If you’re a freelancer looking to expand your scope or if you run a marketing startup, business-to-business (B2B) copywriting can be a new skill set to acquire. Being a writer means that you need to have flexibility in your craft – you should know how to write for different audiences and markets.
B2B copywriting is slightly different as you’re primarily targeting other businesses, rather than normal consumers. Although the audience is different, the ways to improve your skill are similar to any other type of writing. Practice makes perfect.
Create a blog
The easiest way to practice your skill is to set up your own blog or website. A good photographer will constantly take photos and challenge themselves with new projects, and in the same vane, a good writer should constantly be writing and trying new genres. A personal blog is the best way to do this.
Not only can you build your portfolio this way, you also create an audience that returns to your blog because they like what you have to say. This can be beneficial when looking for work as you can prove that you have the ability to attract an audience.
The aim is to get your name out into the world as a writer. Your blog could even attract the attention of a potential employee; someone who could offer you a good paycheck for your services. A blog is simply the easiest and best way to start building your B2B copywriting skill.
Do some proper copywriting
A blog is technically content writing, not copywriting. The two skill sets are similar but different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do both. Copywriting aims to help a customer make a decision. The copy doesn’t necessarily have value other than enabling the reader to make the right choice between a range of products.
A blog can showcase your content writing skills, but to practice your copywriting skills you’ll need to find some real projects and contribute to campaigns. If you can land a freelance gig doing copywriting for real clients, it will help you improve your skill tenfold.
Reach out to existing connections – family and friends who own businesses who may need help with their copywriting and product advertising. You can also offer your services to NGOs and charities. Just practice actual copywriting too.
Flexibility is a core skill
As mentioned before, having the ability to write for different audiences and markets is a good skill to have as a writer. If you are able to prove that you can adapt your style to suit the audience, you are more likely to be hired.
An employee is more likely to hire a writer who is actually good at writing than a writer with more clients in their portfolio. You need to be able to adapt to your employee’s style, tone and target market quickly.
You don’t need to know everything about every industry, you just need to know how to write about them and sell them. You need to understand the decision-making process of the ideal customer and communicate that clearly. You should be able to do this easily and for different markets.
One last piece of advice is to make sure that your self-promotional copy is spectacular. If you want to be a B2B copywriter, you need to be able to sell your services before selling a company’s services. Make sure your website, articles, emails and adverts have unique, well-written copy that stands out from the rest.
Once you have a big enough portfolio to prove your skills, you can approach B2B companies for freelance work. If you already have your own marketing company, start writing copy to target other companies yourself. Practice is the key and being flexible is important.
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Sorted Design Agency is a creative company that constantly looks for solutions to other people’s problems. These problems come mostly in the visual format, such as graphic design, logo and illustration, but we’re experts in brand development, website design, and digital SEO campaigns as well.
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Based in Pretoria and Cape Town, Sorted has been in the content marketing industry since 2006. We assist your company with its corporate identity by communicating core values through content and articles written for your website, blog and news area. This content is supported by AdWords and social advertising, which facilitates wider reach and audience growth. Turn your website into a business tool.
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Sorted also owns two other businesses; InkFish Print Studio – a printing company that handles a range of promotional materials for businesses and other services for individual customers, and Pampiri + Kie – a gifts and stationery store selling online and in-store. Both of these companies operate from Cape Town and Pretoria.
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