In this article I’m using the term Marketing generally, however I’m going to focus, for the most part on copywriting for the B2B (Business to Business) market.
With the intense activity around Social Media and Social Media Marketing one thing is has become clear.
Much of it is directed at B2C or Business to Consumer market with the expectation that what works for B2C will work for B2B. or perhaps there’s no expectation because it hasn’t really been considered that much.
As a B2B Copywriter, I am always looking for the B2B application. It’s not too easy to spot. And increasingly I’m seeing comments on blogs from B2B marketers asking – particularly in relation to Social Media – “how would it work for B2B?”
or
“We’re a B2B company. Should we have a blog?”
“Does Facebook work for B2B companies?” and…
“How on earth does a B2B company have conversations?”
Excellent questions. They indicate a gap in the market. By the way, I get an increasing number of questions about Social Media and its application to B2B. I will be exploring some of my thoughts on Social Media Marketing for B2B companies (including some of the questions above) in future posts; for now I’m going to explore the copywriting angle and see what jumping-off points appear as we go along.
The beauty of blogging is that we can all share my thoughts. I hope you’ll explore with me – and feel free to add your thoughts.
Back to B2B Copywriting. Business to business companies sell primarily to other businesses. Their products may touch you but they do so indirectly. So, does that mean you should focus more on the product? Judging from the amount of marketing material that does just this, you might think the answer’s yes. You would be wrong.
In fact, the most important person in B2B is the prospect. Understanding the prospect’s needs, beliefs, interests, goals, fears and desires is paramount. It seems obvious when we’re talking B2C (because it’s easy for us to think of ourselves as consumers – which we are).
In B2B copywriting and marketing it’s paramount to understand the prospect. Yet so much B2B copy focuses almost exclusively on the product followed by the company making the product.
Product vs Prospect?
When I’m starting a new assignment with a client, I will always get a huge amount of material on the product. Ranging from presentations, technical specs, brochures, adverts, you name it, I’ll get it. And that’s all well and good. I get much less information on the prospect. I usually have to dig deep with my questions, and even then what I do get will be… shall we say… rather scant. It’s crucial I understand the prospect thoroughly however so I will research relentlessly. When I have a clear picture of the prospect – their problems, goals, issues, roles etc – it becomes easy to focus on how the product meets their needs. The result? Copy that seems to vibrate with meaningful benefits for the prospect.
As a copywriter I do have an advantage over many though. I’ve been a business buyer myself. I’ve purchased software, software development and enterprise systems, computers, sales training programs, Customer Relationship Management, print services, web, and consulting services… to name just a few.
It’s an advantage because it helps me to understand the mind of the business buyer, which is different from the mind of the consumer. It has a split personality. So, as a service provider or a marketer, how do you speak to the mind of the business buyer?
Stay tuned.
More later.
on 
