How to nail B2B content writing - the definitive guide backed by psychology

How to nail B2B content writing - the definitive guide backed by psychology

Among other subtle methods, language is the primary mode of communication between us humans. When it comes to communicating between businesses, the use of language changes to a direct and relatively formal tone.

However, that does not mean a business should lack light, engaging and light-hearted text to brighten up the reader's day! It is, therefore, essential that an organisation adopts a solid marketing strategy designed specifically for the businesses it intends to work with. The key point being, writing for B2B (Business-to-Business) is very different from writing B2C (Business-to-Consumer) content.

This guide is designed to highlight key differences and guide you in creating content that engages your audience and drives action.

Quick reference guide:

1. What is B2B content writing?
2. The psychology behind consumer thinking and the best way to write content
3. Drafting content for a business audience
4. Set your company's brand voice and tone
5. Identify the types of content you need
6. What are some examples of B2B content?

What is B2B content writing?

The key question to ask here is, who is the customer? If it is an individual, whether they are in the local area or the other side of the world, your content will be B2C.

That means your marketing strategy has to come from a business-to-consumer (B2C) standpoint. If your customer is another business or other organisation, your marketing literature needs to speak to a professional and business audience, B2B. For example, an accountant’s customer is almost always going to be other businesses.

Accordingly, your content needs to reach out to the individuals acting on behalf of those organisations. The key difference here is that in a business setting, the intention is not driven by emotion. Instead, there is great emphasis on productivity, efficiency, return on investment (ROI) and expertise for a deal to take place. Therefore, your content must meet those business goals while remaining compelling and engaging.

The psychology behind consumer thinking and the best way to write content

As already mentioned briefly, individuals are driven by emotions whereas businesses are driven by quantifiable targets. Your writing has to understand this fundamental difference to produce great content for both sets of buyers.

 It is worth noting that the same person could perform the function of a business as well as an individual especially when they are not at work. So, a procurement manager browsing through scented candles for their home makes an emotional decision rather than an objective one.

Individual consumers are often after a good bargain and can be influenced by entertainment. This is something to be aware of,  as businesses might be put off if the marketing material overdoes the ‘fun’ aspect.

On the other hand, a major driving factor for a business is to be educated. This not to say that individuals do not like education, but they do not want to make a purchase decision based on the education they just had from your marketing content.

In the case of a business, the marking material has to inform, educate and give value. This is where the content writer has to nail the marketing strategy, as the writer’s text can speak to the core problem the business is seeking to overcome.

Drafting content for a business audience

In a business setting, there is likely to be more than one person reading your marketing material before a final decision on the purchase is made.

However, if the target audience is an individual, the decision is most likely to be taken by just one person. Therefore, when writing B2B content, always keep in mind that your information is likely to be read by others in the organisation. More eyes equal more scrutiny!

There is a clear purpose behind a business's purchase decision. That purpose is determined by whether there is a lasting solution for the problem at hand, whether the solution drives more sales and whether the solution builds on a lasting relationship with the company.

The B2B content must subtly address these points without sounding overly promotional. The key to success b2b marketers is to create content that reassures the business that you have the right solution, whilst keeping the reader engaged.

Set your company's brand voice and tone

Setting a brand voice and tone that is instantly identifiable with your organisation goes a long way when building B2B relationships. Other businesses like to see a unique and consistent voice throughout the marketing material you may use.

But what is a brand voice and how do you get it right?

Brand voice is where you add colour and character to the entire operation. It can be done by way of adjectives to describe your main qualities as a business. Ask the question whether your brand is warm, serious, funny or edgy. It is worth noting that the brand voice has to be consistent throughout all the marketing material.

The tone is somewhat different, as it can vary depending on the buyer persona. Essentially, this is how your brand personality comes across in a piece of content. The tone can be adjusted to the buyer persona you are targeting so it is more flexible when compared with the brand voice.

Offering a special promotion, writing an instruction guide, or writing for a customer survey all require a unique tone to address that particular situation. However, your voice remains consistent while you adjust the tone according to the customer scenario you are faced with.

Identify the types of content you need

Depending on the product or service you offer, your content requirements may differ from your competitors. Besides, it is not a good idea to replicate the strategies used by your competitors without applying them to your brand voice.

Everything you write and say, even the platforms you use, can affect the brand personality. So, it is important to know where to publish your A+ content.

A direct way to connect with your buyer persona is through a blog post. This is one of the best ways to demonstrate your brand’s attributes. The buyer has already made a connection by seeing your logo, design, colours and branding so the content only needs to add the cherry on top.

Generally, a blog post should solve key questions the customers may have. In short, the content has to add value to and provide a solution so that the reader feels that your brand is a good place for a B2B relationship in the future, even if they do not want to work with you at the moment.

If you have numerous products, publishing press releases can also be effective in capturing the attention of your target audience. Almost everyone in business follows some sort of news feed related to their industry. So, it is ideal to launch new products and market them in press releases. These can be published on social media, local news outlets and community groups.

Another useful type of content you can use in B2B marketing is white papers and eBooks. These are relatively long-form and is intended to educate and inform the reader. Usually, it is a good idea to give these guides as a free token in exchange for their email address so that you can amplify your marketing efforts later on once the business client has gone through your free resource.

Genuine case studies are effective in boosting confidence and adding a human touch to the marketing strategy. Real-life examples go a long way as we humans like to read other success stories of people who have faced a similar problem to theirs on a previous occasion. Therefore, drafting real-life case studies with clear solutions can boost your reach to other businesses.

What are some examples of B2B content?

MYOB

This is a SaaS (Software as a Service) system designed to help businesses in Australia and New Zealand manage their finances effectively. Their primary focus is to educate and help solve accounting and bookkeeping problems businesses have. The solution is sometimes interconnected with the SaaS solution they offer, but it is not necessarily always the case.

The company targets two main buyer personas. The first is a small business with fresh beginnings or a limited budget, while the second is a large company that is thirsty to expand. In both scenarios, MYOB provides solutions to the key questions both these buyers have in their Tax Time information centre.

HubSpot

Cited as a great authority in content marketing, HubSpot’s B2B strategy revolves around helping businesses to reach new audiences in the digital marketing world. Their content is rich and authoritative with detailed guidance on social media management tools, lead generation, and other marketing tools to businesses and organisations.

Just like MYOB, the content they offer as guidance is primarily linked with the solution they offer. In essence, all these free guides are intended to add real value to the reader – even if they do not choose HubSpot as their marketing solution. There are multiple platforms utilised by this marketing software company and some of them include

• eBooks
• White papers
• Templates
• Videos
• Blog articles
• Checklists

Wistia

This is one prime example of a business that maintains the human touch at its core in its marketing. As a video hosting platform, the Wistia team communicates directly with every business customer in an incredibly innovative way. The brand personality revolves around dogs and they maintain that tone effortlessly on their Instagram page.

Having a fun element allows them to seamlessly promote their business solution, which is to host visual content for other businesses.

The last word!

At Kangaroo UK, we are a team of marketers and content writers with a mission to help businesses like yours reach their full potential. We hope you were able to understand the logic and psychology behind personal thinking and how those patterns affect the purchase decision. If you would like to discuss more B2B content writing, speak to one of our SEO Content Marketing experts today!