How To Get B2B Clients: A Primer For Copywriters
Keywords:
In more than 20 years of copywriting for both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) clients, I have found mid-size and large B2B clients to be generally easier to work with, and more professional than B2C. (I do not recommend working for small business in either B2B or B2C.)
In my experience, B2B companies tend be more “corporate” and less entrepreneurial in their thinking and procedures than B2C companies. For instance, B2B clients are more likely to use creative briefs, meet deadlines, and pay on time.
The marketing departments of B2B clients also tend to be more sophisticated in their approach to marketing; this is nice for the copywriter who wants to have more say in testing, offers, and other elements of a response campaign.
The more process-driven a marketing department is, the easier it is to get winning promotions, as well as information on the results of promotions, work samples, and other data that helps a copywriter build his business.
Winning a B2B Client
Because B2B clients are by nature more oriented to “professional” processes and thinking, the copywriter who wants to win their business must also appear professional. Here’s what you’ll need in order to successfully approach a mid-size, large, or enterprise-level B2B client:
Professional-quality letterhead, envelopes, and business cards are a must. You don’t have to be exotic or fancy; graphic designers need flash and dazzle but copywriters don’t. Don’t fret about design…but do make sure your most basic business tools look professional. If you can’t afford a designer’s help, opt for simple and straightforward.
Know what you stand for. It pays to create your own unique selling proposition (USP). These days both B2C and B2B clients want to know why you are the best copywriter for them. Once you determine what sets you apart, you should create a tag line that appears on your business cards and letterhead.
For instance, the tagline I helped one of my coaching students create is “Helping your build and maintain profitable long-term customers.”
Go to a niche market. Related to the advice above, you will do well to go to a niche market for which you have a connection…a point of differentiation that sets you apart. Many experts will tell you that you can find your point of differentiation in your work history. But this is only partly true.
With my coaching students I regularly help them discover what makes them unique and special not only in their work history, but in their passions, and their talents.
For instance, one of my students wanted to use her literary talent to sell her copywriting; so we carved out a unique copywriting market that would appreciate - and benefit from - the power of her written talent for story telling.
You must have a Web site. And it had better be professional. A professional Web site for the corporate market must exhibit obvious elements of good lead-generation.
The elements of a good lead-generating Web site are many; however, for the purposes of this primer, I will touch on the most important four elements:
1. Your Web site must have “you” orientation. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Your Home Page headline must acknowledge a pain of your audience, and offer a solution. One example from one of my coaching students: “Are you a software marketer looking for a steadier stream of qualified software leads?”
Contrast this with this “me oriented” Home Page headline of another copywriter: “Bill S., Freelance Advertising Copywriter.” Even the lead-in sentence was me oriented: “I’m an advertising copywriter, which is why my website utterly lacks graphics.”
2. Your Web site must have an offer. Direct marketing without an offer is not direct marketing. If you are a copywriter who wants to make a great income, then you must let your potential clients know that you will bring in more than you cost.
You offer should in some way convey that. In lead-generation, which is what your freelance business depends on, one of the best offers you can advance is free information in the form of a report, or other valuable information product.
3. Your Web site must have either a very clean, orderly, and simple but sophisticated design…or it must be designed by a graphic designer.
If designed by a direct response designer, your Web site will exhibit signs of high level branding and direct response design “magic”…all of which will impress a B2B audience.
An aside: In my experience, Webmasters are excellent at what they do, but they do not have direct marketing graphic design skills - even though they usually think they do!
If you’re going to build your Web site yourself, take the time to learn about direct response design; otherwise, invest a small sum in having a direct response designer create a design template that you can follow…or have her design the full site herself.
4. Post samples. Samples are the equivalent of showing a portfolio. For new copywriters, this is a tough one. But there are lots of ways to work this to your advantage.
First, understand that no potential client wants to see more than three samples; then understand that you can post a “spec” sample that never mailed; and third, know that you can even post a sample that was never entirely finished…
If, for instance, you did a critique of a potential client’s campaign, you can post that critique on your Web site - as long as you gained permission to do so.
A note on testimonials:
Yes, they’re important. But I was lazy in this department. Instead, I concentrated on getting response rates and writing case studies of my winners. Not having testimonials on my Web site never hurt me. However, one day I wanted to diversify into coaching and other copywriting related pursuits…and then I became concerned.
So my advice to you is to be vigilant about collecting testimonials. The moment your client says something positive about your work is the moment to say “can I quote that?”
You must have business processes. Once again, because of their professional nature, B2B companies work best with copywriters who use fee agreements, creative briefs, meet deadlines, and nail down exactly what it is they’re expected to do (right down to the size and fold of the brochure), put it in writing, and then do it.
Many copywriters work without fee agreements, “set in stone” timelines, and like the “handshake” approach to doing business.
But not only is this a sure path to disappointment, it’s also a red flag to corporate clients that the copywriter is insecure, a poor business person, or both. Having a clear process for how you do business will not only make your business more profitable, but it will make the B2B client more confident in your abilities.
Be a salesman. Whether their marketing is lead-generating or order-generating, B2B clients are very efficient at salesmanship and closing. Don’t shy away from mailing sales letters to them and then following up. They do it, and understand that it’s “just business” to be on the receiving end.
In fact, I’ve found it much easier to market to B2B companies than B2C. If you’ve done a good job of targeting - you’ve created a niche or USP that matches you with your target - then you should enjoy at least a 1% conversion rate to your marketing efforts. B2B companies are generally accepting and interested in your call, as long as you’ve done your homework to determine why you’re the best copywriter for them.
Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit:
www.FreelancersBusinessBulletin.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Make Money At Home, Sell Digital Products On EBay (1)
The second reason digital products are great sellers on eBay is, they can be purchased and read instantly on the buyers computer, after payment has been made to the seller.
How To Get Your Site Indexed Immediately (2)
Let me clarify, what you want are one-way back links. Reciprocal links are okay but the search engines are catching on that this isn't real value but really just trading.
How Do You Know What The Best Home Based Business Is? (3)
These are just a few of the questions that you should ask yourself and find the answers to when you are trying to find the best online business. This will give you a head start on the list that you should make to determine what you want to do.
10 Easy Steps For Writing 750 Word Articles In Under An Hour (4)
Now that's the power of setting unreasonable deadlines for yourself! Thom Kingsley is an article marketing expert dedicated to helping you generate thousands of links and thousands of dollars a month through article marketing!
Are There Really Ways To Make Money Online? (5)
A lot of people put off going online because they are skeptical and do not understand it or what it can do. My advice to these people is this.
The Basics Of Web Conversions (6)
It further involves guiding the prospect to take action now. Consequently the basics of online conversion depend on a purposeful and well structured process of prospecting, creating awareness and propensity to buy - marketing.
The Affiliate Multilevel Marketing Network (7)
Affiliate networking can be good business from both sides of the financial network both the affiliates advertising a business and the business recruit affiliates to push their products for them.
Early Reviews Mixed For Apple IPhone (8)
To remove message from the trash can the process has to be repeated on the Apple iPhone. Overall, the release of the Apple iPhone was met with acceptance by most users as well as those who find fault with everything, they could not find fault with everything about the new device.
SEO Sitemaps Give Websites A Boost (9)
Web pages displayed on the top of results pages are assumed to get the most attention, and therefore, opportunity for earnings for web businesses and pages with sponsor links. Search engines usually return a list of results ranking pages according to the number of Internet sites linked to them.
5 Ways To Avoid The 1998 Look (10)
The end of the Internet Explorer/Netscape war thankfully consigned these messages to history, for the most part, but there are still some sites that have them. Don't let your site be one.
The Home Based Internet Marketing Business Specialist (11)
They will inevitably browse the first site that comes up on the list. You, as a home based Internet marketing business specialist, can't let this happen. Develop a Web site solely dedicated to the services your client provides.
How Your Business Can Benefit From Email Marketing (12)
For many business owners one of the most prominent advantages to email marketing is the ability to reach a worldwide audience with minimal effort. While traditional marketing methods such as television advertisements, radio advertisements, and advertisements in print media are typically targeted at a rather small geographic area, email marketing can reach a worldwide audience.
The Right Web Hosting Service (13)
A consideration as well in selecting any web hosting service is how it can help in promoting your site which is of importance if you want to create heavy traffic on your website.
Choosing The Best Web Design Company For You (14)
This payment system ensures that both parties have an incentive to deal honestly and well during the transaction. Visit www.nationalwebdesign.co.uk if you are looking for a professional web design agency.
One Of The Most Powerful Self-Marketing Tools A Consultant Can Have, And How To Successfully Use It (15)
Once you get enough people signed up for your ezine, you can scale back on the direct mailings (or if you wish, cease them altogether). Your free ezine is your #2 most important self-marketing tool.
Profiting From Affiliate Marketing Programs (16)
May be some articles from people who have restored old vehicle can also offer tips on how to make it possible to find parts. Affiliate marketing opportunities could include other sites that offer hard to find parts for classic cars and trucks as well as for catalogues and parts magazines for those not so hard to find parts.
Traffic Exchanges - Are They Worth The Effort? (17)
The basic idea is that you click on a website and watch it for 10-30 seconds and for every 1-3 sites you view 1 person will view your site. This can be quite tedious as to get a sizable amount of traffic you must view an awful lot of websites.
Using JetSpinner And JetSubmitter For Article Marketing Success (18)
Once you've added them all in then you should go through and make other changes to the text. As a general rule of thumb leave no sentence unchanged. 6) Use the Power of Spinning Your Resource Box If you're article marketing then you're trying to build links.
Search Engine Optimization - The Basics Of Boosting Website Traffic (19)
The rest of the design will come later. Next, narrow down your list of keywords to keyword phrases. Make sure they are highly targeted keyword phrases. For example, if you sell motor oil your keyword phrase would be motor oil and not just oil.
What Is A Megapreneur? (20)
A huge following results in many things, more than just getting name recognition, such as higher sales and high responsiveness. You don't have to rely on just your own list to build a huge following.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
How To Make A Connection With Other Internet Entrepreneurs (1)
I would like to talk to you about internet marketing." "Hello, would you mind meeting me 1-on-1?" These are the typical emails that many internet marketers receive everyday. I receive them too and let me share what I think about them with you today.
Running A Serious Home Based Business Can Be For Everyone (2)
In the 21st century, a woman has an expanded role, and she assumes that role in her rightful place next to every man who is doing the same function. Scott Young Is A Plug In Profit Site member As Well As An Authority On Developing Serious Home Based Businesses.
Free Website Traffic Is Your Best Option (3)
The most important thing to know about getting free website traffic is this: You need to have a good site. It needs to be focused, with easy-to use, relevant information that will provide something for the reader.
The Complete Schedule Of How To Article Market (4)
People will read your articles if you make them valuable. The Internet is the place to share information. Where do you start when you are writing an article?
Pop-Up Currency Converters Bite The Dust (5)
Rather than attracting sales, are those quaint pop-up converters causing lost sales? Requiring visitors to perform 5 to 6 steps every time they want to know the price of just one product is a lot to ask of them.
Understanding The Basics Of Affiliate Programs (6)
Generally, the partner website posts links to the merchant website. The affiliate is paid according to how many people are sent to the merchant website via the affiliate link.
Finding Internet Typing Jobs (7)
These are sent to those customers who sign up for the company's newsletter. Other companies seem more interested in finding someone to type up information lists. Information lists are not the only sort of list that company administrators want to see.
Build A Highly Targeted Opt-In List And Manage It With Integrity (8)
A database program will automatically enable a website to attend to all the details involved in building and managing an opt in list. At the same time, easy access to a subscriber's personal information allows a website to send personalized messages to a specific subscriber at any time.
Marketing Your Small Business: It's Easier Than You Think (9)
If a reader enjoys your article and finds it informative, he or she is sure to follow the link in your "About the Author" box. The next, step, after generating your content, is to find a way to get it published.
Chinese Voices Could Possibly Dominate Business (10)
All of my clients need native speaker, so they find me. It is very important." Stephanie Ciccarelli is the Vice President of Marketing with www.Voices.com, an online marketplace hosting more than 15,000 professional voice talents from around the world.
Tips And Ideas On How To Plan Your Article (11)
Use Voice Recording Software Sometime I am too lazy to type, so I will speak out to a tape recorder or voice recording software to let it type out or have it transcribed.
Why 95% Of Internet Marketers Fail And How You Can Avoid It (12)
How badly do you want that dream? The other stumbling block to succeeding online is your concept of failure. Usually when the 95% make a mistake, have a set-back or can't do something, they see this as a sign that they will always fail, that they will never get it, and that they aren't cut-out for internet marketing.
Pay As You Go Videoconferencing - A New Trend? (13)
If only a few users are on, your videoconferencing system is much quicker. On most days, you will probably get something like three frames per second from this type of connection.
Who Lands The Big Companies (14)
Your sharing of samples, response rates, and any other measurement data is very important, and you understand that I may use these samples in the promotion of my business. Thank you for your cooperation!" Ok...so back to the question: "Who lands the big accounts?" The consultants who work for the high-quality, high-value clients have a niche market and specialized experience and/or talent in that market.
How To Increase The Number Of Transactions, Average $ Sale And Your Margins (15)
You may think this is all too much wasted effort, but in the long run it will be easier, more effective and you will make more sales. Keep following up with them and don't forget to say THANK YOU for their business.
Guides To A Successful Affiliate Marketing Program (16)
Depending on the type of product or service you provide, you can choose the types of sites to allow to link to you. You can also control the types of links that you allow, which can be important to protecting your branded appearance.
The Top 4 Reasons You MUST Consider When Choosing An Affiliate Program (17)
It is free to join but they will take a small charge for each transaction. Some affiliate companies pay weekly or fortnightly but the vast majority pay once per month.
The Seven Deadly Mistakes Of Online Businesses (18)
Don't make your visitors struggle to read your site. I see many sites with a black background and deep blue text. It is a nightmare to read. The other extreme is very faded text on a similar pastel background.
Newspaper Advertising Can Be Used To Get Online Traffic (19)
You can use this strategy in a two or four inch size newspaper display ad or classified ad. First, you must realize the overall goal of the newspaper ad is just to get the reader to go to your website.
How To Earn While You Learn (20)
We all have a why for earning money on the internet. I'll always remember one famous internet marketer who was already earning several thousand dollars a day. He wanted to make more money and give it away to some very specific causes that were close to his heart.
Permalink to How To Get B2B Clients: A Primer For Copywriters