabled that content to be created. Do more research, gather more data, and invest in fewer pieces of higher value content that you can repurpose in a lot of different ways.

By zooming out and learning broader lessons from each success, you can create sustainable long-term growth and engagement across all of your content. A little bit of short-term hype-seizing is good, but you need to look beyond the content piece itself, and apply those lessons across your entire content and marketing strategy. That way, you can turn a short-term spike into long-term success.

Three reasons why it’s better to write fresh copy than “finesse” your existing content

Posted on by Katy Eddy

As copywriters, we’re often asked to “finesse” or “wordsmith” someone else’s copy. It’s often content that’s been written by one of the business’ subject matter experts (SMEs) or, less frequently, something that another writer or agency has worked on which didn’t quite hit the mark.

Copyediting existing work is a complicated business. It’s rarely as simple as swapping out a few words or tightening up the grammar – which means, most of the time, it’s better to ask your copywriter to start from scratch.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. It’s more efficient to brief a writer than to do it yourself

Often, marketers hope it’ll be quicker or more economical to ask an SME to write up a draft of their piece before passing it onto a copywriter or editor for a quick tune-up to make sure it’s up to scratch.

But that’s rarely the most efficient way to use your time. Finding half an hour in an SME’s busy diary to brief a copywriter is far easier than carving out several hours to write a blog – or days to write an ebook.

There’s another benefit to talking to a copywriter before a single word is written: a briefing call is the perfect opportunity to sound out your ideas with someone who’s trained to ask probing questions. A writer can help your SME dig into the topic, think about it in different ways, and find the best story to tell from a marketing perspective – ideal if your SME is on the technical side of the business.

That leads me onto my next point…

2. Subject matter expertise doesn’t always translate into writing expertise

Just because SMEs know a subject inside out, doesn’t mean they’ll be able to write about it in an engaging way that appeals to your target audience. And why should they? Even if your SME regularly writes technical documentation, writing good marketing copy takes a totally separate skillset.

Writers take your SME’s knowledge and ideas and consolidate them into a compelling story, finding the right hook and the structure that neatly guides readers to the end and the call to action.

Your copywriter will also have experience in conforming to voice and tone guidelines, using the right SEO keywords, and working in templates. They’ll have a good understanding of how to write in a way that appeals to your target personas, and strategies to encourage your audience to click that “get in touch” button.

When it’s written from scratch by a copywriter, your piece will have all the features that make content valuable – from the very beginning. It’s much harder to come along and squeeze keywords into someone else’s draft, for example.

3. It might need much more work than you expect

It’s difficult not to get attached to something you’ve written, especially if you’ve spent hours on it. Which means it can be a nasty surprise when your SME opens up the document after a copywriter has done some “wordsmithing” to find something that looks like a totally different piece.

From the writer’s side, it can be hard to estimate how much editing a piece needs until you’ve had a comprehensive look at it (or even until you’ve started working on it). On rare occasions, it might just need some trimming or the odd sentence rewriting to make it the best it can be. Sometimes, you make a significant edit near the beginning which means you have to make smaller changes throughout.

Or, it might need ripping apart and totally restructuring.

At that point, you’re basically looking at a full rewrite. Some people view a copyedit as a faster or cheaper alternative to a copywriter producing something from scratch – but it doesn’t always end up being the case. If the piece needs a rewrite, you might even need to hop on the phone to discuss gaps in the content, or the new structure. And the project may go through more rounds of amends as you work together to align your SME’s original vision with your marketing goals. So that time you saved by writing the draft in-house is lost anyway.

An experienced writer and a thorough brief usually yields better results

That doesn’t mean we won’t ever copyedit something for a client. Helping an SME work through their ideas and find the best way to communicate them is actually one of my favourite types of project. But that requires a lot of trust between your SME and your writer – and it’s best achieved without a looming deadline.

So how do you know if it’s worth asking for an edit? There are situations where it makes sense. Maybe you have a flagship content piece that needs a new intro and updated stats, but the product sections are all the same. Or maybe you’re repurposing a blog series into a downloadable ebook and you need to smooth the transitions between the sections.

If you’re unsure, it’s worth talking to your copywriter about what they’d recommend. Often, a comprehensive brief is a far more straightforward way to get copy quickly, if that’s what you need. Or, if your SME has already written something, your writer can use it as source material for a fresh piece.

7 ways to make your B2B writing more inclusive

Posted on by The Radix Team

The B2B tech industry isn’t run by robots (yet), but by actual, real people who exist outside of their offices and away from their laptops.

It can be easy to forget, but these people have interests, friends, and gender identities, as well as being executives and decision-makers at our favourite companies.

So if you’re a B2B marketer, inclusive language can play a huge part in ensuring your reader feels recognised and engaged.

To find out more, we spoke to Ettie Bailey-King, an inclusive and accessible communication consultant. Here’s what we learnt.

Why is inclusive language so important?

For starters, customer expectations have changed dramatically. The B2C market is rapidly adopting inclusive language, and it’s transforming the marketing industry.

If customers are used to respectful and inclusive communication in one industry, they won’t stand for less anywhere else – so B2B needs to keep up.

“We’re constantly surrounded by content – at work, at home, on social media,” says Ettie. “And thoughtful content makes us feel safe and welcomed. For example, an advert that says ‘everyone’, instead of the binary gender options of man or woman. Or an email that avoids gendered salutations like ‘Ms’ and ‘Mr’, and just says ‘Hi Ettie’. For many of us, those changes won’t feel like a big deal. But if you’re questioning your gender identity, for example, then those small changes can be the difference between a painful experience, and a safe and welcoming one.”

Even if you don’t think you’re talking to people who are trans, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming, that’s no reason to avoid using inclusive pronouns and language. According to Stonewall, around 1% of the UK population might be transgender, including non-binary people. Already, that’s roughly 600,000 people – but we’re a long way from knowing what the real figures look like.

“The comparison that activists always use is left-handedness,” says Ettie. “When left-handedness was stigmatised, numbers were around 2%. And when children were actually allowed to freely use the hand of their choice – if you look at the graphs, you’ll see an explosion in left-handedness.”

These days, around 12% of the UK write with their left hand.

There are so many reasons why inclusive writing is important – and they go beyond B2B marketing objectives.

“Inclusive writing is sometimes presented as a fun, happy add-on to make our businesses seem warmer. But it’s got a serious purpose. The world just isn’t safe for some people – for example, many transgender and gender non-conforming people are discriminated against, or at risk of terrible violence,” says Ettie. “It’s important to keep that in mind. So if we’re struggling to motivate ourselves to do the learning, we should remember that using LGBTQIA+ inclusive language has a real impact. For example, using someone’s correct pronouns can reduce their risk of suicide.”

As Ettie says, pronouns are incredibly important. To use them correctly, you’ll need to understand and be familiar with different types.

Let’s talk about chosen preferred pronouns

Pronouns are a big part of inclusive language and, for the record, they’re just that – pronouns. They’re not “chosen” or “preferred”, much like someone’s name isn’t “chosen”.

You might need to know your client’s pronouns (or your client’s client’s pronouns if you’re writing a case study about them). For example, “Matt’s Head of Copy at Radix Communications. He’s been in the role for 11 years.”

Or if you’re engaged in conversation and need to refer to somebody else: “Have you met Matt? He’s great.” Whenever you’re using pronouns, it’s important to do it correctly, even if they’re unfamiliar to you.

After “she/her”, “he/him”, and “they/them”, the most common member-defined pronouns on LinkedIn are:

  1. “she/they”
  2. “he/they”
  3. “they/she”
  4. “they/he”
  5. “any pronouns”

There’s a reason LinkedIn has counted “she/they” and “they/she” separately. For pronouns like these, you can’t assume someone has a preference, or what that preference is.

“Everyone’s different,” says Ettie. “When someone gives mixed pronouns, it might be because they strongly prefer the first one, they’re equally happy with each, or they’d rather you don’t use the second one and it’s just there as a backup (for example, for people who struggle to use singular ‘they’). If you can’t check with someone, I’d use the first pronoun. But if you can, take a few seconds to check which one they prefer.”

Neopronouns like “xe/xem/xyr” (pronounced zee/zem/zeer) or “ze/hir/hirs” (pronounced zee/heer/heers) are examples of popular gender-neutral pronouns, and are often used by non-binary or transgender people. You can practice using them and other gender-neutral pronouns using this tool, made 100% by gender-diverse and same-sex-attracted youth. This table published by the Office of Intercultural Engagement at UNC Greensboro might also be helpful.

But while understanding different pronouns and how to use them is crucial, it’s not the only thing we can do to make our B2B writing more inclusive.

7 ways to make your writing more inclusive

Ettie gave us advice on some of the current best practices for inclusive writing, and other things you can do to make sure all your readers feel recognised.

1. Shift your team’s mindset

A lot of us have been trained to write in a gender binary way – think “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” – and need to go on a learning journey to transform our writing.

If you’re part of a marketing team, this shift in mindset needs to be a collective experience. Start with sharing resources like podcasts, make or join a book club, and help others get exposed to stories and people outside the gender binary.

2. Always ask if you can

If you’re not sure of someone’s pronouns (and you have the opportunity to), ask. And if you can’t, then default to gender-inclusive language until you’re sure of someone’s pronouns – which could be after you’re expected to submit a first draft.

“In B2B, it’s less likely you’re going to be speaking and learning directly from people,” says Ettie. “But describing people accurately is so important. If you don’t know what pronoun someone uses, or how they describe themselves, always check. And if you can’t – they’re unavailable and no one knows the answer – then use gender-neutral terms like ‘they’. Or, you could just use their name instead, like ‘Ashley is Sales Director and Ashley will take over the new team.’”

Ettie’s default in her own writing is to use “they”, and it’s something people have been doing since the 1300s. You can then clarify and correct pronouns in the feedback process.

3. Why default to “they” when you can use “you”?

Defaulting to “they” is definitely an inclusive option when writing about people. But if you’re writing content that’s directed to someone, you can go one step further.

Using second-person address is not only inclusive – “you” knows no gender – but also a great tool for engagement. When you speak directly to your reader, they feel involved and engaged. In short, it’s good copywriting.

Second-person address helps to keep things simple, which is also more accessible. “If there’s one rule, it’s to not overthink it,” says Ettie. “Sometimes, by trying to be inclusive we end up with long and elaborate phrases, which can weigh our copy down. For example, if you’re trying to write a concise slogan, do you need to say ‘people who menstruate’ or ‘people with a vulva’? Maybe you can just say ‘you’.”

4. Treat pronouns like names

If you’re confused or in doubt about unfamiliar pronouns, Lal Zimman, a sociocultural linguist, says to treat them like they’re names. Here’s a rundown of what Lal says:

You can’t tell what a person’s name is just from looking at them, so if you want to know it you have to ask. And asking someone’s name is a totally normal question. In fact, it’s more likely to be considered rude if you don’t ask for someone’s name when first meeting them.

Names are treated as facts, and people don’t generally argue about them. It’s important to remember names, even if they’re unusual, or hard to pronounce or spell. And it’s important to get someone’s name right, even if you don’t like it or them.

People don’t insist that there are a limited number of names, and they know there are names they’ve never heard of. And sometimes people change their names, too – for example, when getting married – and that’s totally accepted.

5. And if you mess up…

Politely apologise, correct yourself, and move on. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself.

“We do need to gender people correctly, because it really matters,” says Ettie. “But while we’re learning, we should give ourselves permission to find it difficult and confusing. It really can be! Don’t panic or overthink it. Be firm but patient with yourself – you’ll be amazed how quickly you can learn.”

6. Be a role model

If you’re inclusive with pronouns in your everyday life, in your work and in your style guide, then it’ll translate into the way you write.

You can normalise talking about pronouns by including them in your email signature, your on-screen nickname, on social media profiles and business cards, or by advertising them on your person (think badges and stickers).

And you can go one step further by incorporating pronouns into your marketing. For example, include guest speakers’ pronouns on event invitations and web content.

By being open with pronouns, you’re helping to avoid potentially uncomfortable and awkward conversations. For example, if you’re meeting with someone virtually who has recently changed their pronouns, they can just change their on-screen nickname.

The same goes for people you’re emailing. There’s no need to use “Mr” and “Mrs”, or “Sir/Madam” as your default address. You can just say “hi”, “hello”, “good morning”, or use their name if you know it.

7. Be flexible

You’re not learning a set of rules once and forever. You’re learning something that may be true for now, and might not be true in a year, and that’s okay. Society is changing, and with it people’s pronouns and best practices.

“So you might meet Ashley now, with pronouns ‘they/them’. In a few years, Ashley might be ‘he/him’. That’s okay,” says Ettie. “Don’t panic if people change their pronouns or names. Be grateful that they share them with you.”

Flexibility is a big part of shifting your mindset and changing your patterns. It’s about always putting people before any set of rules or guidelines – including this one. Because for every rule you can come up with, there will always be people who don’t align with it (and that’s okay too).

Here’s where to learn more

Creating inclusive content can make all the difference to your reader feeling accepted, included, and recognised – which is good news for your people, your marketing, and the world in general.

If you’d like to learn more about inclusive communication, check out Ettie Bailey-King’s website Fighting Talk or sign up to her newsletter for quick, practical tips on how you can make your content more inclusive and accessible.

How to atomise a big B2B content piece into smaller assets

Posted on by The Radix Team

When you create a showstopping content asset, it can be tricky to know where to go next. You’ve spent all this time producing a piece that captures the key messages, ideas, and research for your campaign, but still have months left to fill in your editorial calendar.

Well, if your content is really as valuable as you think it is, you’re likely sitting on a goldmine of additional opportunities.

Here’s why you should be mining for those opportunities, how to spot them among your content library, and advice on how to get started.

The value in atomising your content

While a well-thought-out, thoroughly-researched white paper can generate plenty of leads by itself, not all of your audience will have the time to read 2000+ words. But, they might have time to read one of the interesting ideas your white paper contains.

Breaking down your content piece – or “atomising” it – can help you ensure those ideas aren’t locked into a large asset. It gives you an opportunity to create smaller, more accessible pieces of content that will likely reach a larger portion of your audience.

It also creates a chance to share your ideas across more content channels. An ebook or white paper will likely be gated and restricted to your website, but smaller articles, infographics, and social posts can be shared on a wide range of platforms.

And perhaps one of the most valuable reasons to atomise your content is the opportunity to create additional momentum for your campaign. You’ve already put in the major legwork in conducting the research, interviewing thought leaders, and capturing the key ideas to create your white paper. Now, you have a chance to build out your content calendar for the following months without repeating those steps.

How to know if your content is right for atomisation

Atomising content is something our clients ask us to do a lot, but it’s not right for every content piece. Some are more valuable – and easier to atomise – than others.

Here’s what I look out for when considering whether a piece can be broken down:

Does the content piece cover a broad range of topics in your industry?

If your content covers dozens of different ideas throughout your industry, all tied together with a broad theme, there’ll likely be plenty of opportunities to create additional content.

For example, with a white paper named: “Ten key challenges B2B marketers face today”, there’s a good chance those ten challenges will be distinct from each other, and you’ll be able to split them into their own content pieces. Taking this approach also gives you an opportunity to go deeper into those topics, bringing in additional perspectives, research, and ideas that weren’t included in the main content piece.

On the other hand, if your white paper is on a niche topic – such as a distinct challenge or a single product – there may be fewer atomisation opportunities and you might find yourself stretching the ideas too thin.

Does the content piece contain a lot of original research?

White papers and ebooks based on original research offer some of the easiest and most valuable atomisation opportunities.

With assets like these, there are often dozens of valuable data points that can easily get lost within the large content piece, but can form the foundation for new, more digestible assets.

This could mean writing an article that highlights some of the key insights generated from your research or creating an infographic that presents your data in a more visually accessible way. In many cases, the data in your hero asset can kickstart additional reaction pieces that bring in thought leaders within your company to respond to the research.

Does the content piece bring in a lot of perspectives from your industry or organisation?

When a large asset brings together multiple perspectives from your industry – or across your organisation – there are often ample opportunities to split these perspectives into smaller content pieces.

These can be as simple as pulling quotes from individual thought leaders to use on social media or throughout email campaigns. Or, in some cases, ideas from these thought leaders can be extended into larger blog posts that expand on their perspectives.

How do I start atomising my content?

Think you’ve got the perfect content piece to atomise? Now it’s time to get started.

Your atomisation strategy will need to focus on maintaining the momentum of your original content piece and building out materials that add genuine value to your campaign.

Every content piece will be a different challenge, but here’s some advice you can carry across every project.

Think about creating a variety of content types

Content atomisation shouldn’t just be about splitting white papers into blog posts. Think about the audience you’re targeting, the platforms you want to reach them on, and the ideas you want to share.

For example, from the starting point of one newsletter written by our founder Fiona Campbell-Howes, we created:

  • Three blog posts
  • Three podcast episodes
  • One presentation
  • One board game
  • One infographic
  • One interactive quiz

It’s often easiest if you look at the idea and think about the best possible way to present it to your audience, rather than trying to mould it into a specific content format.

In some cases, you don’t even need to reuse content from the original asset. We’ve found success previously by taking the core idea of the main content piece and using it as the foundation for webinars and podcasts that bring additional perspectives on the topic – and ultimately generate more buzz around the ideas you’re sharing.

See if your content aligns with a current hot topic

If there’s a hot topic everyone in your industry is talking about, atomising your content can be a great way to get your voice into the conversation.

Consider if any ideas in your asset can be adapted to create relevant, associated pieces that respond to the current news topic and add an additional perspective.

For example, if you’re an analytics provider, ideas from your white paper on using data-driven insights to predict supply chain challenges would be a great fit for responding to news about supply chain challenges in specific markets.

But, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ll need to produce this content quickly, otherwise you might miss the time window for its maximum effectiveness.

Work with a writer to plan your atomisation strategy

Knowing what to atomise and when can be tricky, but it’s easier when you work with the writer who will be producing the main content piece. They’ll be able to give you a good idea of whether the piece you’re considering atomising has enough valuable content to split out, and whether the additional assets you’re creating will be helpful for the reader.

Also, they’ll give you a good idea about whether there’s enough leftover material to write meaningful content from the research and interviews they’ve already conducted – or if they’d benefit from extra input to stop your content repeating itself.

Atomisation: a valuable habit to stretch your content budget

Ultimately, any copywriter worth their salt can help you spot opportunities to atomise your content as they’re writing the initial hero piece.

These opportunities are often much easier to identify during the creation process, and can give you a head start on building out your content calendar for the following months – all while maximising the impact of the research and calls you’ve already paid for. The trick is to find a copywriting partner who understands your objectives, and whom you trust to have your best interests at heart.

And that kind of relationship starts with a conversation.

 

From call to brief to copy – what’s the Radix copywriting process?

Posted on by The Radix Team

Content marketing is by no means a niche service, but to our knowledge, Radix is something of a unique business.

Unlike other agencies in the B2B marketing sector, we dedicate ourselves fully to B2B technology copywriting. We’re driven to do the best job we can, so we focus on doing one job, really well.

While it sounds simple on paper, we’re often asked by prospective clients what it really looks like to work with us – and how their project will fit into our daily workflows.

Let me take you on a journey through a typical blog post project at Radix, and hopefully answer the titular question: “Just what is your copywriting process?”

Setting the scene: a new blog brief

It’s time for a little make-believe. Today, one of our regular clients needs a blog post about the latest digital transformation trends in their industry.

In classic Choose Your Own Adventure style, our client has two paths by which they can proceed:

  1. Describe the required content to their Radix account manager so we can book time out with a writer best suited to the job and, if required, book in a briefing call.
  2. Use the standardised Radix briefing template to send a full, written brief to their account manager. (Again, we can book in a briefing call if further insight is needed.)

In most scenarios, we’ll recommend the briefing call as this gives the allocated writer an opportunity to clarify exactly what is required, such as:

  • Who is the content for?
  • Where will it live?
  • What’s its purpose?

In cases where we are engaging with a new client, or it’s a more substantial project, the process can be a little more complex.

Account Director Sarah explains: “If it’s a complicated topic, or a new client, the project will first go to a content lead to evaluate. If needed, we may also arrange a briefing call before booking in time with the writer. Then, all that’s left before writing an outline or a first draft is to send the client a quote for approval and confirm the timeframe for delivery.”

Does your content need an outline?

So far, we’ve:

  • Received word of an exciting new brief
  • Identified the best writer for the job
  • (Probably) had a briefing call to clarify the story
  • Agreed on a quote and timeframe for delivery

Nice. Everything’s looking good.

Now it’s time for our writer to either whip up an outline or jump right into the first draft. With blogs, our writers will often have everything they need from the briefing (and maybe a little desk research) to begin the first draft.

With bigger writing projects – such as case studies or white papers – we tend to write an outline first. That way, changes in project direction or messaging can be easily identified and actioned ahead of any substantial copywriting – potentially saving time, money, and frustration.

Once you’re happy with the outline, the writing itself can begin.

*Intermission*

Delivering your copy

Upon completing the first draft, our writer will proofread your copy before passing it on to a content lead or appropriate peer to review. This is where our in-house quality control process begins (and, in the best-case scenario, ends).

If the reviewer spots anything that needs changing, the writer will be brought back in to make the necessary amends before notifying your account manager that your copy is ready to deliver.

Only when we’re completely happy do you get to read the first draft. If you or your stakeholders identify further changes, or the scope of the project changes, the account manager will reserve time with the original writer to revisit the content. We may also arrange a follow-up call to clarify what needs to happen next.

To ensure the piece is completed as efficiently as possible, we will always track our changes and, if required, explain the thought process behind any adjustments we’ve made – especially if the amends required a little compromise. In cases of scope change, this will likely require an additional call or written correspondence with the writer to set expectations.

Managing client-writer expectations

When it comes to the amends process, we recognise that we’re delivering a product and, as they say in retail, “the customer is always right”. While that’s true most of the time, we prefer to see our work as a collaboration in which both parties learn from each other (and in turn, get the best outcome possible: damned good copy).

We work really hard to make your copy as good as it can be. But if we’ve missed the mark, that’s on us; we’ll always swallow our pride and put things right. If we disagree with a change you’ve suggested, we may try to compromise with a different approach (and explain it in the comments). But as fellow writer Nick said in his write-up on lessons learned at the Copywriting Conference:

“If the feedback is along the lines of, ‘I envisioned something different’ then this should ring alarm bells for future projects, to make sure expectations on both sides are clearly set out from the start.”

Communication matters, so never hesitate to flag any concerns or queries with us regardless of progress through a given project. The most important thing is that you get the right content to achieve the results you want.

Working with Radix

Of course, this is just one example of how a project can go. To discuss our process in greater detail, or see if we’re the right copywriting agency for you, please contact us here or give us a call on +44(0)1326 373592.