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1 Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 1 of 12

2 Charles A. Pennison 2013 Increase Sales by Incorporating These "9 Essential Elements" Into Your B2B Marketing Copy COPYRIGHT by Charles A. Pennison Copywriter Marketing Strategies All Rights Reserved. You may share Increase Sales by Incorporating These "9 Essential Elements" Into Your B2B Marketing Copy with anyone who might find it helpful. Feel free to distribute this Report to colleagues and friends. You may not, however, change or edit the content of this report in any way, nor assign authorship. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 2 of 12

3 Increase Sales by Incorporating These "9 Essential Elements" Into Your B2B Marketing Copy Introduction As a business-to-business (B2B) marketer, you use different tactics selling to businesses than selling to consumers. This is because of fundamental differences between the two markets: B2B marketing involves multiple decision makers (an average of 4); consumer marketing usually involves an individual decision maker. The selling process to a business takes longer due to complex company procedures. And business purchases are less emotional and more objective. Businesses want substantiated facts to back up sale's claims. You'll find additional essential differences in the following report. The "9 Essential Elements" of effective B2B marketing are fully explained to help you improve your B2B copy, and increase your sale leads and sales. However, if you don't include all "9 Essential Elements," you run the risk of not fully engaging your potential B2B customer. So, let's get started in learning how to write effective B2B copy that engages your sales prospect in your marketing message, and increases sales. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 3 of 12

4 The 9 Essential Elements of B2B Marketing Copy You now possess the keys to increasing your B2B sales leads and sales. Win over more customers than your competition by incorporating these essential elements into your marketing copy. 1. Write Benefit-Oriented Headlines "The success of an entire advertising campaign may stand or fall on what is said in the headlines..." - John Caples Your headline is the first thing your potential B2B customer reads. In an instant, they decide if it's worth their time to continue reading any part of your copy based on the content of your headline. This is the reason why advertising expert, John Caples, in his book "Tested Advertising Methods" devotes 4 chapters on how to write effective headlines. According to Caples, the best headlines are those based on reader benefits, because they appeal to your reader's self-interest. Your benefit-oriented headline suggests that there's a way to get something they want, and you can provide it to them. Can you identify the benefits in the following headline examples? Save 10 to 20% on Your Walk-In Freezer's Electrical Usage Order by the end of the month and get 30% off the regular installed price! Modula Design Saves Thousands of $'s Less Food Spoilage Due To Power Failures "Special Offer" - 30% Reduction in Price Full 7-Year Warranty The news-oriented headline is the second most effective headline. It tells your reader you have a new product, or a new use of an older product. Start a newsoriented headline with words like "Introducing," "Announcing," " New," "Now," or "At Last." Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 4 of 12

5 For example, Announcing A New Modula Design for Walk-In Freezers That Saves Even with news-oriented Thousands headlines, of include Dollars a in reader Installed benefit. Cost Lastly, write a headline that requires little thought, and conveys a message that's clear at first glance. Also mention what's being promoted in your heading. 2. Write a Lead That Complements Your Headline (Your first paragraph should) Follow through with the idea or appeal expressed in the main headline-which is what attracted the reader in the first place. Victor O. Schwab Keep your B2B reader engaged by continuing the same line of thought in your lead paragraph as is conveyed in your headline. Your business customers and clients are busy people. They don't have time for fancy or meaningless prose. They want to know how your product or service benefits them, and they want that information right up front - not several paragraphs into your copy. See how the following example is a WEAK B2B lead because it doesn't complement the headline: Save 10 To 20% on Your Walk-In Freezer's Electrical Usage As an independent restaurant owner, you know that repeat customers want a relaxing atmosphere, and fine, local cuisine. Provide your loyal customers with a rewarding restaurant experience, and you'll be insured success in this competitive business. Notice how the following example of a STRONG B2B lead complements the headline: Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 5 of 12

6 Save 10 To 20% on Your Walk-In Freezer's Electrical Usage As an independent restaurant owner, you know how the constant increase in energy cost can eat away at your profit margin. The ACME line of Commercial-Grade Walk-In Freezers are designed to use 10% to 20% less electricity than other brands. The second example shows a continuing theme of reducing electrical usage between the headline and lead paragraph. This a strong and effective leading paragraph that'll keep your readers engaged in your marketing message. 3. Stay on Topic Some copywriters, assuming that the reader will find the product as boring as they do, try to inveigle him into their ads with pictures of babies, beagles and bosoms. This is a mistake. A buyer of flexible pipe for offshore oil rigs is more interested in pipe than anything else in the world. So play it straight. David Ogilvy Don t deviate from what your readers consider important. Your B2B customers want both product features and their benefits described in clear and simple language. Features give the business customer objective reasons to choose your product or service. The feature's benefits reinforces their objective reasoning. Look at the following example: Modula Design Saves Thousands Of $'s The length, depth and height of the ACME Walk-In freezers can be adapted to any space requirements due to its innovative modular design. This allows installation of your new freezer to be fast and inexpensive. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 6 of 12

7 One of the features of the ACME Walk-In Freezer is its "modular design." This gives the restaurant owner the benefit of adapting the freezer to any space requirement, which provides a fast and inexpensive installation. Clearly describing both the freezer's feature and its benefits provides the business owner an objective reason to choose the ACME product. 4. Stress the Benefits of Your Product That Your B2B Reader Wants A supplier of computer software was proud of the size of his company and wanted to make it a feature of his advertising, but research found that his customers were not interested in size. They were looking for responsiveness, support, service-and a good product. David Ogilvy Make sure you know what your potential customer wants from your product. First stress the business-side benefits of your product, such as reduced costs, productivity boost or gaining a competitive edge. But then stress the personal-side benefits of your product like making their job easier or helping to advance their careers. Can you identify the business and personal benefits in the following example? With a higher profit margin, you can invest more money into your restaurant providing the highest quality dining experience. More profit also means more income for your family. A higher profit provides a business-side benefit of improving product quality, while also giving a personal-side benefit of providing more family income. 5. Create and Promote Your Unique Selling Proposition "The essence of competition...is differentiation: providing something different and providing it better than your competitor." - Theodore Levitt Rosser Reeves coined the term "Unique Selling Proposition" or USP. Your USP tells your prospect you can solve their problem in a new way, and do it better than your competition. To be effective, your USP must possess three qualities: 1. It identifies a needed benefit of your product or service. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 7 of 12

8 2. It shows that your product's benefit is unique in that your competition doesn't or can't deliver the same benefit, or your competition hasn't associated this benefit with their product. 3. And is strong enough to attract NEW customers to your product. Every product has a USP. It sometimes requires creative thinking. I'm sure FedEx won a lot of B2B contracts with their USP - "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." Whatever your USP is, tout it in your copy in a creative and compelling way. 6. Prove What You Say About Your Product The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement s chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases. Dr. Charles M. Edwards Potential B2B customers are skeptics because we live in a world full of charlatans. New customers aren't going to believe your claims based on your word alone. They want proof. The best way to prove your product can deliver claimed benefits is to verify them through a respected third-party research company. Another way is to quote published research that verifies your claims. Testimonials are accepted as proof when they come from recognized experts. It can backfire, however, if it appears to be a paid endorsement. 7. Narrow Your Target If you are selling to an independent restaurant owner, say so in your copy, and focus your writing to that profession. Same is true if you're targeting a cardiologist, banker or janitorial company. Guess who my target is in the following example: Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 8 of 12

9 As an independent restaurant owner, you know how the constant increase in energy cost can eat away at your profit margin. The ACME line of Commercial-Grade Walk-In Freezers are designed to use 10% to 20% less electricity than other brands. With a higher profit margin, you can invest more money into your restaurant providing the highest quality dining experience. 8. Ask Your B2B Reader to Take Action Now, no matter what form of action you ask your reader to take, make this action as simple and easy and specific as you can. Victor O. Schwab No matter how good your copy is, if you fail to ask for action, your copy will fail. The requested action can be an order or a request for additional information. Be explicit in explaining to your potential customer What you want them to do Why you want them to do it And How to do it NOW! Identify the What, Why and How in the following example: Fill out the online order form below before the end of the month and receive your 30% discount on the purchase of an ACME Commercial-Grade Walk-In Freezer. You'll benefit from our freezer's high efficiency, easy installation, performance reliability and standard battery backup design. In addition, you get a full 7-year warranty. ORDER TODAY! 9. Write in a Conversational Style So good writing sounds like conversation because it uses the simple primary words of conversation, words that say what they mean and say it immediately. Gary Provost Prevent reader boredom by writing your copy the way people talk. Write in a conversational style, but keep it professional. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 9 of 12

10 Use language everyone understands rather than corporate acronyms, buzzwords and lawyer talk. Write like you're talking to a friend rather than talking like a highpressure salesperson. Here are a few guidelines to help you write in a professional yet conversational style: Write sentences you can easily say in one quick breath. Short is better. Start sentences with "and" or "but", because that's the way we talk. Use contractions. You'll hold your reader's attention longer, because it's less strenuous to read. Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 10 of 12

11 Bonus Tips Here are a few bonus tips to help you increase sales with effective B2B marketing copy: Use Common Words - Always use words that your reader completely understands without having to give it a second thought. You want your writing to be clear, specific and effortless. Convey the Same Meaning with Fewer Words - Why say "closed forcefully" when "slammed" will do? Use "Active Voice" Most of the Time - Because active voice is more interesting than passive. It captures your reader's interest. That may be why action-packed, professional sports captures a larger audience than lectures on lawn care. Write in the second person - When you use the words "you" and "your", you engage your reader into the discussion. Stay Positive - In Element 9 above, I could've written - Don't use corporate acronyms, buzzwords or lawyer talk" - instead of - Use language everyone understands rather than corporate acronyms, buzzwords and lawyer talk". Your customers want to know "what to do" rather than "what not to do." My best Bonus Tip is to provide your B2B sales prospects with high-quality content that helps them solve their business problems. Problems solved by using your products or services. Your customers aren't interested in your product, they're interested in what your product can do for them. "They don't want quarter-inch bits. They want quarter-inch holes." - Leo McGinneva Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 11 of 12

12 In Summary Get an edge over your competition by incorporating these "9 Essential Elements" and Bonus Tips in your B2B marketing copy. Give your potential customers the information they need to conduct their business better and faster. Create an effective B2B marketing copy by 1. Writing a benefit-oriented headline 2. Writing a leading paragraph that complements your headline. 3. Staying on topic. 4. Stressing the benefits of your product that your reader wants. 5. Creating your Unique Selling Proposition and promoting it. 6. Proving your product's claims with third party testing results or testimonials from respected sources. 7. Tailoring your marketing copy to a narrow targeted audience. 8. Asking your reader to take action. 9. And writing in a professional but conversational style. If you find that your marketing copy isn't providing the results you anticipated, make sure you've included all 9 essential elements listed above, or talk to a copywriter who knows how to apply these elements to your specific marketing needs. Call Charles A. Pennison to Help You with Your B2B Marketing Copy If you need help improving your B2B marketing copy, feel free to contact me with no obligation. We can bounce ideas around, talk about specific items in this report or simply get to know each other better. I'd love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a problem with marketing copywriting that's not covered in this report. Let's talk. Contact me with no obligation at: copywriterb2b@gmail.com copywritermarketingstrategies.com Copyright Charles A. Pennison, Copywriter Marketing Strategies, 2013 Page 12 of 12