B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Instructor: Rey VillarChicago Online Marketing Group Copywriting WorkshopAugust 25, 2009

Content is King

Writers are a dime a dozen!

Good copywriters are worth their weight in gold!

Reynaldo Villar, 2009 | LinkedIn: #reynaldovillar | Twitter: @reyvillar

I. Price

Does NOT matter!

¨ Price is a crutch¨ Price is a trap¨ It’s about the value¨ Value: what you get in excess of the price


II. Purpose

Sell!

¨ Close doesn’t count¨ Not a popularity content¨ Copywriting doesn’t just move or persuade¨ Copywriting gets people to act


II. Purpose

Copywriters are sellers

Like successful sales pros, top copywriters have overcome the biggest obstacle to success – their fear of rejection


III. Product

Believe in your Product!

¨ Understand its many benefits¨ Understand its value¨ Embrace its shortcomings¨ Work to improve it¨ Write like the owner!


III. Product

Benefits vs. Features

¨ Promote the feature, but sell the benefit¨ Passion vs. logic¨ To find the benefit, keep asking “So What”¨ Homework: 12 benefits for each product


III. Product

Your Unique Selling Proposition

¨ The USP is Your Most Powerful Weapon¨ When in Doubt, Fall Back on Your USP

¨ USP = Your Biggest Benefit + Strong Unique Aspect of Your Business


III. Product

B2B marketers promote 2 products

¨ Our own products¨ Our clients’ products


IV. Profile

Know Your Customers

¨ Don’t pigeonhole your audience¨ Relevancy: precision targeting of message¨ Have a customer in mind when you write¨ Remember the 4 Dominant Personalities


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Character: Friendly, Creative, Impatient; Fun;

Entertaining; Sensitive; Changes Mind A Lot; Spontaneous

¨ Likes: Face-to-Face; Experiencing Things; Personal Affirmation; To Know What Others are Doing

¨ Query: what’s your solution to my problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Buying Needs: Testimonials; Personalized

Facts; Emphasize Loyalty; Build & Maintain Relationships

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Moving Too Fast; Uncaring; Selfish; Emotional

¨ Our approach is personalized to meet your needs.


IV. ProfilePersonality 1: Mel Brooks¨ Keywords: Experience; Clever; Considerate;

Flexible; Playful; Performer; Fun; Helpful; Down-to-Earth; Do It!

¨ Approach: Address Values; Provide Assurances & Credible Options

¨ Focus on language that answer WHY


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Characteristic: Need to be Organized to Act;

Analytical; Conservative; Well-Educated; Methodical

¨ Likes: Organization & Planning¨ Dislikes: Surprises & Abstract¨ Query: what’s the solution to the problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Buying Needs: Hard Evidence; Data & Facts;

Superior Service; Time to Review; Wants Education

¨ Avoid: Illogical; Careless; Defensive; Unprepared; Large-Scale Changes

¨ Your results are guaranteed. Explore our methodology to see why our clients…


IV. ProfilePersonality 2: Mr. Spock¨ Keywords: Practical; Organized; Analytical;

Logical; Procedures; Tradition; Thorough¨ Approach: Provide Hard Evidence &

Superior Service

¨ Focus on language that answer HOW


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Characteristic: Warm, Friendly, Flexible,

Open; Creative, Idealistic; Humanistic¨ Likes: Big Picture; Giving; Harmony;

Personal Affirmation¨ Query: Who has used your solution to solve

my problem?


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Buying Needs: Testimonials; Follow a

Rational Train of Though; Use Personalized Possibilities; Paint a Picture with Words

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Dull; Simple; Selfish; Stupid; Little

¨ Discover how thousands of clients like you have been satisfied…


IV. ProfilePersonality 3: Oprah¨ Keywords: Creative; Charismatic; Caring;

People Person; Possibilities; Communicator; Flexible; Unique

¨ Approach: Offer Testimonials & Incentives

¨ Focus on language that answer WHO


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Characteristic: Full of Ideas; Independent;

Enthusiastic; Controlling; Risk-Taking; Competitor

¨ Likes: Challenges; Autonomy; Possibilities; Achieving Goals; Uniqueness

¨ Hates: Incompetence ¨ Query: what can your solution do for me?


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Buying Needs: Competence; Knowledge-

Driven; Project into Future; Big Picture; Pros and Cons; Involve Customer in Decision

¨ Avoid: Uncreative; Simplistic; Feelings; Incompetence; Emotional

¨ The Bottom Line is that Your Results are Guaranteed.


IV. ProfilePersonality 4: Bill Gates¨ Keywords: Logical; Possibilities;

Complexity; Improvisation; Competence; Skeptical; Entrepreneur

¨ Approach: Provide Options, Probabilities; Challenges

¨ Focus on language that answer WHAT


V. Pain

Understand your client’s pain

¨ Fears¨ Wants and Desires¨ Daily hassles and challenges¨ Why do they do it?¨ Homework: interview agents you know


VI. Pull

Your Content is Worthless… Unless You Get Prospects to Read

¨ Rule 1: Relate to their Pain – Immediately¨ Rule 2: Remove Obstacles¨ Rule 3: Guide Your Readers¨ Rule 4: ABC – Always Be Closing


VI. Pull

Immediately Be Relevant

¨ Subject lines¨ Headlines¨ Page title and description tags¨ Sender information


VI. Pull

Subject Line Tips

¨ Relevancy rules – W.I.I.F.M?¨ There is NO formula – so tests are crucial¨ Urgency can drive action¨ Lead – but don’t mislead¨ Watch the spam filters


VI. Pull

Headline Tips¨ Boring is boring!¨ Leave them wanting more¨ Ask an urgent question¨ Promise to solve a problem¨ Expose a secret (or offer exclusivity)¨ Homework: create a 100-sample swipe list


VI. Pull

Remove Obstacles!¨ Paragraphs must be short – especially 1st

¨ Be positive!¨ Stick to the point: sell¨ Kill the fluff and hype¨ Edit: if you can take it out, then take it out!


VI. Pull

Guide Your Readers¨ Write for skimmers¨ Sub-headers¨ Eye-catchers: dashes, ellipses, symbols,

numbers, italics, underlines¨ Bullets can be beautiful¨ Give it air!


VI. Pull

Guide Your Readers¨ Start each paragraph with a bang!¨ Vary paragraph & sentence lengths.¨ Their time is important – stop wasting it!¨ Avoid jargons¨ Are you a sexist, ageist chauvinist?¨ Design & graphics must help not hurt


VI. Pull

Always Be Closing¨ Ask for It!¨ The Ask is Crucial – but Often Overlooked¨ Be Relevant¨ Give Them Choices¨ Support the Call to Action


VII. Pace

It’s Face-to-Face Sales, But on Paper¨ Conversational¨ Simplify your language¨ Positive tone: you solve problems¨ Know the rules – then bend them¨ Would you buy from a clown?¨ Saturate with benefits¨ Use joints


VIII. Promise

What Are You Offering?

¨ The “Tah Dah” Effect¨ Sell your freebies¨ Make your guarantee sell¨ Value and Benefits


IX. Produce

Deliver on Your Promises

¨ People love promises; they just hate it when they’re broken

¨ Avoid the hype¨ Keep reassuring prospects through the sale¨ Testimonials are powerful


X. Practice

Practice Makes Permanent

¨ Use Spell-checkers – but don’t rely on them¨ Writing is ECE: Edit, Cut and Edit again¨ Remember your purpose¨ Walk with your customer¨ Test! Test! Test!


The 10 Ps1. Price

2. Purpose

3. Product

4. Profile

5. Pain

6. Pull

7. Pace

8. Promise

9. Produce

10. Practice


SEO Copywriting

Operating in the Shadows¨ Keywords¨ Tags: Title, H1, H2, Emphasize¨ First and Last paragraph¨ It’s not about keyword density!¨ Keyword variation on a theme¨ Your primary purpose is still to sell!


B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Instructor: Rey VillarChicago Online Marketing Group Copywriting WorkshopAugust 25, 2009

B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts

Marketing

Transcript of B2B Copywriting that Persuades and Converts