Copywriting Archives - Crowd Content - Blog https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/category/content-marketing/copywriting/ Content Creation Advice You Can Actually Use Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:25:52 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 How to Write a User Manual Your Users Will Love https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/how-to-write-a-user-manual-your-users-will-love/ Tue, 04 Jun 2024 21:12:30 +0000 https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/?p=38236 User manuals play a crucial role in ensuring the success of any product or service. They serve as a bridge between the creators and the users. Without an instruction manual or a guide, a user may not know how to navigate and unlock the full potential of a system, product, or service. The user manual […]

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User manuals play a crucial role in ensuring the success of any product or service. They serve as a bridge between the creators and the users. Without an instruction manual or a guide, a user may not know how to navigate and unlock the full potential of a system, product, or service. The user manual serves as a roadmap of the product, explaining everything the creators put into it, offering operational guidelines, troubleshooting strategies, and other valuable information. 

An effective user manual should not only be informative enough to reduce the need for additional support, but it should also be engaging so the readers have a positive experience while using it. Providing a well-designed user manual gives your customers confidence that they can use the product or service to its full potential with minimal frustration. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the essential strategies and best practices for crafting user manuals that will be an invaluable asset to your audience. 

What Does a Good User Manual Look Like?

A high-quality user manual is crucial not only for facilitating the correct use of a product but also for enhancing user satisfaction and trust in a brand. Understanding the elements that contribute to a successful manual is essential for crafting documents that truly meet the needs of end-users.

Key Features of an Effective Manual

An exceptional user manual is characterized by clarity, accessibility, and user-centric design. It should be comprehensive, yet concise, providing all the necessary information without overwhelming the reader. The language used must be accessible to a diverse audience, potentially including non-technical users. Effective manuals are often visually appealing as well, incorporating well-designed graphics that complement the text and improve understanding.

Understanding Your Audience: The Key to Effective User Manuals

The foundation of a successful user manual is a deep understanding of your target audience. Knowing not only who will need your manual but also who will use it is essential. Before even starting to create your user manual, identify the specific needs, challenges, and preferences of the individuals who will be using your product or service. Know your audience and create some customer personas for them. By gaining insights into their level of technical expertise, common pain points, and how they will use the manual, you can tailor the content to meet their unique requirements.

Identifying User Needs and Preferences

Conduct surveys, interviews, testing sessions, or focus groups to understand how your audience’s backgrounds, goals, and preferences affect how they interact with your product. These methods allow you to gather feedback directly from your audience. By gathering information from people who are actually using your product or service, you can identify areas that require more clarity or additional explanation. Incorporating this feedback into the user manual ensures that it addresses the most pressing concerns or questions your users are likely to have.

Incorporating User Feedback into Your Manual Design

The insights gathered from user feedback will shape the structure, language, and visuals of your manual. This valuable input provides a direct line into the minds of your target audience, allowing you to understand their perspectives, pain points, and needs.

If you have an existing user manual you are updating, user feedback can reveal areas where the current structure or flow of information is disjointed or confusing. User feedback can help you reorganize sections, adjust the order of topics, or add clearer transitions between concepts. User feedback can also let you know if certain explanations are too technical or if the tone is overly formal. Adapting the language can improve the manual’s readability..

Feedback on visuals, either where they’ll be needed or where they are missing in existing content, can be invaluable. Well-designed images, diagrams, and infographics provide a visual representation that complements and reinforces the written explanations, making it easier for users to understand and follow the information. 

Structuring Your Manual for Success

A well-structured user manual ensures a comfortable experience for your readers. A logical flow, clear headings, and an intuitive layout significantly enhances the manual’s usability. Begin by outlining the key sections and topics that need to be covered. Then, outline topics following a natural progression from basic information to more advanced concepts. Figure out what topics would benefit from images, diagrams, or illustrations. Create clear and descriptive headings to help users quickly locate the information they need. Consider incorporating a detailed table of contents and or an index to help users easily navigate to their topic of interest. 

Other things to think about are accessibility and cross-cultural communication. In today’s global marketplace, user manuals often need to be accessible to audiences with diverse cultural backgrounds and language proficiencies. Clear and intuitive images can be universally understandable, ensuring that instructions are understandable regardless of the user’s native tongue.

Follow accessibility standards to ensure the manual can be effectively used by individuals with diverse abilities and needs. This includes providing alternative formats such as large print and adequate visual contrast between backgrounds and text. 

Choosing the Right Format: Print vs. Digital

When it comes to format, both print and digital options have their strengths. Print manuals offer a tactile experience and can be easily referenced during hands-on tasks. Digital manuals provide the convenience of searchability and the ability to incorporate multimedia elements. In today’s world where digital options can be downloaded and printed out, it may not have to be an either-or decision. Printed manuals can have a QR code to enable users to access a digital version they can store on their computer. This can alleviate any concern over losing the printed document. And digital downloads can be made available for those who wish to print out a copy or store the digital version on their personal devices. 

Evaluate the pros and cons of print and digital formats to determine the most suitable option for your audience and product.  

Enhancing Manuals with Interactive Elements

As technology continues to evolve, using digital user manuals offers the opportunity to add interactive experiences. Explore innovative techniques, such as interactive digital manuals or augmented reality features, to create a more engaging and memorable experience for your users.

Interactive elements can also enhance accessibility. Using audio descriptions allows users to engage with the information in ways other than reading. Embedded video clips can help explain difficult concepts in a way that is potentially superior to a static illustration or diagram. Both audio descriptions and video clips can be invaluable for users with visual impairments. 

Additionally, following web accessibility guidelines like proper heading structures, descriptive alt text for images, and keyboard navigation support can make digital manuals more accessible to users with motor or cognitive disabilities. 

User Manual Outline Template

The product or service you offer will affect how long your manual outline will be. However, it is important to remember that the best manuals are comprehensive and in-depth. To help guide your manual creation process, consider the following outline as a starting point. .

  • Introduction
  • Product overview and description 
  • List of components or items included
  • Intended audience 
  • How to use this manual 
  • Safety information and warnings
  • Product Overview
  • Product specifications
  • Key features and functionality
  • Performance data
  • Diagrams of main features
  • Distinguishing between different makes or models
  • Overview of different configurations
  • Getting Started
  • Operations
  • Safety
  • Basic use
  • Advanced Features
  • Maintenance and Care
  • Troubleshooting
  • Support and Additional Resources
  • Appendices
  • FAQs
  • Technical specifications
  • Glossary of terms
  • Regulatory and compliance information
  • Repair information

While this template provides a solid foundation, crafting a truly comprehensive and user-friendly manual often requires a lot of time and expertise. Professional technical writing services can help streamline the process, ensuring that your manual is thoroughly researched, well-structured, and tailored to your audience’s needs.

Writing Clear and Engaging Content

The language and writing style employed in your user manual can make or break its effectiveness. Clarity, conciseness, and the ability to engage and instruct simultaneously are paramount. After all, the purpose of a user manual is to explain a concept in a way that anyone reading the manual can understand. Strive for simplicity by using plain language and avoiding technical jargon or long sentences. Break down complex concepts into small, digestible chunks. 

The Art of Technical Writing: Tips for Clarity and Precision

Here are some writing tips for ensuring clarity and precision when creating user manuals or other technical documentation.

Active vs. passive voice

Use an active voice to create a more direct and engaging tone. Active voice is usually clearer and more direct and usually makes sentences more concise and straightforward. Active voice phrases like “Press the button” or “Insert the cable” clearly convey the action the user needs to take. Passive voice can make sentences longer and more convoluted. Consider this example: 

Active: Insert the cable. 

Passive: The cable should be inserted.

Active voice is generally more user-friendly when it is explaining action.

Be concise

Don’t use more words than necessary. Stick to brief, straightforward sentences.

Break up complex information

Break multi-step processes or complex concepts into small and easy-to-digest chunks. 

Be consistent 

Once you introduce a term, such as the name of a button or menu option, use that same term consistently throughout your document. If you are using icons, be consistent in how and what is represented with the icons.

Use numbered/bulleted lists

Lists with numbers and bullets are scannable. Clear numbering or bullet points makes sequences of steps much easier to follow. 

Be descriptive

Use specific, descriptive details, quantities, names, etc. Vague language like “place it in the box” can be confusing. Instead, say what “it” is. For instance, “place the filled and sealed envelope in the box.”

Define terms

If you are using any specialized terminology, provide clear definitions when the terms are used.

Incorporate Visuals and Design Elements

Visual elements play a crucial role in enhancing the comprehension and usability of user manuals. Effective use of images, diagrams, icons, and other visual aids can help users better understand and follow instructions.

Designing with the User in Mind: Visuals That Teach

When selecting visuals, ensure that images and diagrams are legible and readable even in smaller print sizes. Ensure they accurately depict the subject matter. They should also be properly labeled or captioned so they match how the illustrations are referenced within the text. Choose typography with a high level of readability and stick to just one font for visual continuity. 

Leveraging Technology for Next-Level Visual Instructions 

Digital manuals offer the flexibility to incorporate interactive elements that enhance usability and engagement. Features such as clickable navigation menus or pop-up definitions can provide users with on-demand access to additional information or visual aids. Consider adding features such as guided walkthroughs that take users through an experience in an immersive way, allowing for practice or hands-on experience.

Augmented reality technology opens up exciting possibilities for user manuals. By overlaying digital information onto the real-world environment, AR can provide users with context-specific instructions or visual cues directly related to the product or task at hand. For example, an AR-enabled manual can allow users to point their device’s camera at a specific component, triggering the display of step-by-step instructions, animations, or diagrams. 

Testing and Refining Your Manual

Even after meticulous planning and execution, user testing and iterative refinement are crucial steps in ensuring the effectiveness of your manual. Gathering feedback from actual users can help identify areas that require further clarification, highlight missed opportunities, and ultimately lead to a more user-friendly and comprehensive manual.

Gathering and Implementing User Feedback

Consider conducting pilot tests or user acceptance testing sessions. These sessions are opportunities for individuals from your target audience to actually interact with the manual and provide honest feedback. Closely observe how they move through the manual and note any areas of confusion or frustration. Do they flip back and forth between pages to find information? Are they able to successfully complete the task just by reading the manual? Their feedback will give you valuable information about any areas ripe for improvement.

Iterative Design: Refining Your Manual for Perfection

Embrace the idea that your manual will likely not be something that is written once and then done for all time. Instead, take an iterative approach to manual design and recognize that it will need continuous refinement. Aside from product updates or new versions, updating a user manual may also be necessary to stay in compliance with new regulations or standards or to incorporate new technologies or formats.  

Elevating User Experience with Effective Manuals

Creating a user manual that is truly useful for your audience is an important endeavor that will be rewarding for your business. When you understand what your audience needs, you can structure the user manual in a way that provides a valuable resource for them and reduces the need for more customer service interactions down the road. Craft your user manual so that the instructions make sense, the flow is logical, and anyone can pick it up and understand how to get the most out of your product. 

If you find the process of creating a detailed user manual from scratch overwhelming or lack the time and resources to dedicate to it, consider leveraging professional technical writing services. Our team of experienced writers and editors can work with you to understand your product and audience, conduct research, and craft a user manual that not only informs but also engages your users. We also offer manual editing and refreshing services, allowing you to provide an initial draft that we can refine and polish.

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How to Hire and Work With a SaaS Copywriter https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/how-to-hire-and-work-with-a-saas-copywriter/ Sun, 28 Apr 2024 04:35:00 +0000 https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/?p=37957 B2B SaaS copywriters are the Swiss Army knives of the software used in a service industry. They go beyond typing words on a screen to help shape the narrative and increase the efficacy of entire campaigns. Regarding  market share and competitive edge, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel once said, “Customers won’t care about any particular technology […]

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B2B SaaS copywriters are the Swiss Army knives of the software used in a service industry. They go beyond typing words on a screen to help shape the narrative and increase the efficacy of entire campaigns.

Regarding  market share and competitive edge, PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel once said, “Customers won’t care about any particular technology unless it solves a particular problem in a superior way.” It’s a SaaS copywriter’s responsibility to explain to readers the solution that’s available and why that solution is paramount in every way that matters.

As business trends continue to grow, so will the weighty roles of SaaS copywriters. Here’s what you need to know about this writing subspeciality, including how you can hire a SaaS copywriter or succeed in the niche as a freelancer yourself.

SaaS Copywriter vs. B2B SaaS Copywriter

SaaS copywriting takes a broader approach to content creation, reaching out to individual users and corporations. A single piece of content will have multiple applications — using universal language and focusing on how the software at hand can solve common pain points that exist across user segments.

A B2B SaaS copywriter jettisons more general terminology and messaging in favor of a narrowed scope. Pieces created with B2B in mind tend to speak to a specific audience or even a well-developed buyer persona. The writer has an intimate understanding of the client’s business challenge and can speak on a detailed level regarding how a particular SaaS solution addresses that specific problem.

Value propositions in general and SaaS copywriting

A general SaaS copywriter appeals to the masses, emphasizing how a product can help the typical user. It’s common to highlight core benefits, such as ease of use, affordability, and how well it integrates with popular apps and software.

For B2B copywriting, the value proposition is more metric-based. Business owners want to know how the SaaS solution will influence outcomes, such as ROI and customer conversion rates, as well as internal processes, such as cross-departmental collaboration and productivity.

Language and tone

General SaaS copywriting tends to be more conversational, making it easier for the average person to understand tech concepts and software specs. B2B SaaS copywriters speak to a more analytical audience — start-up founders and marketing managers are often more receptive to a professional pitch that’s less casual.

Understanding the Need for a SaaS Copywriter

SaaS products are often technically complex, with a laundry list of features that must be conveyed accurately without overwhelming readers. Software may be updated frequently, and  the tech sector is always changing. Thus a strong SaaS copywriter must be agile and dedicate non-writing time to staying current and getting to know recent innovations.

Businesses must consider the following when looking for a talented SaaS copywriter:

  • Differentiation: It’s not enough for a copywriter to rattle off a feature list. Conveying how features stack up in a saturated market is vital, and this requires a writer who’s adept at researching competitors, thinking critically, and building messaging that makes the client stand out.
  • Onboarding: New writers need to be educated on the client’s standards and product portfolio. Doing this over and over is a major drain on resources.
  • Strategic value: SaaS copywriters tend to charge more than general ghostwriters because they do more. They’re writers, but they’re also experts in conversion optimization, user experience, branding, sales techniques, and the overall intricacies of the software industry.

Identifying Your Copywriting Needs

Before you can connect with and onboard your own SaaS copywriter, you must figure out what you need from a freelancer to meet your internal goals. Consider the following questions:

  • What’s your objective? Are you looking to acquire new users, boost your SERPs, introduce consumers to a new product, or something else entirely?
  • Who’s your audience? Do you need a copywriter who can speak in general terms or one who knows how to dig deep into the pain points, motivations, and preferences of a select audience and shape messaging accordingly?
  • What’s your USP? Your unique selling proposition sets you apart from the competition. The more specialized and nuanced your USP is, the more savvy your copywriter should be.
  • What assets do you have, and what do you need to create? Businesses that are just beginning to construct a content marketing strategy probably need everything from basic website content to blog posts. More developed companies might be ready for assets that require a deeper mastery of the topics at hand — think highly persuasive content, high-converting landing pages, and in-depth user manuals.

Finding the Right SaaS Copywriter

Finding a skilled SaaS copywriter can be difficult — and finding one who suits your business’ needs can be even more challenging. In most cases, you have three options: Partner with a content marketing agency, hire an in-house writer, or contract a freelance writer directly.

Contracting directly with a freelance writer gives you a ton of freedom and skips over some of the drawbacks of onboarding a full-time hire, such as paying for benefits and providing physical office space. But an in-house writer is in a prime position to know your product, audience, and quirks inside and out.

For many companies, content agencies and content marketing platforms offer the best of both worlds. You can go fishing in an existing talent pool, using project and content briefs to educate writers and editors on your product and campaign. You can even create your own satellite team that doesn’t work directly under your corporate umbrella but is committed to creating content for you long-term.

Vetting freelance SaaS copywriters

Vet every candidate you want to seriously consider for your project. You’re looking for overall talent, industry-relevant experience, and other characteristics (e.g., a sense of humor, reliability, and a proven track record with high-converting campaigns) that align with your goals and branding.

The vetting process will be your sole responsibility unless you partner with an agency or content marketing platform. That means you’ll be interviewing prospects, checking references, looking at portfolios, assigning sample tasks, reviewing submissions, and sending out offers. That takes a lot of time, but vetting is important — this is how you avoid paying for subpar content or accidentally hiring a writer that isn’t right for B2B or SaaS content.

The Hiring Process

Once you’ve found a writer that checks all your boxes, it’s time to bring them on board. How this process unfolds depends on whether you’re contracting a freelance SaaS copywriter or partnering with an agency that already has writers on staff.

Freelancer hiring process

With each new professional relationship you have with a freelance copywriter, you’re starting from scratch. There’s a fair amount of negotiation to be done, and you’ll be discussing the following terms and conditions of your agreement.

  • Project details: Now’s the time to lay out exactly what’s expected from the project. This includes the assets to be created, deadlines for each milestone, communication methods, and revision instructions.
  • Payment: Freelance writers can charge whatever they want. That can include a flat fee, hourly rate, or a monthly retainer fee. You’ll need to decide when payment will take place and how it will be made (direct deposit vs. company check, for example).
  • General guidelines: All clients should give their new SaaS copywriters the information they need to represent the company properly. Branding information, style guides, approved content samples, customer testimonials, case studies, and product specs are just a few of the items writers can use to get up to speed and shape custom content.
  • Contracts: Sign a contract that covers availability, pricing, when content ownership transfers from the writer to the client, nondisclosure clauses, and anything else needed to protect all parties.

Agency collaboration dynamics

Collaborating with a content marketing agency or platform provides a less-personalized experience compared to working with an individual writer, but what you lose in direct access you more than make up for in scalability and streamlined operations.

Overall, you’ll follow most of the same steps listed above, but the contract involves an agency — working with the writer and you as the client. Pricing is typically standardized, according to content type, writer specialty, and/or quality level, and you’ll likely need only one contract for the length of your relationship, with addendums as needed for short-term campaigns or certain sub-clients.

The biggest difference you’ll encounter working with an agency versus working directly with a writer is a huge reduction in the effort required to scale your content program — and this applies to talent as well as clients. Crowd Content uses existing project briefs and onboarding materials to expand our clients’ writing teams in just hours. Everyone on our team is already vetted, and general agreements are already in place. Our clients can also tap into additional services such as SEO research and graphic design without starting from square one.

Content Creation Process for SaaS Content

A strong and effective content creation process is tailored to each client and project, yet it’s as templated as possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to use the same process for every project, but the more standardized each element is, the easier it will be to go from concept to finished content over time.  

Crafting an effective brief for SaaS projects

Project-specific briefs are the lifeblood of quality content. Without this key document, writers are left adrift, trying to understand what the client really wants. Sometimes, the output is on target, but often, this approach leads to time-consuming revisions and shared frustration.

Content briefs replace ambiguity with step-by-step or section-by-section instructions. Your brief may include:

  • A description of the project
  • Project objectives
  • Target audience
  • Style preferences
  • Milestones and deadlines
  • SEO guidelines, such as primary keywords and linking opportunities
  • A full outline or suggested H2 and H3 headers
  • Requests for associated metadata
  • Key resources
Template for a content brief with sections for deadline, title, content type, overview, and word count.

Starting actual content creation

Once the writer has a brief on hand, it’s time to kick off content creation.

  • Brainstorming and research: Leverage keyword research and review SERPs to see what’s ranking and why. Use that information to begin shaping content that addresses user intent, shared pain points, existing content gaps, and potential client-related solutions.
  • Drafting: Create content that includes a compelling introduction, engaging copy, and concepts that make key points as clear and impactful as possible. Note where visual elements such as images and infographics might go and use the client’s value proposition as your lodestone.
  • Incorporating SEO: Include all required keywords, optimize metadata, and add backlinks to authoritative, high-value sites.
  • Revising SaaS-specific content: Work should be proofed for structure and flow, as well as tone/language and SEO optimization. A/B testing can show how new content is being perceived, allowing content teams to make adjustments based on user behavior and other performance metrics.

Cost of Hiring a B2B SaaS Copywriter

The cost of hiring a B2B SaaS copywriter hinges on several factors, including the writer’s level of experience, the scope of the project, the complexity of the content, and even payment structure.

  • Hourly rates: Copywriters might charge anywhere from $50 to $200-plus per hour, but don’t get too stuck on the numbers — a writer who’s new to SaaS may charge less but take far longer to create content that’s up to par, leaving you with an unexpectedly large bill compared to an experienced writer who may charge more but can finish a blog in a couple of hours.
  • Word count rates: It’s common to pay by the word, but rates for specialty content, such as SaaS, are typically higher — think $.20/word at a bare minimum.
  • All-in-one rates: If you collaborate with a content marketing agency, you may be able to save money by bundling services. 

Collaborate With Crowd Content for Exceptional SaaS Content

There’s more than one way to hire a B2B SaaS copywriter, but only one option helps you reach your goals faster and with less challenges. Partnering with Crowd Content gives you access to a talented team of SaaS copywriters who are pre-vetted, experienced, and ready to get to work ASAP. Whether you work directly with writers via our Marketplace or use Managed Services to take advantage of our three-step quality control process, we can help you create publish-ready content that speaks to prospects in a language they’ll understand.

For more information on hiring SaaS copywriters, become an enterprise client today.

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6 Common Copywriting Mistakes That Hurt Content Marketing https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/6-common-copywriting-mistakes-that-hurt-content-marketing/ Tue, 12 Jul 2022 11:11:05 +0000 https://crowdcontent.com/blog/?p=34474 How Mistake-Free Copywriting Impacts Content Marketing and Which Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid Picture this. You’re writing a blog post, a social post or copy for a product page. You want it to perform well to scale website traffic and revenue, but how do you know your copy will hit the mark? Will people care or […]

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How Mistake-Free Copywriting Impacts Content Marketing and Which Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid

Picture this. You’re writing a blog post, a social post or copy for a product page.

You want it to perform well to scale website traffic and revenue, but how do you know your copy will hit the mark? Will people care or will they indifferently move on?

You might think online attention spans are short and getting shorter, making it difficult to seize people’s attention with content copywriting.

Some studies say human attention spans have decreased by almost a third during the internet era, exacerbating the job of content marketers.

But it turns out that shorter attention spans is a myth. Attention spans are too task-dependent and too influenced by circumstantial expectations to be a reliable metric.

Why then do audiences pay so little attention to your content marketing? Copywriting for conversions is difficult, but not because of shorter attention spans. Successful conversion copywriting is challenging because of information overload and more competition.

If readers bounce from your content, you probably rambled, your brand messaging didn’t captivate or you committed a common copywriting mistake.

For content marketers who need to drive traffic, woo potential leads and boost conversions, the pressure is on! But stagnant copywriting will impede your content marketing goals.

Thankfully, with the right eye, you can spot the mistakes that turn content with potential into a waste of copywriting resources and the reader’s time.

We’ll outline the importance of copywriting for content marketing and six common copywriting mistakes to avoid so your content wows audiences and drives conversions through the roof!

The Importance of Copywriting for Content Marketing

There are few strategies as impactful on conversions, engagement and loyalty as content marketing. Content marketing builds trust by providing value without asking for compensation.

Great content creates memorable experiences for potential leads. If your articles or posts educate and enthrall leads, they’ll trust you and become more likely to convert into a customer.

Hence why strong copywriting is vital for content marketing. Words sway people, and all content requires copy. To scale content marketing, you need to become a content copywriter.

What Is a Content Copywriter?

A content copywriter applies copywriting best practices to content marketing to reinforce brand messaging and make audiences care about what they’re reading.

Let’s break this down! Content marketing is the strategy of creating and distributing content like articles and posts to attract and engage leads. Copywriting is the art of crafting written content to knock your audience’s socks off so they take action.

But don’t you want your content marketing to knock people’s socks off too?

People crave connection to what you’re saying. Does your content merely answer queries and promote your brand, or does it go further and move your audience?

You need to make your content “people-first content” with mistake-free copywriting. Tell stories that potential leads can relate to and use language that enraptures them.

A content copywriter leverages brand messaging, emotional language and product copy in their content marketing to improve traffic and conversions. It’s that simple.

If longform content doesn’t command attention the same way a billboard advertisement does, the strength of the writing otherwise and the research you put into the content won’t matter.

Therefore, you can’t afford to overlook common copywriting mistakes in content marketing! Let’s review six copywriting mistakes to avoid to benefit your bottom line.

Common-Content-Copywriting-Mistakes-Content-Banner

6 Common Content Copywriting Mistakes to Avoid

As a content marketer—or, more precisely, a content copywriter!—you want to make your content copywriting shine!

Here are common copywriting mistakes to avoid:

  1. Messaging that doesn’t move your audience.
  2. Using the passive voice.
  3. Non-conversational writing that’s all about “me.”
  4. Too much fluff.
  5. Bad or no formatting.
  6. A failure to test your content.

1. Messaging That Doesn’t Move Your Audience

The biggest mistake brands make in content marketing is not employing clear messaging as part of a story to establish connections with people.

Storytelling is an important aspect for both B2C content marketing and B2B content creation; no matter your audience, all potential customers are people first who just want to feel connected.

Check out the below blog-post intro from the B2B-software company Gong.

Common-Content-Copywriting-Mistakes-Bad-Messaging
Storytelling-based messaging is not just essential for B2C brands but B2B ones too. When you give readers a reason to care with your content copywriting, that’s how they’ll keep reading.

Even though they sell complex technology to business professionals, they set up a narrative (with a pop-culture reference no less!) to hook their readers.

This tactic exemplifies what makes a great copywriter: great communication skills with people.

But to connect with your target audience—to influence and entice them towards your products or services—you need to understand them.

In short, your content should demonstrate that you’ve identified the following about your target audience:

  • Emotional pushes (i.e., what causes them problems)
  • Emotional pulls (i.e., what attracts them to a solution)
  • Present habits (i.e., what they are currently doing or not doing)
  • Solution anxieties (i.e., what might worry them if they break their habits)

Let’s go through an example.

Take a web-design agency that caters to local-service businesses, like landscaping companies.

  • Push: They work hard so they don’t have time to market their business more.
  • Pull: They want more leads to increase revenue.
  • Habit: They’re floundering with an outdated website.
  • Anxiety: They know how their website works and besides, what if their investment goes down the drain?

Here’s a potential intro for an article on “marketing tips for a landscaping website”:

So you want to dominate the neighborhood and become the top landscaper in town?

But you work so much running your business, you worry your website isn’t pulling its weight to make this a reality and you don’t have the capacity to do anything about it. Your website has gotten you this far, but now you’ve hit a cap so it’s time to take things to the next level.

To grow your landscaping business, your website needs to work as hard as you do to become a lead-generating machine. Let’s look at some surefire tips to make this a reality!

By framing the website as working hard like them, you appeal to their entrepreneurial pride (hard work) that explains the push (not enough time), while implying the consequences of keeping their habit (they’re floundering if their current website isn’t working as hard as it could).

Plus, a “hard-working website” both alludes to the pull (if it works hard, it will generate more leads like a “machine” so they can “dominate” and “grow”) and alleviates anxiety (if it works hard, you won’t have to update it as much and it will pay for itself).

You now have a story, leading the reader on a journey where they identify as the audience with messaging that intersects their desires & pain points and your products or services.

Content copywriting with strong messaging is key to content marketing success.

2. Using the Passive Voice

Good copywriting energizes, engages and stirs people into action. It should be direct and to the point. Most importantly, good copy is crystal clear and never confuses readers.

The quickest way to undermine good copywriting is to write in the passive voice.

In the passive voice, the verb acts on the subject. It makes a phrase sound more odd and disconnected than necessary and it stutters your copy.

Take this sentence, for example: Our product is loved by our customers because of its simplicity.

The active voice flips things around so the subject performs the verb’s action. It’s more lively, energetic and clear, and it turns a passive sentence from clunky to spunky.

Like this: Our customers love our product for its simplicity.

A fast way to identify the passive voice is to look for to be and its variants (am, are, been, being, is, was and were). These verbs lack confidence and detract from more engaging verbs.

Remember in the introduction the sentence, “Why then do readers pay so little attention to your content marketing?”

In the first draft of this post, that sentence read, “So why then do audiences seem to spend so little attention to your content marketing?”

“Seem to…” devalues the stronger verb “spend” (later replaced by “pay”) and makes you sound hesitant. It also inflates your word count!

Fixing the passive voice quickly improves content marketing.

3. Non-Conversational Writing That’s All About “Me”

Brands take varying approaches with the tone and voice of their content, ranging from a knowledgeable voice and an even tone to a more casual vibe.

But all good content copywriting has one thing in common: it’s conversational.

To nurture lifelong customers and make them raving fans of your business, your copy should have the same cadence that a message from a friend would.

Read your content out loud to test for conversationalism. If it flows more like a friendly conversation and less like reading a microwave’s instruction manual, you’re on the right track.

But be wary of advice like “write like you talk,” which itself is a common copywriting mistake.

Why? Because people talk based on unedited thoughts from their head. Copywriting expert Erica Schneider says to think of conversational writing as “relaxed writing.”

A relaxed tone comes naturally when you stop talking at your readers and start conversing with them.

Want an example? Check out this above-the-fold messaging from an agency’s website:

Common-Content-Copywriting-Mistakes-Non-Conversational-Example
If your copywriting is all about yourself, why should readers care? This common copywriting mistake of not conversing with your audience leaves a lot of conversions on the table.

“We are” this. “An expert team” of that. “Get to know us”!? Yuck.

The “Me, Me, Me” tactic is a great example of a copywriting mistake because it underscores the value of focusing on what you can do for leads.

Conversational content copywriting is all about the “you”; making it about “me” is lazy and ineffective.

For instance, here copywriting expert Grace Baldwin hits the nail on the head about the importance of writing to customers about them instead of at them about you.

Trying to sell leads on your greatness will get you nowhere. (Unless of course, you’re selling the world’s best cup of coffee!)

Common-Content-Copywriting-Mistakes-Speaking-About-Me

4. Too Much Fluff

Ever read a paragraph and thought, “Well that was a lot of words”? I’ll bet dollars to donuts you didn’t even remember what the paragraph was about.

Crafting conversational copy that connects with your readers is foundational to good writing. And nothing stops the flow of a conversation quicker than fluff in writing.

All too often, writers hope to dazzle readers by filling their prose with industry jargon and complex language, only to alienate their audience with fluff. 

Wait, let me try that again.

Filling your prose with industry jargon and complex language to dazzle readers will alienate them instead.

That’s better. Let’s move on….

If you find your writing is stuffed with superfluous words that belabor the point or ones that don’t make sense, you’re likely covering for your own lack of clarity.

Simply slow down and make sure you understand what you’re talking about. This usually happens in the editing process.

What are some tips to avoid this common copywriting mistake of fluffy writing?

  • Watch out for extra verbs.
  • Avoid explanations that are implied.
  • Eliminate filler terms.

Let’s look at some concrete examples of each.

Watch Out for Extra Verbs

You must make a connection with your readers to increase conversion rates.

Are you trying to write about consumer debt for a fintech company but don’t know where to start?

Many business owners aren’t aware of new LinkedIn features or how to best use them, leaving them struggling to expand their reach to new customers by not exploring their options.

“Must.” “Trying.” “Leaving.” “Expand.” What’s going on here?

Some ideas are complicated, we get it. But you can boil all sentences down to three elements: Subject > Verb > Object. There’s no need for more than one verb per clause if you can help it.

Adding extra verbs to a sentence is an example of a common copywriting mistake because it lacks confidence, increases word counts and indicates you probably need an editor. Here are ways to fix these problems:

Connect with your readers to increase conversion rates.

Are you writing about consumer debt for a fintech company but don’t know where to start?

Many business owners aren’t aware of new LinkedIn features or how to best use them. Instead, they struggle to reach new customers by not exploring their options.

Avoid Implied Explanations

Delineation is extremely valuable when referencing industry buzzwords, but rarely welcome in all other circumstances.

If you’re padding your points with additional context that tells the reader something already obvious or that they already know, your content copywriting will tire them out.

This seems simple, but writers overlook this copywriting mistake frequently, because it even creeps into microcopy on a sentence-by-sentence basis when writing first drafts.

Consider the following example:

Can you imagine a competitor not in your space? What does that even mean?

Eliminate Filler Terms

What are filler terms?

Filler terms are words or turns-of-phrase in sentences when trying to get thoughts on paper but which don’t add any value to readers.

They bloat your writing, hurt your content marketing goals and make your readers more likely to bounce from your articles or blog posts.

Remember the sentence a couple subsections ago, “All too often, writers hope to dazzle…”?

Yeah, “All too often” was lazy filler. That’s why I cut it and rearranged the syntax to later lead with “Filling your prose….” Much better, no?

Some examples of filler words include adverbs, “in order to” and “the fact of the matter.” Instead, leverage action verbs, mitigate adjectives and avoid clichés.

Are there exceptions to these rules? Absolutely!

It all comes down to context. For instance, I used the word “absolutely” even though adverbs are usually a red flag, but not to qualify an adjective or verb. And even then, strategically placed adverbs to modify other words can sometimes be effective if they grab attention.

Use your discretion and always put yourself in the reader’s shoes.

5. Bad or No Formatting

Potential customers want copy that engages, entertains and informs. They don’t want to slog through monotonously formatted paragraphs that hurt their eyes.

Format content to reflect the nature of the medium. Did you know that the average person spends 37 seconds reading a blog post? That’s insanely disheartening for content marketers! Don’t chase readers away with walls of text.

Here’s how to make content scannable, easy to digest and pleasant to read:

  • Break up topics with headings and subheadings;
  • Include interesting points and facts as bullet points; and
  • Embed relevant images or video content to visually compel readers (and as a bonus, multimedia content adds authority to your article, showing you’ve done research to back up your points). 

And don’t forget to format paragraphs themselves. The flow of your writing is just as important to the visual and hierarchical structure.

Common-Content-Copywriting-Mistakes-Format-Copy
A demonstration of formatting your content copywriting with creative variety to grab readers’ attention.

Rhythm, syntax, vocabulary and more all comprise flow that helps define copy-formatting. Lacking diversity of these elements is a major copywriting mistake to avoid.

6. A Failure to Test Your Content

No matter how well you write, there’s still a subjective element to great copy.

You simply can’t know if a piece of content works until you put it out there. To succeed, you need great content copywriters with strong intuitions about what works and what doesn’t.

That and testing your content.

Creativity is an inherent part of copywriting, but there’s no reason to leave your marketing results to chance.

A/b-testing, readability testing and even studying analytics are all crucial to optimizing content copywriting and to mitigate mistakes.

Want to test two different headlines, introduction sections, taglines or more against each other? Check out a free tool like Google Optimize!

Want to double-check the grammar, flow, readability and more of your content copywriting? Try Grammarly (freemium) or Hemingway Editor (free)!

Want to cross-reference your content with traffic or conversions to see what content types work well and which pieces are most profitable to optimize? Google Analytics!

Leaving content stagnant, not analyzing it and not testing it are the low-hanging fruits of common copywriting mistakes. Pick those fruits and your content marketing will thank you!

How to Avoid Common Copywriting Mistakes to Blow Past Content Quotas

Writing, in general, is deceptively simple. Anyone can form words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs and so on. But crafting words that connect, engage and sell is another matter.

Remember, people don’t pay less attention to business content than they used to. Instead, it’s tougher to compete but also never more important.

Content marketing is vital to improving your marketing metrics, spreading your brand and delivering more qualified leads. But you can’t succeed without great copywriting that’s on-message, well-tested and written confidently, conversationally, jargon-free, succinctly and more.

That’s what content copywriting is all about!

But even when you know the rules of good copywriting, scaling your output and committing additional time you don’t have are new challenges altogether.

High-quality freelance copywriter services deliver on all these notes, without any of the mistakes that can hold your content down.

Supercharge your content with managed services and now your content strategy might be the envy of other marketers!

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Do You Need a Content Writer or a Copywriter? https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/content-writer-or-copywriter/ https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/content-writer-or-copywriter/#respond Thu, 09 Jul 2020 20:00:13 +0000 https://crowdcontent.com/blog/?p=28534 Content writing and copywriting sound like interchangeable terms, and while their domains may overlap on occasion, they’re two different things that serve two distinct functions. Put simply, good content writing engages the reader by providing informative and educational content about your industry and brand. Good copywriting compels the reader to take a specific action, such […]

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Content writing and copywriting sound like interchangeable terms, and while their domains may overlap on occasion, they’re two different things that serve two distinct functions. Put simply, good content writing engages the reader by providing informative and educational content about your industry and brand. Good copywriting compels the reader to take a specific action, such as buying a product, signing up for an email list, or subscribing to a blog.

So which one do you need when clients come to you to boost their business online: a content writer for your website or a web copywriter? The answer depends on the goals and objectives of the client’s campaign.

Nearly 100 percent of the time, though, you need both a content writer and a web copywriter. Here’s why:

Why You Need a Content Writer

Customers love buying things, but they hate the feeling of being sold. Navigating this dichotomy is one of the most challenging things in marketing. The most successful campaigns don’t push products and services on customers. Rather, they give customers a reason to buy and make them feel like it’s their idea.

Do you need a content writer or copywriter?

That’s where content writing comes in. Rather than always trying to sell, sell, sell, content writing provides value to the reader.

Let’s pretend your client runs a mortgage brokerage. The client wants to increase their online presence and capture leads from people searching the internet for information about mortgages. You help the client set up their website. Now it’s time to populate it with content.

Purely sales content doesn’t give the customer what they’re looking for, and it doesn’t inspire their confidence. There’s a time and place to switch into sales mode. But that comes after your client has built a rapport with the customer and earned the customer’s trust.

The way to build rapport and trust with a website or blog is through content marketing — using a well-defined content strategy to get a customer visit a page or fill out a lead form. It gives the customer something of use to them — such as detailed explanations of different mortgage types – without requiring anything of the customer in return.

It also establishes your client as an authority in their niche. It’s easier to sell to clients after you’ve demonstrated the depth of your knowledge and competence. According to Caleb Chen, Founder at The Highest Critic, “content writers are usually/ideally subject matter experts in the industry for which they’re going to be writing content. This allows them to bring context and expert opinion to their content when compared with a copywriter. Generally, a content writer will be more costly than a copywriter.”

Why You Need a Web Copywriter

Anyone who has ever watched a sales movie understands the importance of closing. Remember the iconic scene with Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross, where he delivers the ABCs of sales: Always Be Closing?

ALSO What is Copywriting?

It’s true. If your client doesn’t use their content to compel a specific action, then they’re essentially just a free source of information.

That’s why good copywriting goes hand in hand with good content writing. Your client’s content writing establishes trust and provides value to the reader. Their copywriting calls the reader to action and closes the sale. Says Chen, “copywriters are generally people who have a solid writing and editing skill base and can be trusted to write grammatically correct copy for any purpose — but don’t often have experience in the industry for which their copy is being generated.”

While the two types of writer vary in their expertise, their skill set, and often, their cost, the interplay between content writing and copywriting forms the crux of a winning online marketing campaign.

A Place for Both in the Customer Journey

By now you understand the difference between copywriting and content writing in a theoretical, goal-oriented sense: content provides educational, valuable, and relevant information about a brand, while copy is used to convince audience members to take an action. But what does it look like in practice?

Sunny Ashley, CEO of Autoshopinvoice, helps put the concepts on more accessible ground: “The difference between the two boils down to their end goals and deliverables. The end goal for content writers is to enhance SEO and build a following. Their content is targeted more towards the top-of-the-funnel. Their performance is ultimately judged on things like page visits and keyword rankings.

Sunny Ashley Autoshopinvoice Quote

Conversely, a copywriter’s is to convert leads into sales. Their content should be less about brand awareness and more about persuasion and calls-to-action. Conversion metrics, form submissions, and new signups are better indicators for success for copywriters.”

Content: First Steps Toward Your Marketing Goals

Content writing serves a few different purposes, including audience awareness, brand recognition, and lead generation. It comes in a wide variety of different packages, from emails and social media posts to blog posts, press releases, well-researched white papers, and e-books.

Imagine you’re building a campaign for a new brand. You don’t have an audience that you can send sales letters or conversion-optimized emails to, so you have to start at square one with a content marketing campaign. You hire a writer to write content related to your brand, something with mass appeal to your audience; preferably, something that brings to light a problem that can be solved by the products or services you’re selling.

Once you have a strong, engaging piece of content, you can strategically deploy it in ways that will best reach a cold “top-of-funnel” audience.

Whether it’s via paid traffic on Google or Facebook, organic social media, an email campaign, or successfully ranking for your target keywords, the next step is driving traffic to your content. When a prospect clicks on a link in any of these channels, they might be taken to a landing page that advertises what they’ll be able to read or download in exchange for submitting some simple information, like their name and email address or phone number — this is called gated content.

Side note: the writing on landing pages tends to be a mix of content and copy; it continues to engage the audience while using the value of the content to persuade them to take the desired action.

Now, you’ve put together a list of leads and you’re starting to grow an audience that has engaged with your brand and is looking forward to what you’ll give them next. That’s when it’s time for marketing copy to take the stage.

Copy: The Hitter That Cleans Up the Leads

Writing copy is all about understanding what the audience wants to hear in order to take the next step in the buyer journey. Luckily, having all clicked on the same piece of content, your audience is filled with prospects that have similar priorities to each other.

What Copywriting Can Do for Your Business

Conversion-based sales copy is then deployed through email, direct mail, and other channels that directly advertise the products or services of the brand. It also fills the pages of your website so that anyone who visits is automatically engaged by compelling writing. In this case, copywriting follows up on the awareness of the customer’s problem, strongly positioning your brand as the solution.

Christian Antonoff, a content writer at Independent Fashion Bloggers, says, “the copywriter’s role is to sell products and services by appealing to your senses and emotions. They write persuasive copy targeting brands, selling the notion of needing them in your life.”

But What About Writing that Serves Neither Purpose?

This is actually a trick question: writing that is neither copy nor content has no place in today’s digital marketplace. Some marketing managers will look at certain types of writing and see it as filler; placeholder text to take up space on a page. But, this is a counterintuitive way to think about writing. After all, if any text on your website, blog, or emails isn’t being written to accomplish a goal, what’s the point?

Are Copy and Content Becoming Less Distinguishable?

At the same time, as the world of digital marketing continues to evolve, finding a writer with skills in copywriting and content writing becomes increasingly valuable. Google’s search engine algorithm gets more sophisticated with every new update, becoming better equipped to find and elevate valuable content of all kinds up the list of search results. As the burden shifts away from the rigid guidelines of SEO, the lines between copywriting and content creation will blur even more.

And, there’s mounting evidence that Google values pages and content that have strong engagement metrics. People engage with good content if it provides value to them, but they’re more likely to visit other pages on your site and convert if you also employ strong copywriting. Using both types of writing together can help you boost your overall engagement.

As Isaac Hammelburger, Owner & Founder at SearchPros.co, puts it, there’s no better time for a diversified skill set as a writer: “As the marketing world continues to evolve, the roles of content and copywriters are blurred, but this is exactly what people need now. Writers have to learn a little bit of the other side to take full advantage of their talents.”

What is the role of a content writer?

Some feel that the difference between the two is nearly obsolete. Adriana Tica is the Founder and Owner of Idunn, and having worked with writers for a long time, is beginning to see them as indistinguishable. “Both of them actually need to write copy and content that sells and converts”, she says. “A blog post with a cleverly placed CTA can convert as much as a long-form sales page. An insightful white paper can bring a lot of sales if written and marketed correctly -— we’ve seen this happen for a lot of our clients. Our point of difference has always been that we create both copy and content that aligns [with] our clients’ financial goals. And we know that both content writing and copywriting can bring sales and conversions.

So, Do You Need a Content Writer or Copywriter For Your Project?

As we’ve discussed, both types of writer have a role in moving your audience through the customer journey. But, what type of content should you assign to each type of writer?

Here’s a quick summary.

Content Writers

You’ll want to send content that is meant inform and engage to content writers. Common content types to send them include articles, blog posts, ebooks, guides, white papers and social media posts. You may also need to find a subset of content writers – technical writers – if you have complex documents to create like how to manuals, reference documents, etc.

Copywriters

Writing that is meant to compel action should be sent to copywriters. Common content types include advertisements, brochures, city pages, landing pages, print ads and collateral, website copy, social media updates, and more.

Mentioned earlier, but one example of the line between content writing and copywriting getting blurry is advertorials. These are short content pieces that look like blog posts or personal stories, inform them reader, but then also compel them to take action. These are very common on Facebook now.

Do you need a content writer or a copywriter?

The Takeaway

The easiest way to determine if your client needs a content writer or a web copywriter is to ask this question:

Is my client looking to build their brand and become an authority in their industry, or are they trying to close the sale and compel customers to take a particular action?

Chances are, they want to do both. And for that reason, having a winning content writer and a winning web copywriter on the job is vital for producing a successful campaign. The outlook for the future suggests that finding a writer who can master both skills will give your client the agility to accomplish their marketing goals even more easily.

Need help with your web copy or blogs? Fill out our contact form or call us at (888) 983-3103 to learn about our engaging content solutions.

ALSO Who’s on Your Business Content Writing Team and How Do You Manage Them?

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How to Find a High-Performing B2B Copywriter That Drives Results https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/how-to-recognize-a-great-b2b-copywriter-and-get-results/ https://www.crowdcontent.com/blog/content-marketing/copywriting/how-to-recognize-a-great-b2b-copywriter-and-get-results/#respond Wed, 19 Jun 2019 18:00:39 +0000 https://crowdcontent.com/blog/?p=24307 There’s a lot at stake when crafting content for business audiences. Your copy has to stand out from the competition, establish your expertise, and convert leads into loyal customers. That’s a big ask for a collection of words, but a savvy B2B copywriter can get it done without breaking a sweat. Writers skilled at business-to-business […]

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There’s a lot at stake when crafting content for business audiences. Your copy has to stand out from the competition, establish your expertise, and convert leads into loyal customers. That’s a big ask for a collection of words, but a savvy B2B copywriter can get it done without breaking a sweat.

Writers skilled at business-to-business communications will take your instructions, consider your objectives, and come back with powerful landing pages, white papers, and articles aligned with your business goals. B2B copywriters — both in-house and outsourced — are an integral part of your marketing strategy.So, how do you recognize these skilled wordsmiths? We’ve put together a guide based on our experience working with freelance professionals and advice from marketers who tell us what they look for when hiring writers. Once you have capable business copywriters on your side, you can improve your SEO rankings, drive organic traffic, and more importantly, convert your leads.

The Nuances of B2B Copywriting

First, let’s look at what you need your B2B writing partner to accomplish. According to research from Gartner, when B2B buying groups consider a purchase, they spend 27% of their time researching online. This means your messaging has to be on point to capture these leads when they’re searching for information.

Having highly effective B2B marketing content positions you as a leader in your industry. It connects you with decision-makers and establishes you as the expert who can solve their business problems and simplify their processes. When integrated into your content marketing strategies, top-performing B2B copy also:

  • Explains your products and services in a way that positions you as a leading brand, not simply another solution
  • Enables you to share expertise and insights, not just information
  • Helps you build trust and an authentic connection with your audience
  • Engages readers and draws them into your marketing funnel, leading to conversions

This may be why one-third of the most effective B2B marketing teams spend 50% or more of their marketing budgets on content marketing. With smart, results-driven copy, businesses are much more likely to partner with your brand.

Here’s What an Accomplished B2B Copywriter Looks Like

We’ve come across more than a few copywriters in our line of work, and we can confidently say this: Writing to a business audience is immensely different from creating content that speaks to consumers. Writers who can craft snappy social posts might struggle to translate technical information into product guides (and vice versa, of course). Those who can create attention-grabbing press releases might fall short with e-book content.

So, what should you look for when hiring a writer? We’ve listed some qualities that the best business-to-business copywriters have in common. We also asked marketers who hire writers for insights on what makes a skilled copywriter. 

1. They’ve built a strong track record

A B2B copywriter knows how to market to businesses. Unlike consumers whose decisions can be driven by emotions, B2B buyers need informative copy about how a product impacts workflow, adds value, and helps the bottom line. B2B writers are comfortable with the precise requirements of business writing and can create solutions-oriented content.

“When I’m assessing a B2B copywriter, I’m looking for someone who absolutely understands the difference between B2B and B2C,” says Nextiva CMO Yaniv Masjedi. “A savvy copywriter understands web design and can tailor their words and character count to the space they have allotted. If the writer is sending an email, they know how to maximize open rates; if they are writing landing page copy, they take into account the accompanying graphics, etc.”

Crowd Content tip: When hiring a B2B copywriter, focus on professionals with experience creating case studies, white papers, product pages, and testimonials. If you’re evaluating a portfolio filled with copy marketed to consumers, you may want to keep looking.

2. They adapt to your needs

Any freelance writer who produces copy for different brands needs to adjust their tone and voice appropriately. But smart B2B writers take their writing far beyond grammar rules and style guides. They absorb insights relative to your niche, increasing their knowledge as they write. This desire to pick up new concepts and skills helps them mold and adjust their writing to fit your business’ needs.

As Clare Bittourna, a marketing designer for Codal, puts it, “When we hire B2B copywriters, we’re looking for fast learners, ones that can quickly adapt to a company’s existing voice, tone, and style to produce copy that’s aligned with it.”

Crowd Content tip: Look for writers who assimilate your guidance and perspectives in their writing. If you find one who doesn’t require lengthy explanations for complex topics and asks intelligent, pointed questions about your brand, you’re on the right track.

3. They’re willing to get it right

Any writer you hire needs to craft clear, concise prose that resonates with readers. But the best B2B writer also listens to and communicates with you to deliver what you need, which prevents misunderstandings and confusion.

According to Bittourna, this often takes the form of a rapid feedback process to get writers up to speed. Her content creators need to receive, internalize, and respond to editorial feedback efficiently and positively. 

“We’ve had a lot of success incorporating a rapid feedback process with our copywriters,” says Bittourna. “Instead of writing an entire site or white paper and then passing it to upper management for review, we have the writer quickly draft and send over more fundamental core concepts — like hero text or above-the-fold copy — and adjust or approve it before the bulk of the writing is started. By approving these foundational pieces, we reinforce the tone for the rest of the site’s copy early on and give the writer solid touchstones to lean on moving forward.”

Crowd Content tip: There’s always a learning curve when you bring in new writers, but the ones that excel build on their experience. You should see progress in each piece of content as writers absorb the intricacies of your niche and brand and translate them appropriately.

4. They’re experts in your niche

In every profession and industry, expertise comes at a price. The best B2B writers have positioned themselves in a specific niche and often have years of hands-on experience in your brand’s industry. They’ll be able to delve deeper into topics and create valuable, top-notch content that helps you meet Google’s most recent helpful content update.

While companies with tighter marketing budgets may have to settle for writers with less experience, it’s important to keep in mind that quality is much better than quantity for B2B marketing copywriting. Masjedi points out, “If they have a background in the business they are targeting, they’re going to land higher conversion rates.”

Crowd Content tip: Try to find experienced B2B writers with professional industry experience on their resumes. If your business has to go with a writer without experience, consider using subject matter experts who can review the accuracy of your content and ensure it meets E-E-A-T guidelines for ranking well.

5. They have sharp research skills

Writing for B2B audiences demands a particular skill set that consumer writing doesn’t need. Business readers are savvy — they can spot an imposter in a heartbeat. And while B2B copywriters are often domain professionals, they should still stay abreast of what’s happening in your industry. As such, they need to possess superb research skills so their content isn’t outdated when published.

Bittourna says, “We’ve also found the most successful copywriters are voracious readers and researchers — nobody’s an expert on everything, but writing in a B2B space means familiarizing yourself with a specific industry or market space quickly, even picking up the jargon if necessary.”

Crowd Content tip: Ask potential writers what resources they use to bolster their industry knowledge. If they mention industry-specific journals and sources regarded as trusted authorities in your industry, their research skills are probably keen.

Where to Find Proven B2B Copywriters

We’ve set the bar pretty high for your B2B content, but the truth is, it takes a copywriting maestro to help your business shine in a highly competitive market. It’s not worth the effort to publish substandard content — search engines will overlook it, and it will reflect poorly on your brand.

There are a few ways to find business copywriters. You can post job ads, search on Google, and browse LinkedIn. This can be time-consuming, however, as you have to sift through applications and assess writing samples to find a writer that knows their craft and your industry. For some businesses, it can take months to find the perfect fit.

Crowd Content’s professional writing service accelerates the process. We have an active pool of freelance writers from a variety of backgrounds. They’re all prescreened based on their writing skills, creativity, and ability to follow instructions. Outsourcing writing can be cost-effective, especially if your content needs to fluctuate or you want to scale.

There are two ways to tap into our B2B copywriting services.

Crowd Content Marketplace

Our Marketplace is a self-serve option. Request content when you need it, specifying requirements such as word count, keywords, voice, and tone. Some clients provide a full outline, while others let the writer choose the article’s structure, but for best results when outsourcing, provide writers with as much detail as you can. 

You can place and receive content orders through a simple online interface and communicate directly with your freelancers to answer their questions and ensure content meets your needs. Our Marketplace can also be tailored to your processes:

  • Place your order to a wide pool of talent or build a team with your preferred writers.
  • Order content occasionally, according to your needs, or scale up production with a bulk order.
  • Publish content easily through WordPress, Shopify, and BigCommerce.
  • Reach out to your dedicated account manager for help or questions.

Crowd Content Managed Services

If you prefer to hand the details of content creation to us, simply let us know your requirements. Our Managed Services team will organize project briefs to your specifications, assemble a qualified team of B2B copywriters, monitor for quality, and send you content that’s ready to publish.

We’ve built in quality assurance from the beginning. To ensure you get the content you need, start with test batches. Think of it as fine-tuning the content creation process and checking that you’re getting the right voice, tone, and messaging before scaling. Throughout production, we incorporate feedback and adjust the process, making sure your B2B content is ready for distribution so you can start generating and converting leads.

Give Your B2B Content Strategy a Lift

Exceptional B2B copywriters may seem elusive, but Crowd Content can help connect you to them. With hundreds of experienced writers across virtually every industry, our platform can invigorate your business marketing and establish your brand as an authority in your domain. Get in touch with us today to get started.

The post How to Find a High-Performing B2B Copywriter That Drives Results appeared first on Crowd Content - Blog.

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