What is B2B Writing?
While there are many sorts of writers in the market like a business writer, copywriter, sports writer and many more who provide their services to businesses, the emergence of a B2B writer has been remarkable. They have taken the world by storm by providing invaluable content that benefits enterprises present at different levels in the industry.
The advent of the internet has revolutionized the world. Years ago, no one could have thought about the millions of jobs that would be created by the same. This has provided writers with endless opportunities to showcase their skills. But what exactly involves in B2B writing?
What is B2B writing?
B2B stands for Business to Business, thereby, a B2B writer writes content for companies that sell to other businesses. It could include all types of content ranging from blogs and articles to white papers and emails.
B2B writing is different from B2C writing wherein the writers create content to sell the product to consumers. These writers are usually well-paid as the content they are creating leads to sales. This is often done by focusing on branding in the right manner. Some examples of B2B businesses include a SaaS productivity tool that sells its services to other enterprises or a finance company that sells different sorts of insurance to other companies. Another good example would be a furniture company that sells its products to those businesses that require furniture for their office.
Who is a B2B writer?
Those writers who work for B2B brands on a contractual basis are known as B2B freelance writers. The majority of these writers work from remote locations. Usually, the marketing department shares the basics of the content and the writer is supposed to research and learn more about the topic. Then the writers prepare the content and check it for any grammatical or spelling errors. These sorts of freelance contracts offer more flexibility to both business and freelance writers.
Enterprises benefit from not having to pay a full-time wage to complete the work. Freelancers can avail the chance to work with a diverse client base and explore different opportunities as per their availability.
Most successful freelance writers have solid knowledge about their specific niches and produce quality content for the same industry. Once they have established their expertise in a specific industry, they tend to work in the same field for a significant amount of time.
For instance, a B2B writer working in the tech domain will not prefer to move into marketing. This is because they will have to start from scratch. It means reading hundreds of blogs and working for less than what they were already making as they are a sort of newbie in the industry. Thus, in order to find higher-paying clients, freelancers niche down and stick with it. Some of the popular B2B domains include Technology, Finance, Banking, Law, Transportation, Energy, Manufacturing and Healthcare.
How are B2B writers unique?
Even though the difference is quite evident, sometimes it can be tough to understand how B2B writers are unique. Under B2B writing, the writer has to come up with quality content that intrigues a good number of people. This becomes vital as the attention span of people has fallen drastically. According to a Microsoft study, the average person’s attention span has shrunk by about 25% in just a few years, to barely eight seconds. So, you have to sell it to the reader in just 8 seconds.
Most of the time, these people have different goals and priorities. For instance, a finance executive would not like to spend money on a particular product. While, on the other hand, a marketing executive might believe that using that particular product could change the game. The writer has to curate content in such a way that convinces both the departmental executives to invest in the product as it will be beneficial in the future. Therefore, you should target all the content like emails, guides and blogs properly to convince the company to buy the product. This comes under content marketing.
What is the difference between B2B and B2C writing?
There is a thin line between B2B and B2C writing. Many businesses sell products and services to both businesses and customers. It is the responsibility of the writer to maintain the appropriate tone depending on the work.
Keeping up with the logic
In B2B copywriting more emphasis is given to the logic part wherein in B2C, emotions play a huge role.
For instance, an individual interested in buying a piece of clothing would consider factors that will state if the product sounds a great fit or if the peer group will approve of it or not. However, if a business has to invest in software used in the manufacturing of clothing, then they have to consider factors like if the employees would be able to use it with ease or if it is safe and reliable or if it is compatible with the existing software. Therefore, it becomes vital for the writer to produce content as per the needs of the audience.
Thinking about the audience
Some of the major distinctions between B2B and B2C are that B2B writers try to persuade the audience with logic. Therefore, the role of different aspects of storytelling is reduced. Moreover, there are large cycles of sales (ranging from months to years) with a substantial number of buyers. The writer has to learn about the different products in detail along with the relevant technologies, demographics and more.
On the other side, B2C writers use emotion to provoke feelings in the potential customers. Storytelling must be inculcated in order to do the same. There are a small number of customer groups and the sales cycles are also shorter, ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks.
Making use of jargons and current trends
For writers, it becomes vital to be aware of the latest trends and basic psychology. A B2C writer has to come up with content that the customer’s close friends or family members approved of. However, a B2B has to produce work that puts the colleagues of an enterprise on the same page with regard to the buying decision.
There is a lot that B2B and B2C writers can get to know from one another. B2C writers can help B2B with how to evoke emotions in the reader. This is important because with time many business writers get so engaged in the product descriptions that they tend to focus on the emotional side of the buyers.
Frequent use of jargon makes the content less impactful for some people. Moreover, instead of mentioning what the user will benefit from the product, they focus on the features. Consumer writers can be of great help in overcoming these limitations.
Structuring the content
Similarly, B2B writers can guide B2C writers on how to structure their writing in a way where the customers can be assisted to make the purchase.
It is important to remember that at the base level, B2B writers are also writing for humans. While these people are engaged in business activities, they still get interested in a product if they can relate to it. This simply means that there is a lot to learn for B2C writers.
Storytelling about people’s experiences with the products or services is a great way to uplift the brand’s image even in B2B writing. This is something that most B2B writers don’t inculcate in their writing. Using the right combination of logic and emotion in the content can produce remarkable results.
How to become a B2B writer?
Currently, with great demand that is only projected to go higher in the years to come, a lot of professionals are trying to become B2B writers. Initially, it can be a bit tough to navigate through the journey. But if you stay consistent, the results are going to be remarkable. In order to get started with B2B writing, it is important to understand your respective skills and experience.
Step 1: List the knowledge of the products or services you have
You should try to list down all the knowledge you have regarding how some products or services work. This will help you in figuring out what B2B product or service you should get started with. As you already have some expertise in the area, the entire process would be comparatively easier.
Step 2: Find the ideal niche
The next major step is to find the ideal niche. This can be relatively tough for a number of individuals. The common mentality is that if you niche down, you are going to lose a lot of clients and revenue. While for other types of content writing, you can work as a generalist for an extended period, however, it is not the case in the B2B industry.
Initially, a lot of people worry that they might choose the wrong niche. In that case, it is important to remember that you can always switch your niche. You can choose to spend more time in the role and eventually transition to a new one. We have the tendency to complicate things at times. So, if you feel that you have chosen the wrong niche, switch.
Now, it can be tough to decide which niche to get into. One major point to keep in mind is that you must choose a niche that has high growth prospects in the future. Doing good research around the same can seem helpful in the long run. To choose the ideal niche, think about the industries and job roles you have worked in. Then start gaining more knowledge and look for opportunities in the same field.
For instance, if you were a receptionist, you would have managed and scheduled numerous meetings, and worked on payment systems and invoices as well. Think about where this sort of experience can give you an edge over others. As you find out more and constantly read about the latest happenings in the industry, the better you will find yourself equipped to niche down.
Step 3: Create a portfolio
The final step of the process is to create a stellar portfolio. If you already have your own website, then you are in a good spot. If not, then make sure you get one. Setting up a website might sound quite complicated at first, however, it has become a pretty simple process over the years because of plenty of useful tools. You can easily get a domain name and have the site running in a couple of days. or weeks. Here, you must add a few things including the different types of services you offer. This way the client will be able to have a better idea about different services.
Adding an About page is also crucial. You can talk about your skills and experiences in great detail here. According to 52% of B2B marketers, blogging is the most essential tactic for their success in content marketing. Therefore, you must add a portfolio page where potential clients can look at your previous samples. Make sure you add your best works here.
Last but not the least, a Contact Me page must be included. This is where the people can reach out to you with great opportunities. Apart from that, you can upload your samples on different sites.
How to identify a top-notch B2B writer?
The hunt for good talent has become more competitive over the last few years. For businesses, it can be tough to find out the best B2B writers in the industry. One of the great ways to select the ideal B2B writer is through referrals.
Reach out to people in your network and spread the word that you are looking for exceptional B2B writers. Good knowledge of the industry is essential when writing content. So, if the ideal candidate is knowledgeable and possesses quality writing skills, then stick with them. Only 1.3% of articles created by B2B brands result in 75% of the social shares of all B2B content. This is why it becomes vital to choose a good writer. However, if you cannot find such a writer with both, choose the one that can put words in the best way possible. This is because learning about the business and industry is far easier than learning how to write exciting copy.
In order to boost your chances of finding a good writer, you can read business-related blogs and articles and reach out to any freelance writers that you think would be the right fit for the task. Reaching out to an agency can also turn out to be a fruitful decision. However, make sure you work with an agency that specializes in your content-related requirements. This increases the chances of you getting the desired content.
Actively posting on job boards can also be helpful. It is often advised to avoid using freelance platforms and more as most writers present there are generalists. As per statistics, 58 million businesses have established their brand communities on LinkedIn. So, advertisers consider LinkedIn as a reliable platform to achieve their business target. But, there’s also Facebook, and Twitter. However, looking for quality talent on social media platforms is also a great strategy.
How much does a B2B writer earn?
After spending some time working as a B2B writer, you will have a better idea about how you want to work. While there are endless options you can pursue in this domain, most writers choose between working in-house for an agency, working in-house with a B2B brand or working as a freelancer. This will determine how much money you can make by B2B writing.
None of the mentioned alternatives is right or wrong. One must choose the option that is most suitable to their goals. Moreover, the knowledge and skills you gain while working with either of them would be beneficial in the future.
If you are after a steady source of income and want to concentrate only on writing then working with an agency or brand can be a good option. On the other hand, if you have always been passionate about running your own business then starting an agency can do wonders. While all these things may differ from time to time as your priorities change, it is necessary to keep working on your writing skills.
B2B writers who can produce good quality content like copy and creative advertising can make big bucks because of the value they bring to the table. This way writers make more than other avenues like creative writing. Writers receive quite competitively as they generate revenue for the major brands.
Each B2B writer has a different pay structure but this range would give you a general idea about what to expect in different roles. The salary range for in-house roles depends upon the experience of the writer and the type of industry. While most entry-level roles start from $61,000, more experienced writers get up to $95,000-95,500. This is for full-time employees.
In freelancing, there is no constant flow of income. However, you have the most potential to make money by freelancing as you directly get to work with different clients as per your wants. Most freelance writers struggle to make the minimum wage initially. However, as they invest more time into learning the skills and marketing themselves, making the entry-level income already mentioned can seem easily possible. By getting deeper into the niche, they can even make more than what a full-time role would demand in a year in the coming years.
There are a lot of people who do freelance B2B writing while working at an agency. Hence, there is no limit to the amount of money you can make, given you have confidence in your skills and a stellar portfolio to back it up.
Over to you!
B2B writing offers remarkable opportunities to tons of individuals and businesses. It is how they decide to move forward in the journey that makes all the difference. As a B2B writer, it is vital to work consistently for improvement. Analysing and even writing B2C content is also very helpful.
For businesses, it becomes necessary to know where to look for the best talent and use the right strategies to retain them. Eventually, it is the end customer that benefits the most from B2B writing as every product and service in the world has the purpose to satisfy the needs of the consumer.