When many freelance writers start out, they assume that by focusing on word choice, readability, sentence structure, and great grammar, they can tackle any job with appropriate aplomb, and while it’s true that all of these are important, writing well is really just the baseline from which a good freelance writer works.
The gigs you get as a freelance writer assume a certain level of quality and craft, but what you’re writing for determines exactly what you need to achieve. Like it or not, pithy wordplay may never be as big of a deal to your clients as it is to you – especially if you’re writing for B2B. Much of the writing you’re going to do will have some aspect of a sales pitch inherent within it, whether that sales pitch is directed at a search engine, a consumer, or another business. So why not embrace it? Marketing and writing well — especially when it comes to B2B — function best when they’re two peas in a pod.
Here are five reasons why B2B freelance writers are the best marketers in disguise.
1. There’s an Angle
When it comes to marketing and sales, regardless of whether they’re in the B2C or B2B realm, there’s always an angle. B2C angles tend to be a bit more subtle and shorter-lived, but in both instances, brands, people, and companies use marketing in order to sway their audience toward a desired action.
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In the B2B realm, freelance writers often create content that isn’t part of a direct marketing campaign, but an angle is present nevertheless. Why? Business customers know they want to make a purchase, and they want to get the biggest and most reliable bang for their buck. When a great freelance writer creates content around a B2B company, product, or service, that reality is always in his mind – even in copy that’s informational.
2. Focused Landing Pages and Ads
Just like B2C, a lot of B2B customers use the Internet to research options when they’re looking to make a purchase. Landing pages, therefore, have to be laser-focused in two directions. Not only do the calls to action need to be well-written, sharp, and convincing, but the language on each landing page needs to relate meaningfully to the AdWords B2B campaign so your client doesn’t lose money on click-throughs that don’t convert. The best B2B freelance writers know how to ensure an ad and a landing page are in-sync enough to keep their client’s ROI high.
3. The Writing Is Brand-Centered
Even businesses that only cater to other businesses use content to drive SEO, which is why blogs, articles, and other fresh-making content has to be brand-centered. Being a trusted leader in the field is incredibly important for companies selling to other companies, and web content needs to further, improve, and bolster brands. Even when you don’t notice it, the best freelance writers are churning out B2B blog copy and other content that keeps the needs and reputation of the brand front and center.
4. The Niche Reigns Supreme
B2B marketing is almost always niche-marketing, and the writing involved in any B2B endeavor needs to accurately reflect the niche the business you’re writing for is seeking to dominate. Unlike consumers, businesses are not easily swayed by emotions or trends. Instead, businesses are looking to reduce their overall costs, increase their profitability, and improve their productivity. Their needs are specific, and when they’re looking for products and services to address those needs, they’re doing so within a small set of parameters. Working and writing within this small set of parameters is where the best freelance writers make the biggest impact.
5. Super Substance and High Quality
B2B writing has to contain superior substance and outstanding quality. After all, the vast majority of B2B sales happen over a longer period of time than a B2C sale, and they involve a much more thorough vetting effort, too. The best freelance writers know that easy-to-read, thorough, and to-the-point information is how they’ll sway their audience into sticking around long enough to learn why they need to make a purchase.
More traditional methods of marketing may draw a company in, but if substance or quality is lacking in the content, they’ll head elsewhere. Like the best B2B marketing campaigns, great B2B freelance writers deliver what is expected of them — not just to the client, but also to the companies looking for why they should buy in.
Crafting beautiful sentences should always be a goal, but in the world of B2B, the best freelance writers know sales are what matter. It’s why the best freelance writers in B2B are most often marketers in disguise.
Your Turn
Are you a B2B freelance writer? Do you consider yourself to be a marketer given the parameters above?
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