Is your B2B web copy powerful?
Right now, your prospects are scouring the Internet for solutions to their challenges.
So, your web copy has to be intriguing. It has to be persuasive. It has to make your visitor think, This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
In this post, we’ll talk about turning your website into a 24/7 lead generator. And transforming those leads into loyal customers.
It all starts with the right words.
Ready to energize your B2B web copy? Let’s get going.
Humanize Your Brand with Stories
For thousands of years, storytelling has been part of human life. Cave paintings in France telling stories about hunting are 30,000 years old.
(That’s right, thirty thousand.)
Did you ever wonder why all humans – regardless of age, background or education – love stories so much?
Psychologists and literary theorists believe it’s because storytelling allows your mind to play.
When you’re engaged with a story, you forget about your problems. Your mind is free to imagine different scenarios.
The more engaged you become, the easier it is to empathize with others. And relate a product and service to your life.
Duct Tape Marketing, a marketing agency for small businesses, lets their customers tell their own unique stories.
A page on their website features success stories from their international network of marketing agencies and consultants. The stories resonate because they’re written in the voice of the consultant.
“I am no longer having to scratch and claw for new clients…”
“I never thought joining a network of competitors would have improved my business…”
“It has fundamentally changed the trajectory of what I was doing…”
To find compelling stories for your B2B website, reach out to customers. Ask them if they’re willing to talking about their success with your product.
Besides customers, you can highlight:
- Employees
- Company events
- Trade shows
- Company parties and celebrations
- New equipment and processes
Different types of stories sprinkled throughout your web copy communicate that your business is thriving. And strongly position you to capture the emotions of your buyer.
Build Strong Emotional Connections
Millennials make up a large percentage of B2B buying teams. They value personalized purchasing experiences. And they want to identify with your beliefs.
What are you doing for the community or the environment? Do you promote equality and inclusion?
In a McKinsey survey of 1,214 managers and front-line employees at U.S. companies, 82% affirmed the importance of company purpose.
But only 42% reported that the company’s stated “purpose” had much effect.
Many purpose statements are generic. And they don’t help customers to understand what the company is all about.
Your web copy is the perfect place to illuminate your purpose in detail.
Buffer is a social media management solution for small businesses. They have an entire page on their site devoted to one of their core values, transparency.
The company shares everything from salaries and revenue to books they are reading. Their blog is full of internal company topics, such as:
- Why they increase their team’s salaries every year
- Progress in the gender pay gap
- How they decide which charities to support
The importance of trust is underscored in a survey from Clutch, a leading B2B ratings and revenue platform.
The survey found that one out of four B2B buyers (25%) rank transparent cost information as the most important element of a software or services company’s website.
In addition to transparency of cost, survey participants reported that they value case studies, testimonials and immediate access to information.
Make Buying Decisions Easier with Instant Information
In the beginning stages of research, many B2B buyers prefer self-service over human contact.
Yet according to a survey conducted by Zendesk, less than one-third of companies offer some form of self-serve solution, such as a knowledge base.
A knowledge base is a public collection of information about your company, including:
- Articles with relevant information
- FAQs and answers
- Troubleshooting guides
- How-to’s
- User guides and manuals
A website knowledge base provides visitors with the answers they need quickly. Minimizes the number of service requests. And offers both external and internal support.
Not sure how to get started? Keep it simple. Start with the obvious.
Many companies start by compiling all the documentation they have regarding their products and services. Then they choose the most appropriate information.
Ask your customers and support team for topic ideas. They know the questions customers are asking most frequently. And what customers want when they call support.
Then begin creating articles that cover a specific issue.
As you add articles, you will probably notice common customer pain points. But you should never assume that every customer will know what you’re talking about.
Explain every topic as if the reader knows nothing about it. Use easy-to-understand language in a consistent voice.
And don’t forget to link back to other articles that you’ve already covered.
Remember, a knowledge base is a work in progress. Done right, it will attract new prospects and nurture present customers, building revenue for years to come.
The Bottom Line on B2B Web Copy
Your website visitors don’t want hard selling.
They want stories, emotional connections, and easy access to information.
So make your products and services irresistible. And start creating B2B copy that gives them exactly what they want.