B2B Copywriting

The absolute essentials

• What is the difference between writing for B2B as opposed to B2C
• What constitutes effective B2B copy - and how to recognise it when you see it
• What is engagement - and how to achieve it
• When is the best time to write to a B2B prospect

The thinking before the writing

• How to get to know and segment your target audience
• How to sell the same product/service to different people in the B2B decision making unit
• The two questions you must ask to ensure that what you are saying will interest your busy prospect
• The secret of successful storytelling and how to use it in B2B content and copy

How to write yourself a Brief

• Why B2B writers need a documented strategy
• The three initial questions that will save you hours of wasted effort
• Taking you step-by-step through the Brief
• A technique for nailing the all-important Proposition
• Do emotional appeals work in B2B as well as they do in B2C?
• What you can learn from Steve Jobs about being single-minded
• Why the Brief is your essential tool for selling your work

Writing your headline and subject line

• Why you always need a headline and why it’s particularly important to a B2B audience
• The three elements that you must build in to your headline and subject line in order to grab your reader’s attention
• Relevant Abruption - and how it can make your headlines and subject lines even more compelling
• When you’re up against it: How to write a headline in one minute
• How to get your message past the gatekeeper so it’s seen by C-Level clients
• How to get journalists and influencers to notice your message and cover your story

Body Copy - What are the general principles?

• Understanding how your busy business audience reads and a technique for getting them to stick with you to the end
• Why text only emails can work so much better than visual led emails
• How to get your message in the right order
• How to write your copy in the appropriate tone of voice
• Does a conversational style work in B2B as well as it works in B2C?
• How to work out the correct length of your copy
• How to overcome writer’s block

Writing your body copy

• How to make your body copy track from your headline
• How to win your reader’s trust with empathy
• How to convince them with facts
• How to overcome their lingering doubts
• How to get them to do what you want them to do: … offers … incentives … calls to action

Improving your first draft

• Identifying the words you should you be using
• Pointing out the words and phrases you must avoid
• Jargon - is it OK to use it in B2B?
• The most important word of them all - and how to use it
• How to construct a sentence that your prospect wants to read
• How to use the special words that keep them reading
• How editing your copy by 25% can make it twice as good

How to lay out what you’ve written so it gets noticed, read and acted upon

• What is the difference between a digital layout and an offline layout?
• What are the four key elements in an effective layout?
• What is the one common layout mistake that you must always avoid?
• What kind of typeface should you be using?
• Is a serif face better than a sans serif face?
• When should you use capitals, bold, italics and bullet points?
• How long should a line of copy be?
• Other tricks you can use to keep your reader reading