B2B Q&A | Your B2B content questions, answered

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re getting serious about diversity and inclusion in B2B marketing content.

Guest co-host Kavita Singh, Assistant Editor at B2B Marketing, joins David to share her experiences starting in the UK’s B2B sector as both an American and a woman of colour – and to lay bare the societal shifts we’ve lived through this past year.

We’re also thrilled to interview Natalie Narh, Content Creative at Ogilvy and Vice-Chair of Ogilvy Roots UK, about the importance of deliberation when approaching inclusivity in your B2B content.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the same without a copywriting tip of the month – this time shared by our *newly promoted* not-junior copywriter (woohoo!), Lizzie Cresswell.

As Natalie puts it so well in our interview, the content we create (even in B2B) is a “mirror to society” – and it’s up to us to include more people in that reflection.

You may well be thinking about what you could possibly do to be more diverse and inclusive in a piece of content about, say, SaaS platforms. But as Natalie explains, there are small, positive changes we can all make to address unconscious biases and practices that can marginalise and exclude minority audiences.

For example, we can put empathy first and ask ourselves questions like:

It’s a thought-provoking discussion that I think many of us could learn from. And as Natalie, Kavita and David explore in the podcast: not everyone always gets things right, so if called out, the trick is not to lash back – but to learn and move forwards.

It’s time we got comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You can find Natalie on Instagram and Twitter. The research sources she recommends in the discussion are Robin Walker and A Tribe Called Progress.

01.09 – Introducing this episode’s co-host, Kavita Singh

04:30 – Natalie Narh talks intentional inclusivity in B2B content – and what it means for marketers

19:00 – Kavita discusses the impact of Black Lives Matter and her experiences entering the UK’s B2B sector as a woman of colour

39:00 – Copywriting tip of the month by our own Lizzie Cresswell

(Or really didn’t? That’s fine…)

Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or pop us a message on [email protected].

Or, if you want to feature on the podcast itself, send us a voice memo our way.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

The post Podcast 96: how to make sure your B2B content is inclusive and diverse appeared first on Radix.

In this month’s Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about writing social media copy for B2B brands – how to write it, what tactics work well, and what B2B marketing experts think great social content looks like.

Guest co-host Lorraine Williams, founder of Lighthouse Proofreading (and undisputed Queen of PDF Proofing), joins David to chat about the wonderful world of LinkedIn and the challenges of writing engaging content for a B2B audience.

You’ll also catch an interview with social media marketing guru Luan Wise. An independent marketing consultant and trainer, Luan knows all there is to know about social media marketing (she even runs courses for LinkedIn). Tune in to hear her best writing advice for B2B social content – as well as her recent research study about social media and how it’s changed in the pandemic.

Plus, three top B2B marketers share their favourite examples of great social content – and our very own Ben Philpott provides the copywriting tip of the month.

As Luan points out in her interview, social media marketing follows similar rules to any other kind of content – and anything you post needs to adhere to your brand and messaging. That means ensuring your voice is still clear and recognisable, and that you’re writing towards the right audience.

But along with these tips, Luan shares a few mistakes you should be careful to avoid:

You can absorb more of Luan’s wisdom by (you guessed it) listening to the podcast, where you’ll also catch David and Lorraine talking about their own tips and tricks.

And be sure to check out Luan’s website for info on all the courses she runs, and a ton of free resources.

00.50 – (Enter stage left) Introducing this week’s co-host, Lorraine Williams

02.44 – Luan Wise spills the secrets of writing great social media content for B2B

22.31 – David and Lorraine chat about the joys and perils of writing for LinkedIn

35:35 – Three B2B experts share their favourite social media content

43:13 – Copywriting tip of the month, by our own Ben P

We’d love to chat about it. You can contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected]. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, just send us a voice memo with what you want to say – we might even feature it next month.

As ever, if you’d like to leave us a review on your listening platform of choice, that’s always a bonus.

The post Podcast 95: how to write B2B social media content appeared first on Radix Communications.

This month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy is about how to write Account-Based Marketing (ABM) conhttps://radix-communications.com/type/podcasts/tent that sticks.

I’ve been in this B2B technology copywriting business for a few years now, and I can think of few approaches that have flourished in that time as much as ABM. Everybody is doing it, and it’s easy to see why: when it works, it *really* works.

But that also means ABM content needs to work harder than ever to make an impression. And that’s why we’re delighted to have Rhiannon Blackwell, head of ABM for Europe at Accenture, join us to share her expert insights into what content actually works.

Radix consultant writer George Reith joins David as guest co-host, to discuss his own experiences – as well as the ABM challenges cited most by our lovely B2B friends on LinkedIn and Propolis.

Plus, senior copywriter Katy shares a 20-second writing tip, and a CX Manager takes on the Anonymous Five.

Those are the first words you’ll hear from Rhiannon in this month’s episode. (Sure, it’s March, but it’s the sentiment that counts.) You see, the meteoric rise of ABM is more than just another fad; it’s arguably the future of B2B marketing.

But how do you do it well?

Drawing on years of experience, Rhiannon tells us:

02.30 – An expert’s view on ABM content: our interview with Rhiannon Blackwell

22.30 – George and David discuss the interview and how George’s ABM experiences compare

34.30 – The LinkedIn and Propolis communities share their own ABM challenges

45.25 – The Anonymous Five: a Customer Experience Manager talks job misconceptions and reveals why generational stereotypes are rarely helpful

Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or fire a message over to [email protected].

Should you want to share the mic (albeit remotely) with David on a future episode, send us a voice memo with your comment, question, or 20-second writing tip.

A huge thanks to Rhiannon Blackwell for joining us despite being on the cusp of maternity leave (and congratulations on the arrival of baby Ivor!).

Thanks also to our correspondents on Propolis and LinkedIn: Shikha Saxena, Fiona Campbell-Howes (Hi, Fiona!), and Scott Stockwell. We loved sharing your perspectives.

And of course, we’re indebted to our mystery CX Manager (we’ve made a donation to the Myton hospices on your behalf), and to Katy for supplying our inaugural copywriting tip of the month.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash.

The post Podcast 94: how to write great content for ABM (now that *everyone* is doing it) appeared first on Radix Communications.

In this month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy, we’re talking about an issue that plagues B2B marketers everywhere: getting other departments in your business to share the insights that are so vital to creating worthwhile content.

Guest co-host Adam Harper, Quantexa’s new Demand Generation Manager for EMEA, joins David in the virtual studio to discuss the challenges B2B marketers face when building better interdepartmental collaboration, like:

(Yell “BINGO” if you’ve experienced them all.)

Best of all, you’ll catch an interview with indomitable B2B tech marketer and cross-functional insight expert, Maureen Blandford. With her new, free digital book on the subject “Moats and Drawbridges” hot off the press, Maureen tells us why extracting useful insights from other departments is so “ouchy” – and how to make a start.

Finally, a UK-based Fleet Analyst tackles the Anonymous Five. If you create content for fleet customers, you’re really going to want to hear what they have to say.

Every functional area of a business – including product, sales, marketing, and customer success – has a wealth of great information that can help everyone else (and especially those of us who make B2B content). But an unstructured, ad-hoc approach to information sharing makes cross-functional insights nearly impossible.

So how can you start to build up that communication, and get the insights you need to create truly great B2B copy? Maureen offers a few tips:

You’ll find plenty more guidance in the full interview (along with a scathing review of Martech vendors). What more could you ask for?

Maureen’s new book can be found here: Moats & Drawbridges: The Current State of B2B Cross-functional Insight Sharing. And when you’re inspired to drive change (and trust us, you will be), join the conversation at #InsightHarnesser.

In this month’s no-holds-barred Q&A, a mystery Fleet Analyst gives us some brutally honest insights about crap marketing and the impact of electric vehicles.

They tell us which electric car companies have “terrible B2B service” – and which fall short with their targeting – and reveal why, ultimately, Excel is the tool that any software solution needs to beat.

(Thank you, anonymous Fleet Analyst, for being so honest and detailed; we’ve made a donation to Changing Pathways on your behalf.)

0.53 – Introducing the one and only Adam Harper

3.40 – Maureen Blandford tells us why cross-functional collaboration is key

24.21 – David and Adam discuss the interview, and why “anecdata” is so dangerous

36.42 – What one question would you ask? The people have their say

41.26 – The Anonymous Five: a Fleet Analyst tells all

(Or really, really hated? We can take it, honest…)

Tweet us at @radixcom on Twitter or pop us a message on [email protected] Or, if you want to feature on the podcast itself, send us a voice memo our way.

Thanks, Adam, for being a consummate co-host – we’ve no doubt you’ll be back on the show soon. Ish.

Thank you to the wonderful Maureen Blandford, for sharing your wealth of expertise (and never being afraid to say it just how it is). Did we mention the book?

Thanks also to our mystery Fleet Analyst, and to our merry band of Twitter and LinkedIn responders: Paul A63005, Ian Truscott, Wendy Clack, Matt Dodgson, Gregory Hooven, Sam Armondi, Sam Batstone,  Kate Roe, and Syed Haseen Ahmed. You guys are awesome.

Podcast editing and music by Gareth at Bang and Smash.

The post Podcast 93: getting insights from other departments for your B2B content appeared first on Radix Communications.

This month’s episode of Good Copy, Bad Copy focuses on the changing role of content in the telecommunications sector – and what other B2B marketers can learn from it.

The pandemic has had a seismic impact on B2B telecoms, with brands moving fast to accommodate the stampede to home working. But even before that, the market’s major players were moving away from just selling connectivity to a wider range of more strategic services. And their content was playing a big role.

Our guest co-host, Radix Consultant Writer George Reith, joins David to get to the bottom of that change – and what it means for content marketing.

David is also joined by Sarah Zammit, Business Marketing Specialist at GO plc – Malta’s biggest internet, TV, and mobile provider. Sarah gives her view from the B2B telecoms marketing frontline, including the shift to selling new kinds of products and expertise, and how this has affected the way marketers position their content.

Change has always been at the heart of telecoms. New technologies enter the market, customers’ priorities evolve… and right in the middle is the content marketer who’s tasked with making sense of it all.

But for some organisations, the COVID-19 pandemic compressed five-year digital transformation ambitions into a matter of weeks, and their telcos had to keep up. Sarah explains how B2B organisations had to adapt their marketing twice – first to meet the immediate crisis, and then to help audiences adjust to the new reality.

Following their chat, George reveals his take on creating marketing content for telecoms as an outsourced copywriter. He concludes that while telecoms has unique marketing challenges, much of the way the industry tackles change can apply to other sectors too.

03.44 – Marketing is a process of constant education: an interview with Sarah Zammit

17.51 – George and David discuss the key takeaways from Sarah’s discussion, including how good B2B content can help brands move up the value curve

25.15 – How experts and third-party contributors can help establish authority in a new subject area

30.09 – George shares some unconventional tips you can use to get up to speed quickly on challenging technical concepts

If there’s anything you’d like to hear more about on the podcast (or even things you don’t), contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected].

You can even get on the podcast yourself – just send us a voice memo with what you want to say.

Thanks once again to Sarah Zammit for giving us an insider’s perspective on the state of telecoms marketing today – here’s to it being completely different tomorrow! And we’re forever grateful to George Reith for his invaluable ‘on the ground’ insight.

Podcast editing and music by Bang and Smash

The post Podcast 92: writing B2B content for telecoms (and other changing sectors) appeared first on Radix Communications.

Our final Good Copy, Bad Copy of 2020 is an extra special one. It’s our third annual Best B2B Content roundup – when we reveal what you’ve voted as the best content of the year.

And this year, through the joys of Zoom, David’s joined by an international panel of B2B marketing experts to discuss the results.

We know we’re biased, but this year, our best content shortlist has it all. There’s brutal honesty. There’s outrage. There’s celebration. There are surprises. There are insights from industry leaders. And there’s a whole load of fantastic B2B content to talk about.

You can can see all the nominees in more detail here.

Plus, you’ll hear from our all-star panel on the B2B marketing trends that have dominated 2020, their top predictions and tips for the B2B content that could define 2021 – and why B2B content is such a level playing field.

In this episode, you’ll find:

00.33 – Meet our all-star panel of B2B marketing experts

05:20 – 2020 in review: how do you make B2B content in a year like that?

12:05 – Our countdown begins: places 10-6

20:27 – We reveal places 5-2, including this year’s runner-up

44:26 – Honorary mentions: the content that didn’t quite make the top 10

46:18 – We reveal what you voted this year’s best B2B content

49:50 – Hear our panellist’s tips and predictions for B2B content in 2021

Contact us through @radixcom on Twitter or [email protected] (you could even send us a voice memo).

Hearty congratulations to our finalists, and a big thank you to everyone who sent in audio, nominations, or voted: Emily King, Doug Kessler, Joel Harrison, Paul Hewerdine, Giles Shorthouse, André Spiteri, Andrew Last, Eman Malik and so many more. We had an absolute blast looking through them all.

And thank you so much to the ABBA of B2B copy – our wonderful panel of experts. Maureen Blandford, Harry Kapur, Karla Rivershaw and Lasse Lund, it was great to hear your round up of the longest year ­ever, find out your honest opinions on our finalists, and get an idea of what’s coming up next. You should do this for a living.

Podcast editing, music, and festive sparkle by Bang and Smash.

The post Podcast 91: the Best B2B Content of 2020 appeared first on Radix Communications.