Is Your B2B Copywriting Sexy?
Writer Millie Lapidario asks: “Is your marketing collateral bland, stuffy, or worse . . . generic?”
Lapidario, owner of Silicon Valley Tech Writer, goes on to point out:
“Some of the world’s biggest B2B tech companies can put you to sleep with their websites and white papers.”
The Web is the great equalizer. Potential clients don’t know if you’re operating out of your basement somewhere between your furnace and water heater or a plush downtown office with designer drapes, thick carpets and 27 different types of coffee in hermetically sealed little plastic cups.
What’s more, potential clients don’t care.
They just want to know if you can do the job in the manner they want, at the quality of work they want and in the timeframe they want.
Smart companies know that although they are the best at what they do, they aren’t the best at everything. Often B2B copywriting skills go lacking. That’s why God created freelance writers and then rested on the 7th day.
Producing flawless copy which threads into your potential customers’ emotions can be accomplished, but it’s not easy.
Using superfluous words to sound sophisticated is an often made mistake. While $1 words may satisfy the ego of the entrepreneur, it’s a rookie mistake. Good copy is not about stroking the writer’s ego. It’s about the reader and delivering content they find engaging and informative.
In case you’ve shot your whole load on glitzy site design, which doesn’t turn lookers into buyers, and have to take your copywriting in house, here are six tips to sharpen your writing skills:
Write for A Specific Person
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing an email for just one individual or a web page which may be seen by thousands. At any given moment, the reader is just one person.
If you think of your reader as JUST.ONE.PERSON., you’ll step away from trying to address a crowd. Focus on what your one reader is thinking and feeling. You’ll be more persuasive — and human.
Forget the Jargon
Technology companies are up to their necks in jargon, jingoism and three letter TLAs (three-letter acronyms). The reader may, or may not, be attuned to the three-letters. KIS reminds us, as writers, to Keep It Simple and explain things in relatable, readable, relevant ways.
So, What’s the Point?
Everyone is busy — get to the point. Fast. Everyone is bombarded with data and messages. That doesn’t leave time for a warm-up — so get to the point. Your email, blog post, or letter needs to get the reader hooked in five-seconds.
The first 20–50 words need to surprise your reader, make them smile in agreement or explain what they will get if they read further. In an ideal world, it will do it all at once.
Have a Conversation and Forget the Freakin’ Tie
Just because you work and you are jotting something down, doesn’t mean the words you use need to wear a tie. But people do it all the time. Persons who sound normal in everyday life suddenly become formal and stiff. Where they would normally say ‘use,’ they start saying ‘utilize.’ They say ‘yourself,’ instead of ‘you.’
Passive sentences are sent out and the result sounds more complex. Individuals do this because they believe it makes them sound professional. Instead, it makes them sound like a pompous pain in the ass.
Keep the Social Media Short and Sweet
‘Nuff said.
Be Approachable
When writing for a B2B reader, maintaining the right pitch can be a challenge. But even experts in the field appreciate language which is easy to read. Take time to discover your company’s “tone” and “style. Carry this through every channel.
The Takeaway
Ms. Lapidario says, “Your copy should leave your audience curious, enlightened, ready to take the next step with you.
Yes, even tech can be . . . sexy.”
I am an American freelance writer living the expat life in Argentina. My work has been seen in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Washington Post among dozens of other media outlets. On a typical day, you can find me at Tordino’s talking with Bobby Duvall, Matt Damon or any of the other American actors who call Buenos Aires Home.
Contact me at jandrewnelson2@gmail.com or join the quarter-million who follow me on Twitter @Journey_America. You can also hire me through Fiverr at Fiverr.com/jandrewnelson

