The best B2B marketing copy blends confident wording and an engaging tone with absolute subject matter mastery. But while there are plenty of courses out there to teach you the craft of writing, how do you get your knowledge of B2B technology to a point where it’s ready for public consumption?
Short answer: you don’t. At least, not directly.
That’s because very little B2B marketing content dives deep into technical specifics – and where it does, there’s usually a subject matter expert you can talk to. But all the best content tells a compelling story.
Telling the story behind the product is easier if you have a broad array of experience to draw on. Readers love writing that has emotional depth, but only if it’s genuine – your audience will be turned off if the copy seems insincere.
In short, your words will resonate if you can bring authenticity. But how do you deliver this without learning the ins and outs of every B2B technology solution?
A tech background helps – but empathy helps more
As Verity’s earlier blog describes, a broad knowledge of emerging technologies (and the right terminology to use) is useful during client briefings. But, when it comes to writing copy, it’s equally as important to have empathy with the audience and understand their day-to-day challenges.
For example, if you have experience working in healthcare, your blog on how new technology can ease the burden on busy doctors will ring true. But it will also feel like it comes from the heart if you have seen those pressures first-hand as a patient, relative, or carer.
There are so many ways your background can affect your writing that it’s almost impossible to cover everything. But here are three broad areas that can have a significant impact:
Personal challenges foster resilience and empathy
Writers need to be resilient. How you’ve learned to deal with personal setbacks will shape how you respond when you are on the fifth draft of an article, and the client still wants to make changes.
Use your life experience to see your work subjectively – what you think is good writing might not be what the client wants. And, if you’re lucky enough to get to write on a subject you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, make the most of it.
Work experience lends context; research fills in the detail
Unless you’ve changed jobs a lot, you’ll probably only have experience working in one sector. So, being able to research a subject and get up to speed quickly is a key skill you will need. Knowing when to do research is key – if the client’s brief doesn’t have great stats, you might have to track down some better ones. Accurate, specific detail is essential for authority.
But thankfully, some things are the same across all modern workplaces. Your experience working with clients and customers, sticking to budgets, coping under deadline pressure, and multitasking will all help you as a copywriter and – crucially – give you a good sense of the pressures your reader is probably facing.
Build your mental database of people and places
Travel takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to adjust to different environments quickly. And this can help you in your writing.
Being part chameleon and able to vary your tone of voice will help massively when you have to switch between writing blog posts, emails, press releases, white papers, and video scripts. The places you’ve visited – and the people you’ve met – will make it easier to visualise your reader, and speak to them in an engaging, resonant way.
Writers are a work in progress that’s never finished
As writers, everything we do adds to our bank of experience to draw on in our writing. But don’t just let things happen. Seek new experiences, challenges, and adventures, and talk to people from all walks of life – you never know when it will come in handy.
Keep studying the craft of writing, too. Actively read and listen to learn how stories are told, whether in books, podcasts, or documentaries. Above all, picture yourself writing to one person, and try and find a way of connecting with them.
(Our regular copywriting advice emails are a great place to start.)
